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A season that almost wasn't
By JAMAL THALJI, Times Staff Writer
LAND O'LAKES -- On Sept. 6, Drew Weatherford's junior season passed before his eyes. The Land O'Lakes quarterback was sitting in class, anxiously awaiting the kickoff of that night's season opener against Gulf. And then it happened. "I was just reaching down for a pen in class and that's how easy it could happen," he said. "(My knee) just locked up, and I was like, 'Oh God.' " After class, Weatherford limped to the football office to see coach John Benedetto. Benedetto had assistant coach Tom Carter rush Weatherford to the Florida Joint Replacement and Sports Medicine Center. Soon after, Dr. Steve Mirabello called the coach with his diagnosis: Weatherford needed surgery Monday to repair the medial meniscus in his left knee and would be out for the season. Hours before the kickoff against Gulf, Benedetto was preparing to go with senior wideout Michael Garcia at quarterback. Weatherford sat outside the weight room, by the baseball stadium, going back and forth with his father Bill on his cell phone about why he should play. As far as they all knew, right then and there, Weatherford's junior year of football was over. It was the story Land O'Lakes didn't want anyone to know about. Rumors floated around the county about Weatherford's knee. But it didn't become public knowledge until newspapers started snooping around midway through the season. "How long did we keep it quiet before anyone even knew?" Benedetto wondered. "It was at least midway through the season, so we kept it quiet for six weeks at least." But now they'll talk about it. First, consider all that Weatherford accomplished this season. Land O'Lakes' all-time career passer shattered every Pasco County single-season and career record, completing 162 of 249 passes for 2,645 yards. Weatherford led the state with 39 touchdown passes and the Gators to new heights, a school-best 12-1 record, their first playoff victory in nine years, and the first region final. Now consider this: Weatherford's record-setting 2002 season almost didn't happen. When Weatherford's knee locked up that day in class, his mind raced back to the day he injured it in fall camp. It was nine days before the Hernando preseason Kickoff Classic, and the team was running high-stepping drills, running over practice dummies and lifting their knees high in the air. "We all go as fast as we can, you know?" Weatherford said. "Which is stupid when you think about it. I hit the last dummy, it caught my foot and then I did a somersault, and when I was coming back up my knee was coming up (awkwardly). "I knew something was wrong." The doctor's preliminary diagnosis was that Weatherford may have just tweaked his knee, and rest was prescribed. Lightning cut short that game to 15 minutes. Weatherford was 7-of-11 for 90 yards and a touchdown in a 20-0 win. "It started feeling better, but (Weatherford) wasn't anywhere near 85 percent in the Hernando game," Benedetto said. "And it's a good thing it started raining because I was on pins and needles that night, but I was planning on taking (him) out anyway." And that was that. The next week was the Gulf game, and concern about Weatherford's knee abated as he improved. Until game day came. As far as anyone knew, Weatherford's season was over. He left the doctor's office without a diagnosis, but said "deep down inside" he knew it was bad. An MRI was taken of his injured knee, and by 5 p.m. Dr. Mirabello had the results: surgery was needed. "He called my dad and told him what it was and that I couldn't play and that I had to come in and have surgery on Monday," Weatherford said. "My dad called me and apologized and told me and it was real upsetting because my boys are graduating this year. "It was a real emotional time." Dr. Mirabello said the procedure and ensuing rehabilitation would sideline the junior until as late as December. Weatherford would be at full-strength by basketball season and he would avoid any problems as an adult. But he would miss this season. Benedetto was ready to move on. "We really felt that Michael Garcia was going to end up being the quarterback for that game," the coach said. Weatherford wanted to play, regardless of what the coaches, his parents or the doctor thought. Which is exactly why Benedetto duly ignored his star quarterback's opinion. "He would be a Byron Leftwich," the coach said, comparing Weatherford to the Marshall quarterback whose linemen had to help carry him around the field during a game this season. "He would go out there no matter what. You can't keep him out of a game. "It wasn't his decision, because if you ask him, he'll just say it was fine." Mirabello's diagnosis weighed heavily on Weatherford's parents and coaches. "The doctor said I was going to have to have surgery for sure on Monday and that I couldn't play unless my parents authorized it," Weatherford said. "But he didn't think it was the right idea." Benedetto believed surgery was the right call. "He was looking out for my personal best interests," Weatherford said, "not necessarily the team's." But Weatherford, despite the opinion of nearly every adult he talked to, resisted. "We talked about just going out and giving it a shot," the quarterback said. "There wasn't a chance it could get any worse." Finally, a higher power stepped in. Mom. After talking with her son, Cathy Weatherford decided it would be okay for him to give the season opener a try. "I called her and we prayed about it," Weatherford said. "We thought everything was going to be all right." It was 6:30 p.m. when the Weatherford family made its decision. The rest is county history. "When I threw my first touchdown to Logan (Payne) against Gulf on the down-and-up (route), I knew I was supposed to be out there," Weatherford said. "And not just for a game or the quarter. I felt right and I felt at peace with myself and my decision. "When that finally happened, I knew that God wanted me to succeed." Weatherford went 15-of-18 for 238 yards and four touchdowns in the 55-18 rout. He then set the county's single-season and career passing records. Weatherford finally had his surgery Dec. 11 and expects to be back for basketball season in January. Because he played 13 games on the injured medial meniscus, it was beyond repair. Mirabello shaved the cartilage down, an operation that requires three weeks of rest. But for the entire season, there wasn't a moment when Weatherford scrambled out of the pocket that Benedetto wasn't holding his breath. "It's amazing," the coach said. "And it was scary for me this entire season because I knew that every play he ran, there was a chance it would be his last one."
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