Article: Karl should be fine to play in opener.

Byline: Gentry Estes

Aug. 5--KNOXVILLE -- First-string senior linebacker Ryan Karl has been told an injured back won't keep him out of Tennessee's Sept. 1 opener at California.

He'll probably be full speed long before that.

"It's getting a lot better. I feel good," said Karl, who held up well during Friday's noncontact practice. "I'll probably lay off (contact) a little bit. I don't feel any pain right now, but it's just having that first hit, getting that out of the way."

Karl sustained a minor compression fracture in late June during a weight-room exercise called "step-ups," where a player steps into a higher level with weight on ...

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