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LAS VEGAS — Riding bulls isn't the same as playing professional football; that much goes without saying. And that also means the injuries aren't the same either, as professional bull rider Brian Canter will be happy to tell you.

Three weeks ago, Canter tore his anterior cruciate ligament, commonly referred to as the ACL, while riding dirt bikes near his home in North Carolina — the same injury that has sidelined the likes of NFL stars Tom Brady, Deuce McAllister and Jamal Anderson in the not-so-distant past. The difference is that those players required immediate and season-ending knee surgery, while Canter is here in Las Vegas competing in the 2009 PBR World Finals.

"The demands of bull riding are a lot different than other sports," Dr. Tandy Freeman, the PBR's medical director, said. "There are some injuries guys are able to compete with that in other sports they wouldn't.

"Most high performance athletes are going to do the predictable thing and get their ACL reconstructed and go back to their activity. But in bull riding, things have been a little different for a long time& you don't ride, you don't win — you don't win, you don't eat."

At the time of the injury, Canter was recuperating from surgery to his right knee to repair a nagging injury to his iliotibial band (the IT band for short), the muscle that runs along the outer thigh from the hip to the knee. Canter had already been sidelined for two and a half months, but was preparing to return for the final Built Ford Tough Series event of the year in Connecticut.

"There's a lot of guys that ride motorcycles in the PBR," Canter said in response to criticism over how the injury occurred. "I was just the unlucky guy that wrecked, you know? But maybe I shouldn't be riding 'em, I don't know.

"I just got bored at home, being off two and a half months and all."

Regardless of how or why the injury happened, Canter is dealing with the aftermath in the best way he knows how — with hard work.

"I wasn't very happy with myself after it happened," Canter said. "I went to get an MRI the next day and took it to Tandy [Freeman] at the Mohegan Sun and he told me it was a torn ACL. I went to therapy the next day I got home and started doing it for two hours a day until I was at the Finals here. I've been working hard, icing it down every day, trying to get the swelling down.

"It's still sore, but it's better than it was when it first happened."

Canter showed no sign of discomfort during the first round on Friday night, riding Rio Grande for 88.5-points and fourth place in the round. Canter used the fourth pick in the draft to select 2007 world champion bull Chicken on a Chain for Round Two, but was quickly bucked off on Saturday.

"In Brian's case, he's still not to that point where he's over the acute aspect of the tear," said Dr. Freeman prior to the start of the second round. "His knee's still swollen, he's still a little bit stiff, his knee's uncomfortable. But these guys ride with stuff all the time that is more than uncomfortable. Brian's a tough guy and he's taking it in stride and going about his business."

Canter will have his work cut out for him if he hopes to remain competitive for the World Finals average title, a goal which he says the injury has not deterred him from. In fact, Canter may take the lead of other prominent bull riders such as the now-retired Ty Murray and fellow PBR contender Luke Snyder, both of whom waited years to repair torn knee ligaments.

"It's not unusual for guys to do this, but it's less of an issue than it would be for say, an unstable shoulder," Dr. Freeman said. "It's a lot harder to ride a bull if your shoulder comes out than it is if you've got an ACL condition in your knee."

Both Freeman and Canter agree that the main point of concern for the injury isn't staying on the bull, but getting off it.

"We ain't runners, we're riders. We ride bulls," Canter said. "But sometimes you need your ACL. When you get off and plant or something you might fold."

Canter is taping his knee and wearing a brace to hopefully circumvent any further damage to the knee over the grueling seven day event, but was noticeably limping after his unsuccessful attempt aboard Chicken on a Chain.

"I don't even think about it when I'm on the back of the bucking chutes getting ready to slide down on 'em," Canter said. "If I can just keep things going and stretch every morning and every evening, I should be good to go."

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