by Joey Papania
LSUsports.net
On November 26, 1999, the LSU Tiger football team closed out a dismal season with 35-10 rout over SEC rival Arkansas. After a season long battle at the quarterback position, Rohan Davey emerged to complete 10-of-12 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns against the Razorbacks.
Three months later, Davey tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee keeping the 6-3, 240 junior out of spring drills.
As the month of July comes to a close fall practice is right around the corner, and Davey is ready for his return to the LSU football team. In fact, he feels confident that if the team were to begin practice tomorrow, he would be on the field competing for the starting role as the Tiger’s quarterback once again.
But his road to recovery was not an easy one.
“The mental recovery may have been the most difficult part of rehabilitation,” Davey said. “There were days when I didn’t feel like doing any of it. That’s when the trainers picked me up and motivated me by talking about that first game and that first touchdown. That really helped. It’s important to have a strong support staff.”
Once he was able to deal with the initial shock of the injury, Davey actually welcomed the surgery. The Miami native was just eager to begin his rehabilitation in order to get back on the football field. Two months after the surgery, the doctors diagnosed him as roughly 55 percent healthy. It was at this time, the trainers began targeting certain muscle groups, more specifically, the quadriceps. Two weeks later, he was diagnosed almost 75 percent healthy.
“Once I got to about 75 percent, I began working with heavier weights, doing a lot more reps, and working on my footwork,” Davey explained. “I did more running, and I began to cut on (my knee) for the first time working on my lateral movement. It was around this time that I began working with football related drills.”
Those drills included dropping back and rolling out of the pocket. Davey also began working against a simulated pass rush. He also joined the team’s karate classes three weeks into the eight-week session.
“It really helps with flexibility because there are a number of stretches that we wouldn’t normally do in football training. It’s just another way to stay in shape,” Davey said. “But it allows you to work on discipline, balance, and flexibility. I think (the karate) played a part in my recovery, but I don’t think it played a major role. I think the major role took place in the training room.”
Whatever the source of Davey’s recovery, he is indeed ahead of schedule. The doctors felt that it would take almost four more months for him to be at this level of his rehabilitation. Davey began running with the team at the beginning of July and is more than ready for the start of fall practice.
“We have a lot of talent on this football team. But I think the X-factor is the quarterback position. I really think that solid play from the quarterback will give us a chance to have a special year,” Davey said confidently. “I feel I can do the job given the opportunity. All I’m hoping to do is give my team an opportunity to win. I’m definitely ready.”