OAKLAND, Calif., June 16 (UPI) -- Veteran defensive end Regan Upshaw, who suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during a drill in minicamp on Thursday, will need surgery that will sideline him for the 2002 season.
A 6-4, 260-pounder, a six-year pro from California, led the Raiders in sacks last season with seven. He has been the leader of the Raiders' pass rush since he signed with the team as a free agent in March 2000.
"At this point, you can count him out," said new Raiders Coach Bill Callahan. "He made a spin move inside, and you could see a little collapse on film. But we weren't sure how serious it was at first."
He will surgery later this week.
"I'm very upbeat," Upshaw told the San Francisco Chronicle on Saturday. "This is just another obstacle I have to hurdle. I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to get back."
The injury occurred on the first day of the three-day minicamp. No one hit him on the play.
"I was doing a spin move on the field and all of a sudden I said, 'Uh oh, what's that?'" he said. "That's when I fell down. When I got up, it felt like it was stinging, because the bones were bruised there. But I didn't know the ACL got ripped off. We missed that until the MRI."
The type of knee injury he sustained normally requires at least six months of rehab, and Upshaw said he's pretty much resigned to not playing this season.
"In my mind, I'm looking at spending this year recovering and getting my leg back," Upshaw said. "I'm looking at the longest scenario. "If it comes back quicker than that, then that's good, too."
Upshaw began his NFL career in 1996, when he was drafted out of Cal by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In '99, he played for Jacksonville, before signing with the Raiders. His spot on the defensive line likely will be filled by either second-year pro DeLawrence Grant or four-year vet Tony Bryant.
With this injury, defensive line is now a critical segment for Callahan.
End Trace Armstrong will be on the comeback trail after suffering a torn left Achilles tendon, Darrell Russell will have to sit out the year after another violation of the NFL's drug policy, and Grady Jackson was lost to New Orleans via free agency.
