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South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore diagnosed with a dislocated knee

(**WARNING: the video above shows a gruesome injury. You may not want to watch if you are squeamish.**)

Marcus Lattimore could play football again.

That's the word from South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, who told media Sunday that Lattimore suffered a dislocated knee and ligament damage against Tennessee on Saturday.

There were no broken bones.

And that's amazing news considering the injury was wildly gruesome and many feared the worst for the running back, who turns 21 Monday.

According to Spurrier, who visited Lattimore in the hospital Sunday, South Carolina team doctor Jeffrey Guy was able to pop the left knee back in place when Lattimore arrived at the hospital. Spurrier didn't want to go into specifics about the injury, but didn't rule out Lattimore returning to the field for the Gamecocks in the future. Lattimore, a junior, does have a redshirt season available.

"We're optimistic his football days are ahead of him," Spurrier said. He knows what the road ahead is. We're all hoping and praying he'll be back."

Anyone who watched Lattimore's injury (and if you haven't seen it, it's posted above) feared the worst considering its graphic nature. Lattimore's leg bent in a way no leg should ever bend and speculation was rampant that he had not only torn every ligament in his knee, but also broken his femur.

But luckily for Lattimore, that's not the case.

Lattimore already knows how grueling rehab from a knee injury can be. Last year, he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his opposite knee, but returned to be one of the SEC's top backs.

Spurrier said he has no timetable for Lattimore's recovery or the decision about his future.

"We'll just go a day at a time and allow the doctors and Marcus and a lot of prayers do their work," Spurrier said.

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