Teel to Keep Pushing for World Finals Victory Despite Torn Knee Ligaments
By: Justin Felisko
LAS VEGAS – The stakes are that much higher, and the situation and injury is different, but 2012 PRCA champion Cody Teel is willing to roll the dice on himself Saturday night during Round 4 of the 2019 PBR World Finals.
And what better place to gamble than Las Vegas?
Teel is a perfect 3-for-3 this week at the World Finals and is sitting in second place overall, but he now will have to try to win the World Finals despite sustaining a right knee injury Friday immediately after he rode Midnight Rain for 89.5 points in Round 3.
Midnight Rain kicked the outside of Teel’s left leg during the Kountze, Texas, cowboy’s dismount, resulting in a torn ACL and MCL, according to Dr. Tandy Freeman.
Teel, though, wants to try and continue to fight inside T-Mobile Area for his first World Finals victory.
In fact, Teel just shrugged off the injury for the most part and made his way back to the PBR Sports Medicine room under his own power Friday.
“I’ve torn my MCL in my left knee before (in January of 2015) and rode with it,” Teel said Saturday morning. “The last time I tweaked it was in St. Louis last year. I rode two with it the next day, and one was Seven Dust (88.5 points). This one is obviously a little worse, but I’m going to go at it the same way.”
Teel has drawn Udder Lover (26-9, UTB) for Round 4, which airs on CBS Sports Network at 11 p.m. ET and RidePass at 10:40 p.m. ET.
The 27-year-old has looked flawless this week with 88.25 points on Skeeter Peeter and 91 points on SweetPro’s Bruiser before injuring his knee.
“Bruiser is such a unique kind of bull that you more so just want to set your hips to him and keep your feet down,” Teel said. “That is pretty much what (J.B. Mauney) had to say. I had a lot of support from guys back there that rode Bruiser. Joe Frost. Brennon Eldred. They all stuck him before so it was pretty cool having them all back there.
“I was set up with two great bulls to start out with. Two great opportunities, like I always say. I dang sure had a little momentum going, but it is a new night tonight. In my mind, it all starts over. I just need to keep knocking them down one at a time.”
Teel met with the PBR Sports Medicine Team at their treatment location at the New York New York Hotel & Casino, and Sports Medicine Director Rich Blyn said they will tape Teel’s knee and fit him with a lateral brace.
The No. 6-ranked bull rider in the world is icing his leg for the majority of the day, and will try his best to keep his leg loose.
“Just lots of ice and try to keep it from getting stiff,” Teel said.
Teel is a two-time National Finals Rodeo event winner (2013/2015), and he could become the fourth rider all-time to win the NFR and the PBR World Finals. L.J. Jenkins (2011/2006), Ty Murray (1998/1999) and Ted Nuce (1985/1994) are the only other riders to pull off the rare feat.
“I never thought about that,” Murray said. “That could be possible. I feel so happy, proud and fortunate to have done that. I never thought of it that way, but those are the ones you want to win.”
The third-year PBR pro has ridden six of his last eight bull at the World Finals, including three 90-point rides. He finished sixth overall in 2018.
“You have to be 90 to win here,” Teel said. “At other Finals you can get by with low, mediocre scores, but here you have to be at least 88 or you might not take home a check. And that is in the nice pen. It is tough competition. You can’t play it safe here. I’ve learned that for sure.”
Teel went 8-for-10 to win the event average at the NFR in 2013 and 8-for-10 at the 2015 NFR for his second title.
“I don’t think winning title is an advantage, but you get in a comfort zone,” Teel said. “You are comfortable from being in those sorts of pressure situations.”
It would be a prestigious accomplishment to join Jenkins, Murray and Nuce in the record books, but Teel knows the World Finals is far from over.
“We have a long way to go,” Teel said. “I came here for that reason. It is not like I am not thinking about it. That is the mission, though, and why we are here. You have to trust everything you did leading up to this point and the preparation you had up to this point.”
ADDITIONAL INJURY UPDATES
According to Dr. Tandy Freeman, Cody Nance is out for the remainder of the World Finals because of a dislocated right shoulder he sustained when War Cry bucked him off in 6.9 seconds. He will not be replaced in the draw.
Shay Marks – the No. 3-ranked rider in PBR Canada – will make his World Finals debut against Foghorn Leghorn (1-2, UTB) as an injury replacement for Daniel Tinsman (concussion). Chase Outlaw rode Foghorn Leghorn (88.5 points) for points in Round 1 on Wednesday night.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
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