Eagle-eyed SEC football fans probably noticed that Joe Adams was not one of the Arkansas wideouts who wrought utter havoc on the Auburn secondary this weekend. Small matter, really, considering the 44-23 final score in Arkansas’ favor, but what was the deal?

(Adams, seen here “beasting.” We just learned that word like yesterday, because we are very white.)

Fortunately, Razorback head coach Bobby Petrino said that Adams’ condition was “just something we had to deal with all week long,” which sounds like boring old coachspeak until Petrino mentions that Adams suffed “a mild stroke,” which, wow. Then it turns out that the team thinks he suffered it two days before he stopped practicing, at which point our brains become so blown that we, in turn, have a massive stroke. Which would be kind of ironic, really.

The HOG BLOG has the story, caked in incredulous wonderment:

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said receiver Joe Adams was sidelined today because of a “mild stroke” he suffered last week.

That’s right. He said a mild stroke.

“It’s just something we had to deal with all week long,” Petrino said. “He’s doing really well. We were very concerned about him. But he’s doing great. And I don’t know what the diagnosis is, what the near future holds, but he’s in great hands and our trainers and our doctors did an excellent job.”

Obviously, there’s nothing an athletic trainer can do for a stroke victim outside of the regular rehab that usually accompanies such an affliction. It’s not like a pulled muscle or a broken bone - this is a bleeding brain, people, and that is something you do not mess around with ever.

If there’s one measure of good fortune out of all of this - though not nearly as much fortune as “not having a stroke,” of course - it’s that Adams is still a true freshman. While a medical redshirt is probably out of the question, given that Adams was still participating with the team days after their fifth game, he’s still got three years of college eligibility and the bright future in athletics that usually accompanies 4-star football recruits.

Further, while it’s still clearly too early to start handing out diagnoses (plus, in case you hadn’t noticed, we’re not doctors here), Tedy Bruschi famously returned from what seemed to be a somewhat more severe stroke in “only” eight months. That still rules out all participation before summer, mind you, and it’s a hell of a sunny prediction, but time is on Adams’ side if he’s ever cleared to play again.

That all said, we hope that’s a long time, because knowing football coaches, something like this:

Petrino said Adams felt “great” Saturday.

“He was at the game with a big smile on his face,” Petrino said. “He was doing great. He spent most of hte day in Little Rock (yesterday) with testing and everything. He got back last night. Stayed at the team hotel. He’s doing very well.”

…is only going to hasten Petrino’s desire to get Adams back on the field. After all, it’s not like it would be the first time an SEC coach rushed someone back from a head injury this season. Let’s hope that mistake isn’t made again.