2 0 1 7 K I C K O F F S P E C I A L
the final five contests. Due to team policy,
no explanation for Mahon's injury has
ever been made public.
When spring drills arrived, both were
on the practice field but were limited and
did not play in the Blue-White Game.
Head coach James Franklin said it was not
worth the risk of further injury to two of
the most experienced and battle-tested
players on the roster, and he has taken a
similar stance this preseason.
Mahon and Nelson are back in pads, but
their practice availability has been con-
trolled throughout camp as they continue
to recover from season-ending setbacks.
"You don't go from not running at all to
running a marathon," Franklin said. "You
kind of work your way back into it, and
that's what those guys are doing. They've
looked good, I think. When you've got
seniors – redshirt seniors – who have
played a lot of football, they have a lot of
maturity. … They're probably guys who
could handle that situation the best.
