Antrel Rolle Blames Halas Hall Turf for Knee Injury

Ankle and knee injuries cut short the tenure of former Chicago Bears safety Antrel Rolle in the Windy City, and on Monday, he shed some light on the cause of the ailments that he suffered.

According to Rolle, the knee injury that he sustained before the team’s game against the Denver Broncos during the 2015 season was caused by poor field conditions at the Bears’ training facility at Halas Hall.

“It was the first week that my ankle started to feel 60, 70 percent, and I had it taped up,” he said in an interview with ‘The Spiegel and Goff Show’. I was shuffling, and I tried to change direction, and I slipped on the surface. The only thing that was able to give was my knee, and it had to take the force of that impact. The doctor even said that it’s unusual to find the tear I had with a non-contact injury. I think the surface had a whole lot to do with it.”

The playing surface at Soldier Field, which is maintained by the Chicago Park District, is constantly criticized by players and media alike as one of the worst fields in the league, but Rolle says that the fields at Halas Hall aren’t much better.

“The facilities are good in Chicago, but the fields aren’t as good,” he said. “I always knew Soldier Field was bad, but I never knew that the facilities (at Halas Hall) were just as bad.”

Rolle played in seven games for the Bears during his lone season in Chicago, with the knee injury costing him the remainder of the season. He registered 35 tackles and one pass defended in his time with the Bears before being released by the team on Sunday afternoon. 

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