Caldwell Doesn't Budge, Keeps Lips Sealed On Levy Injury Details
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
DeAndre Levy sat out of the open portion of practice Thursday, continuing a nasty cycle of injury reports with his name on them and rumors circling about why. The Lions have listed Levy as dealing with a hip injury, although no further details have been specified.
"We certainly fill out the medical report every single day and that's what we'll go by," head coach Jim Caldwell said.
Caldwell has steadily refused to comment on injuries, especially Levy's. When asked about unconfirmed reports that Levy was dealing with a parasite he contracted in Chile, instead of the hip injury the team has said he's dealing with, Caldwell declined three times to address it.
"I don't address reports that don't come from us," he said.
Caldwell was also asked if there was a concern Levy would miss the season and he grew agitated.
"After a while you guys are going to be able to write these things because I'm going to answer them the exact same way," he said. "Anybody who's listed on our report, anything could happen with it. That's the nature of the business."
Meanwhile, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Levy's agent denied the parasite story:
Caldwell has kept his injury news behind an iron curtain since the season started, and he said he doesn't plan to change that policy.
"I haven't seen too many coaches that give great detailed information in terms of accurate information on different issues that pop up with players," he said. "They're roundabout, some are inaccurate. I'd like to stay away from those inaccuracies. … You have to treat the body, the person, as well as the symptoms. … There's so many things we don't understand about the body. The body can heal a lot quicker than maybe what we understand. And so we leave a little room for that to occur."
Levy's fellow linebacker, Stephen Tulloch, said he had never heard the parasite story.
"You can't listen to everything you hear," Tulloch said. "I don't know anything about that. DeAndre Levy is nice and strong. He's probably as strong as he's ever been since I've been here. He's gotten stronger and stronger. He's fine. I don't know anything about whatever you're talking about. What is it? I laugh because it's the first thing I've heard it. I don't know anything about what's going on. When was the offseason? He got back in April? If you had some parasite, would you be alive? I don't know how it works."
