Florida RB Jeff Demps wearing boot to protect bruised left foot, but could play vs. Alabama

Florida’s Demps in boot to protect bruised foot

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida running back Jeff Demps will miss some practice this week with a bruised foot, but he could be back for Saturday’s game at top-ranked Alabama.

Coach Urban Meyer said Monday that Demps was still wearing a protective boot on his left foot. Demps bruised his foot Sept. 18 at Tennessee and re-injured it during Saturday’s 48-14 win against Kentucky. Meyer said tests showed no ligament damage or broken bones.

“I’m hearing positive things about later in the week,” Meyer said. “He actually had an X-ray and a scan on his foot. It’s a sprained foot. It’s not broken, there’s not a stress fracture. I took a deep breath on the sideline when they said we’re going to go take him to get a scan. But it came back negative. Now it’s just we’ve got to get him healthy.”

Demps leads the seventh-ranked Gators with 367 yards rushing and has scored twice. He also has 11 receptions for 61 yards.

“I think we are going to have Demps (against Alabama),” Meyer said.

But if Demps doesn’t play or is limited against the Crimson Tide, backups Emmanuel Moody and Mike Gillislee would take on bigger roles.