Once an athlete hears the words “torn ACL” from a doctor, it pushes them to physical and mental levels they never imagined.
Unfortunately, the Mid-Penn Conference has featured a rash of the devastating knee injuries to name players this season.
The list has grown almost weekly since the season started.
But the athlete moves quickly from injured to rehabilitation. Since recovery from an ACL injury has become all-too-familiar in recent months, the process of getting back on the field has drawn more attention.
Phase 1 (0-6 weeks)
Trinity wideout Ryan Herr will undergo surgery on the Friday that kicks off Week 7 of the season — three weeks after his injury.
He’ll start at ground zero of the recovery process with a physical therapy appointment Tuesday.
And although he’s at the beginning of this journey, Herr has big goals. A state-caliber hurdler for the Shamrocks, Herr’s goal is to be healed enough to participate in the postseason. That would be in April or May.
“Ideally, I’d like to be back in the beginning of track season. But any time for me would be awesome to be back and active again. I want to compete in the Mid-Penns, districts and states,” Herr said. “Part of it is you. But part of it is also letting the ACL heal on its own.”
But Herr must first navigate the surgery and initial weeks of recovery. His goals rest six or seven months away, but he hasn’t been told it isn’t possible.
“I’ve been told I have to make sure I don’t overdo it in the beginning,” Herr said. “Even if you’re working it hard, you can overwork it, and then it’s actually not getting better.
“I was told running by April or May will actually be good for my knee. The track is straight ahead. But I’m a hurdler, so we’ll see. It’s all about how you recover.”
Phase 2 (6-12 weeks)
Mechanicsburg two-way lineman Jake Trump is about to move into the second phase of recovery. The senior, who is bound for the University of Delaware in the fall, had surgery on Sept. 4.
Getting on the bike recently was important for Trump, who added he’s counting the days until they let him run.
“I started my rehab the day after my surgery. We did some leg raises and quad stuff, because you lose that muscle really fast,” Trump said. “Now we’re on to more mobility stuff, since I passed my range-of-motion test. Getting on that bike was a big step for me.”
But after getting through the initial six weeks of recovery, Trump’s therapists have advised him to cool his jets. Although Trump said his knee feels great, it takes daily restraint to follow the plan for the next six weeks.
“The doctors are actually not worried about how fast I recover, it’s more about me going too fast too soon,” Trump said. “It’s tough feeling this good and not being able to run on it. It’s hard, because you know you don’t want to re-injure it. But I just want to go, so I have to restrain myself.”
Phase 3 (12-24 weeks)
Ranked by most as the No. 1 tight end recruit in the country before he tore his ACL in late June, Cedar Cliff tight end Adam Breneman will begin running on land very soon.
He’s already running in the pool. But what’s kept Breneman moving forward is the “next thing.”
Breneman had surgery on July 10; he is getting ready for the third phase.
“I feel great and fine. My mind will tell me it’s time to start running, but I know better,” said Breneman, who was permitted to work on the elliptical machine last week. “The other day, it was raining and I wanted to jog to my car. But I had to stop and remind myself not to jog.”
As he prepared to transition into this 12-week phase, Breneman has been doing strength training for his leg muscles.
“You can’t believe how much muscle you lose in that leg. I’m doing some agility and quickness stuff, but nothing lateral,” Breneman said. “After running on land, it will be lateral movement. I love rehab. My trainers are great. They mix it up and make it competitive and interesting. It never gets boring.”
Breneman, who is under the watchful eyes of Penn State team doctor Wayne Sebastianelli, is going to enroll in January at Penn State and ideally would like to participate in spring drills. But that decision won’t be up to him.
“I’m going to make the most out of this. If I can do spring drills, great. If not, fine. I just want to be ready to play my freshman season,” Breneman said. “I honestly think a lot of good has come from this. It tests your mind, and it tests you emotionally and spiritually.
“I’ve filled out a lot more because I’ve been able to do more upper-body lifting. I’m not going to let this ACL tear mess up my football career.”
READ MORE: On the mend: Gridiron stars must follow strict rehabilitation schedule following ACL injuries
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