Comeback Trail
August 25, 2007 08:25 AM | General
August 25, 2007
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The crackle of popping pads and the agony of late afternoon wind sprints have been a welcomed change for West Virginia University junior linebacker Mortty Ivy, whose promising football career was sidetracked by a serious knee injury during spring football practice in 2006.
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| Mortty Ivy's knee is back to where it was when he was a member of West Virginia's 2005 defense.
George Gojkovich photo |
The scar tissue from the surgery seemingly traveled above his right knee all the way to the back of his mind.
“I had never been injured like that where it took me that long to recover,” Ivy said recently. “It was a shock to me.”
The Mortty Ivy who was an important contributor on a 2005 defense that helped West Virginia win the Nokia Sugar Bowl was a mere shadow of himself in 2006. He knew it and so did his coaches.
“He just could not move last year and he really struggled with that leg,” said defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel. “He didn’t have enough time to rehab it really during the summer. The first activity he could have on that leg was during camp. It was a tribute to him because he’s a tough kid and he tried to play through it but he wasn’t nearly as effective as he should have been.”
“Part of coming off a knee injury is mental and trusting it,” said WVU coach Rich Rodriguez. “I don’t think Mortty really trusted it at the end of last year and to some extent through the spring.”
Ivy’s lost summer of 2006 continued into the fall. He gained weight and lost a couple of steps.
“I lost a little flexibility and I wasn’t as fast as I used to be,” said Ivy, adding that the added weight necessitated a move to strongside linebacker.
Ivy admits that the thoughts of making the wrong cut or a player rolling on him from behind were never completely out of his mind.
“I was thinking about my leg when I was out on the field. Even when I was on special teams for that quick five seconds there was always something in my head telling me something was wrong,” Ivy admitted.
In a game as demanding as college football, having any thoughts above and beyond what you’re supposed to be doing is not a good way to go about your business.
“I finally overcame it after spring ball, got my leg back to full strength, and started doing the things I was able to do before,” Ivy said.
Once again, Ivy knew it and so did his coaches.
“He’s had a good summer and I think he’s back to where he was at as a redshirt freshman and above now,” Casteel said.
“He’s been running around pretty well,” Rodriguez added. “I think he’s gotten to the point where he doesn’t even think about it any more. It reflects in his play because he’s played pretty well in camp.”
In fact, the Gateway (Pa.) High School standout has played well enough to work his way back up to the top of the depth chart at will linebacker. Yet Ivy fully understands that a good day in practice on Tuesday doesn’t mean a whole lot on Wednesday.
“You’ve got to battle for the job every day so I had to go out there and prove to myself and prove to these coaches that I’m back to where I was when we won the Sugar Bowl and I was always on the field,” Ivy said. “They were always calling my name to go out there in the ‘swat package’ and telling me to make a play.
“That’s where I want to get to where these coaches can call on me and I go out there and make a play.”
Making Ivy more valuable is the fact that he can easily flip over and play the strong linebacker position as well.
“You’ve got to learn them all just in case the coach wants to switch you,” he said. “I’ve learned them all and I take mental reps when I’m on the sidelines. Then when I’m out there I can give them 100 percent.”
Ivy is now giving them 100 percent in both body and mind.
“When you rehab they say your leg is going to be stronger than the leg that’s not hurt,” he said.
It sounds like that scar tissue, if not removed from his knee, is now completely out of his mind.
