49ers rookie guard Joe Looney is officially under contract and in town for the 49ers rookie minicamp. He took a few minutes to chat with the 49ers media yesterday and provided a few details we might not otherwise get from the normally secretive coaching staff.
The most pertinent news is that he has not yet been cleared for full football activities. Looney suffered a Lisfranc injury in the Senior Bowl. It is a significant injury, with the potential long-term implications anywhere from getting back to 100% to ending careers. Looney is doing running and jumping and other non-football exercises that test the foot, but the full status of his recovery will not be known until he is taking part in full football activities. It sounds like he will be cleared for that in June, so we'll just have to wait and see.
Looney comes into camp with a bit of an edge on some offensive line draft picks thanks to his work with former 49ers center Jeremy Newberry. Looney had a chance to work with Newberry in January because Newberry works for the company that represents Looney, Octagon Football. Newberry liked what he saw in Looney and as Newberry pointed out, Looney comes across very well-spoken and engaging in the interview after the jump.
Joe Looney Interview