STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Wednesday, September 8, 2004 7:00 pm
Nebraska's Greg Austin bristled at the insinuation made last February by his new position coach during one of their first one-on-one meetings.
Dennis Wagner gently suggested that Austin might consider giving up playing football and become a student-assistant coach, something safe and helpful to the team that didn't carry the risk of causing further damage to the knee he injured late last season.
"I had been rehabbing for a couple of months by that point," Austin said this week. "I was like, What are you talking about?' "
Please fast forward to Saturday night. It's halftime of Nebraska's home game against Western Illinois. Austin is riding a stationary bicycle on the sideline, which helps keep blood flowing in his sore right knee.
Austin spots Husker trainer Derek Clark, who helped push Austin through a grueling rehabilitation regimen during the offseason. Austin calls Clark over and thanks him.
"We had some trying times," Austin said of he and Clark. "We got mad at each other a couple of times. But we made it through."
Austin played a total of 24 snaps against Western Illinois after entering the game at the start of Nebraska's third series. Wagner said the sophomore may play as many as 35 snaps in Saturday's 11:10 a.m. game against Southern Mississippi at Memorial Stadium.
Wagner, hired in January by head coach Bill Callahan, was reminded this week of his February meeting with Austin.
"I had been told by our trainers he may never play again," Wagner said. "What Greg's done is totally amazing."
Although Austin remains at less than 100 percent of full strength, he provides depth at left guard behind junior starter Brandon Koch. A 6-foot-1, 280-pound native of Cypress, Texas, Austin played significant minutes last season as a true freshman, getting his first taste of game action Oct. 4 against Troy State.
Austin was a regular in the guard rotation during Nebraska's next four games. Then came the injury.
Austin remembers it occurred on a cold day. The Huskers, throttled 31-7 the previous Saturday at Texas, were practicing for the upcoming game at Kansas. The offensive linemen were in a pass-protection drill when Austin's kneecap "slipped out to the side of my knee."
"There's torn cartilage in the back of my kneecap right now, rubbing against bone," Austin said.
Austin had never suffered an injury of such magnitude. Oh, he had missed more than half of his senior season at Cypress-Fairbanks High School with a broken bone in his foot. But that injury was nothing compared to the one that still bothers him now.
Indeed, after Austin injured his foot, nobody was suggesting he might consider giving up the game he loves.
"If I didn't love football, I wouldn't be talking to y'all right now," Austin told a group of reporters earlier this week. "I love everything about it. One, the education. Just the whole thing around here."
Rehab is a different story. Austin loathed that part of football. He recalled a session last spring when Clark put Austin through a drill that required him to bend his injured knee and remain in balance. Austin fell to the ground, angry and frustrated.
"I was like, What the hell, I can't even do this,' " Austin said. "I've never been known to just straight give up. But that day, it kind of hit rock bottom. I just went home and thought about it for a little bit. And then, you couldn't hold me back. I was like, Whatever it takes.' "
So, Austin moves forward, albeit in pain.
"I'd say I'm a little bit off," he said. "I can still compete. But, I mean, as far as total confidence, I don't have it right now."
Austin said at first he experienced pain as he bent down into his stance. Then, that pain subsided, and he felt discomfort as he rose from his stance. Now, he said, he feels pain when he takes certain steps that put pressure on the knee.
Nevertheless, Austin played "very well" against Western Illinois, Callahan said.
"He graded out as one of the best players in the offensive line for the amount of snaps he had," Callahan said, praising Austin's grit. "I can't speak for him; I can only witness what I see. And I see him going through some pain.
"He's fought through it. He had plenty of opportunities to elect not to play this season. But he continues to push. I have a great deal of respect for him."
Looking back, Austin said, he's surprised how quickly he's been able to return to the playing field.
"It's all about the grind now," he said.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.