TCU’s Bunce might miss ’19 after scooter accident
TCU kicker Cole Bunce could miss the upcoming season after he was knocked off a motorized scooter during a traffic accident Thursday.
Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson told reporters on Saturday that Bunce had emergency surgery, but didn’t provide any specifics on the player’s injuries.
“I don’t think he’ll be able to play the rest of the year,” Patterson said. “Sometimes you have luck and sometimes you have no luck at all.”
According to a Fort Worth (Texas) Police Department accident report obtained by ESPN, Bunce was driving a scooter around 10 a.m. ET on Thursday when a car turned left in front of it while attempting to pull into a private driveway.
The impact knocked Bunce, 20, off his scooter less than half a mile from Amon G. Carter Stadium. An ambulance transported Bunce to a hospital, according to the report. Police cited the other driver with failure to yield.
“[The other driver] did not see [Bunce] and turned into [him], knocking the driver off. [Bunce] had the right of way,” the police report said.
Bunce, a senior from San Jose, California, was expected to handle TCU’s kickoff duties and possibly long field goals in 2019. He was the team’s primary kickoff specialist last season and went 12-for-12 on extra-point attempts and 4-for-9 on field goal tries with a long of 41 yards.
Senior Jonathan Song was 9-for-12 on field goal attempts last season, and freshman Griffin Kell is another option to take over kickoffs.
The Horned Frogs open the 2019 season at home against FCS opponent Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Aug. 31.