Posted at 12:38 p.m., Wednesday, October 12, 2005
49er and ex-UH linebacker Ulbrich out for year
Associated Press
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Linebacker Jeff Ulbrich, the San Francisco 49ers' second-leading tackler last season, will be placed on injured reserve after he undergoes surgery tomorrow to reattach his biceps muscle to his arm.The former University of Hawaii standout who is second in the NFC this season with 41 tackles according to league statistics, spoke with several medical specialists before reluctantly deciding on surgery today to repair a tendon on his right arm.
If he had attempted to play through the injury, which occurred while trying to tackle Indianapolis' Edgerrin James last weekend, he would have lost half of the strength in his arm for the rest of his life.
Though coaches, teammates and his wife urged the hard-nosed linebacker to have surgery, Ulbrich waited four days before deciding it was the only rational move. He will need at least four months to recover.
"I was trying to find a doctor that would say we can go in there 10 weeks from now and fix it, and it will be good as new," Ulbrich said. "I was searching for someone, but it's not out there. ... It's tough. You put in an entire offseason, and I love playing with these guys. To be on the sideline is going to be tough."
