ASU's leading receiver Jaelen Strong '50-50' for Washington State game
Arizona State’s top receiver Jaelen Strong could miss Saturday’s game against Washington State as he recovers from a concussion he suffered in the Sun Devil’s loss to Oregon State.
Coach Todd Graham told media on Tuesday that Strong was undergoing concussion protocol and could be a gametime decision.
"It's obviously being very cautious," Graham said. "He has improved dramatically. It just depends. I should know more tomorrow, but probably 50-50 (to play) is what I'd say."
Strong took two different blows to the head during the 35-27 loss last week. The first came early in the fourth quarter when he tried to haul in a pass in the end zone and landed hard on his head. Strong stayed down for a moment, but stayed in the game.
The second head injury occurred with 2:52 remaining in the game when Strong went up for a catch along the sideline and came down on his head again. This time, he stayed down and medical personnel had to help him off the field.
The medical staff did take Strong’s helmet, per concussion protocol, though Strong tried to talk his way back into the contest.
Strong had nine catches for 103 yards before suffering the injury. He leads the team with 71 catches for 982 yards and nine touchdowns.
Strong dressed for practice Tuesday but did not participate in individual drills and wore a noncontact jersey.
Graham said Tuesday he was encouraged by Strong's progress.
"He did clear up really good yesterday," Graham said. "The severity of it, I think it would be considered a light (concussion)."
For more Arizona State news, visit ASUDevils.com.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
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