College football

Career once in doubt, center excels

By FRANK PASTOR, ANTONYA ENGLISH
Published December 28, 2005

TAMPA - If Iowa's offensive line seems to be walking a little taller this season, it's because of the man in the middle.

Senior center Brian Ferentz, coach Kirk Ferentz's son, has been a regular presence in the lineup after a staph infection resulting from one of seven knee surgeries threatened to end his career and nearly cost him his right leg last season.

What was supposed to be an ordinary operation in February proved problematic when a staph infection set into the bone and soft tissue around Ferentz's knee.

By the time the infection was diagnosed, amputation seemed more likely than a return to football for Ferentz, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee as a freshman and the medial collateral ligament in his right knee as a sophomore.

Team doctors turned the case over to trauma expert Todd McKinley, who removed part of Ferentz's right knee in an attempt to eliminate the infection. Football was the furthest thing from Ferentz's mind as he began a long and grueling rehabilitation, but McKinley challenged him to return to the field.

"He's a former wrestler, so his delivery is a little bit of a battlefield delivery," Kirk Ferentz said. "But he understands athletes, he understands competitors. He never ruled it out. Basically, his attitude was, "Prove me wrong.' That's what he told Brian. He said, "You have a chance. It's going to be a tough road, but I hope you can make it.' "

Seven months after the operation, the 6-foot-3, 282-pound Ferentz made it back for Iowa's 2004 Big Ten opener against Michigan. Though he lacked his usual strength and flexibility, he started the final eight games at right guard before moving to center, where he earned All-Big Ten honorable mention this season.

"Fortunately, he received great care and I think it certainly gave him a new appreciation for being able to play," Kirk Ferentz said. "All of us involved as a family really admired the way he handled it."

STAYING AND GOING: As Florida prepares to play Iowa, the status for next season of several Gators remains up in the air. But coach Urban Meyer should have at least two starters back even though they've petitioned the NFL for their draft status.

Meyer said tailback DeShawn Wynn has told him he'll definitely return for his senior season and defensive tackle Marcus Thomas said Tuesday after practice he plans to be back for his final season. Meyer said several players sought their NFL status for reasons other than a plan to leave early.

"A lot of these guys I'm finding out are looking into it for several reasons," Meyer said. "One, because their families want them to. No.2, because there is some insurance (through NCAA). If you are (ranked) a certain level (pro prospect) you can have insurance provided for you. ... If you have a career-ending injury, you're protected. So those are the two reasons a lot of the guys do that."

Wide receiver Chad Jackson and cornerback Dee Webb are among starters who are considering leaving early. Meyer said last week that if a player has a chance to be a first-round selection, he won't stand in their way. However, he doesn't plan to get involved in those discussions until after next week.

"We're going to wait until after the bowl game (to talk)," he said. "We'll focus on the bowl game and when all that stuff comes back from the NFL we'll visit and do what's best for those guys."

IT'S A START: He won't play in the Outback Bowl, but Iowa sophomore linebacker Chris Brevi had another reason to be excited after Monday's practice. It was his last day on crutches after two operations to repair a stress fracture sustained during workouts last winter. Brevi, an Armwood graduate, hopes to begin rehabilitation after the bowl game and resume running shortly thereafter.

"It's just an ongoing process," he said. "I thought it would be healed, and then it wasn't. ... This is my last day on these (crutches), so I'm very excited about that. It's been 18 weeks the past year, so it's been rough. It's been very rough."

KEEPING HIS WORD: When Meyer arrived in Gainesville in January, he told supporters he would insist that players "live right", which included excelling on and off the field. On Tuesday, Meyer released the names of the 20 scholarship players who earned a 3.0 or better for the fall semester, including Tampa native Andre Caldwell and quarterback Chris Leak.

"That's pretty good stuff isn't it?" Meyer said. "Especially in the fall. Usually in the fall it's a mess. Usually you're just trying to hang on. When I saw those grades come back the other day I was real pleased."

GATOR INJURY UPDATE: Offensive lineman Tavares Washington (kneecap), expected to play; safety Vernell Brown (broken leg), questionable; safety Reggie Nelson (MCL), doubtful.

[Last modified December 28, 2005, 13:12:35]