Wisconsin football head coach Bret Bielema announced Wednesday that sophomore linebacker Chris Borland will miss the remainder of this season due to ongoing shoulder injuries.
Borland, who missed Wisconsin's win over San Jose State and reinjured the same shoulder on UW's first possession against Arizona State last Saturday, is eligible to apply for a medical hardship which would grant him an additional year of eligiblity.
""After talking with our training staff and with Chris, we decided that the best thing for Chris was to shut him down for the rest of the year,"" Bielema said in a statement released by the university Tuesday morning. ""Obviously Chris is a tremendous player and a ferocious competitor, but after looking at all the options everyone agreed this was the only option for him.""
According to university officials, NCAA rules state that a player is eligible for medical hardship as long as he or she has not participated in more than 30 percent of his or her team's games in the first half of the season and then misses the rest of the year due to injury or illness.
In order for Borland to attain medical redshirt, UW must apply after the conclusion of the current season.
Borland, who took home Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors a year ago after finishing in the top three on the team in tackles (54) and sacks (5.0) and led the team in tackles for loss with 10.5, also left the Badger's opener against UNLV early with an injury to the same shoulder.
