Scary news on the eve of the Raiders' 2009 training camp, as we discover that left guard Robert Gallery just underwent an emergency appendectomy and will miss at least the first two weeks of camp.
Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune broke the news this weekend, reporting that Gallery awoke one night last week with 104-degree temperature and a severe pain in his side. Gallery sought immediate treatment at a medical facility in Pleasanton, where doctors surgically removed his appendix.
Gallery will miss at least the first two weeks of Raider training camp, which opens Tuesday in Napa. He's backed on the depth chart by Chris Morris and Paul McQuistan, with hopefuls Marcus Johnson and Jonathan Compas also fighting for roster spots. Compas is a UC-Davis grad, if that does anything for your rooting interests.
Gallery had been the butt of draft bust jokes his first four years in the league, but has developed into a solid road-grader at his original left guard position. He's a great guy in the community, and one of the Raiders' most consistent contributors.
Appendectomies typically require one to three weeks of recovery time, to which Gallery really should adhere. Because you never know what kind of complications might arise from surgical recoveries, as Kellen Winslow, Jr. can tell you.
Joe Kukura is a freelance writer who gets woozy just hearing surgical terminology.
