WMU commit Delano Madison tears ACL and Meniscus

When Delano Madison committed to P.J. Fleck and co., the Broncos were getting an under-the-radar burner, capable of playing both sides of the football. The main reason the Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) speedster was flying below Big Ten evaluators radar was he missed his entire junior season after breaking his femur in his first practice in 2013.

Unfortunately, Delano Madison seems to be destined to stay under-the-radar. Madison -- who was expected to factor heavily in the passing and running game for the Warriors -- tore his ACL and his Meniscus, he tweeted.

Left the doctors office, torn ACL and meniscus never would've thought my high school career would end this way got to get ready for WMU now- DeLano Madison (@th3future03) September 4, 2014

First, for Madison, this has to be quite devastating. Hopes were high for him after rehabbing his leg injury last year, which was fixed with a rod placed in his leg and secured by three titanium screws. After his rehab, he was running consistent 4.30 40-yard dash times, showing perhaps an improved burst after the injury healed. Brother Rice aims for their fourth straight state title, but Delano figured to be a big part of the attack for Brother Rice.

Perhaps worst of all, the injury didn't appear to be as severe as it was when it happened. "[T]he knee didn't swell up, I didn't hear a pop," he told me via direct message. That's in stark contrast to when he broke his femur in the first practice of his junior year. As he recollected to Mick McCabe of the Free Press, "I was running and I went to make a cut, and when I pushed off of my left leg I felt it crack like a brick." He'll effectively miss all of his varsity years of football.

When Madison steps on Western Michigan's campus next fall, he'll be more than two years removed from extended live football action. As a sophomore, he helped aid Brother Rice to a state title after being moved from junior varsity to the varsity squad for the playoffs. Still, Madison attacked his rehabilitation last year with vigor and a positive attitude, and that previous experience will undoubtedly help him in the long rehab road ahead.

For WMU, I would not expect them to back away from Madison. When he's on the field, his speed can prove to be a game-changer and the rate of recovery for ACL tears is much better than it was even just a decade ago. This injury will all but assure that Madison will make it to campus and not be poached by a bigger school. His speed and athleticism, assuming he regains his explosiveness, will be crucial as WMU figures out both their biggest need and where his skillset fits best in Kalamazoo. Madison could play either defensive back, wide receiver, or even spend some time in the backfield.

Before leaving Brother Rice's season opening win over Brother Rice (Chicago, Ill.) at the 4:37 mark of the second quarter, Madison had four catches for 39 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown reception to open the scoring. After surrendering a 33-yard touchdown run, Delano returned a kickoff 76-yards for a touchdown, just 37 seconds after his touchdown catch.