UW Tight-Ends Coach Hurt at OSU; ZTF Getting Closer to Return

Husky coach Jimmy Lake also said Cade Otton and Bookie Radley-Hiles are available again.

The University of Washington football team came out of the Oregon State game relatively healthy player-wise, but the Husky coaching staff was not nearly as fortunate — little known outside the team, tight-ends coach Derham Cato was hit by an opposing player on the sideline and seriously injured.

At his press briefing on Monday morning, coach Jimmy Lake revealed that Cato was looking down when a player, an outside player known as a gunner, rolled into him on a punt return, forcing the two-year assistant coach to be transported to a Corvallis hospital. 

Lake would not disclose the extent of Cato's injuries, presumably some sort of leg or knee mishap, other than to say it was bad. The coach didn't rejoin the team until everyone was boarding the charter plane to return to Seattle. 

"He's with us, he's healing, but he definitely has some injuries," the head coach said. "He's in the building and he's going to be OK." 

Cato, however, will be unable to travel and recruit with the rest of the UW coaching staff this week. 

Regarding his players, Lake disclosed that both tight end Cade Otton and nickelback Bookie Radley-Hiles would return for the UCLA game on October 16 at Husky Stadium. Otton is coming off a bout with COVID-19, Radley-Hiles a knee sprain.

The coach, somewhat gleefully, added that sophomore edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui was now in "week to week" injury protocol, which means he might play against the Bruins, as well. ZTF suffered an Achilles tendon rupture during spring practice, had surgery and has escalated his recovery process. 

Also, Lake said sophomore kicker Tim Horn, who didn't accompany the Huskies to the game in Corvallis, was redshirting to give him an extra year of eligibility once junior Peyton Henry graduates.

Horn handled kickoff duties in 2020 and for the first four games this season. Henry, normally just a placekicker, took over Horn's chores against Oregon State.  

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