Announcement
From The GAZETTE By Eric Pfahler, Staff Writer
Buckeye football coach Chris Medaglia has a quotation on the door of his office, detailing the difference between winners and losers.
"The big difference is in how a man thinks. His attitude will govern his actions," it says.
As Medaglia prepared for his team's practice Monday, he knew a living example of that quote was down in the weight room.
Senior Dustin Supan could have easily chosen the lesser route after being involved in a serious car accident his freshman year. The incident left him with a broken left leg that could have ended his high school career.
Instead, the running back not only came back to lead Medina County in rushing, but he also broke the school record with 303 rushing yards in a game against Patriot Athletic Conference rival Brookside.
"He's persevered," Medaglia said.
That's a critical part of why Buckeye (10-0) will play host to sixth-seeded New Concord John Glenn in a Division III playoff game at 7:30 on Friday night.
"He gives us the big play," Medaglia said. "It's the first time we've had that kind of back in the four years I've been here."
But the chronology could have been far different without Supan's determination.
On April 22, 2002, Supan was confined to a hospital bed one day after he snapped his femur in half. He was left with cuts on his elbow and ribcage from the seatbelt.
The driver, a high school buddy, had lost control and hit a tree in the one-car accident.
The front end of the car and the dashboard collapsed on the two with the friend breaking a leg and shattering an ankle.
Supan spent six days in the hospital while doctors put a metal rod in his leg with three screws and a cap to allow Supan the chance to remove the rod later in life.
After the injury, Supan couldn't walk for five months. His parents set up a makeshift bed on the main level of the house because doctors told him to stay off the leg. Video games and homework were his only distractions from boredom.
"I couldn't go up the stairs for a month," he said. "It was bad because I don't like sitting around doing nothing."
Supan missed that track season and had to watch from the sideline for his sophomore football campaign.
Some might have called it quits at that point. A year of rehab just to get back to 50 percent isn't a glorious task.
"I think it happens more often than not," Medaglia said of people giving up. "That car accident could have ruined his life, but it didn't. He didn't let it."
That doesn't mean the speedster didn't think about it, though the feeling was as fleeting as his feet on the football field.
"My sophomore year, I thought about it a lot more because I had to sit on the sideline," Supan said.
Throughout that year, Supan continued to work with a physical therapist and became a regular in the Buckeye weight room. Soon, the work began to pay off.
"I noticed my leg was getting stronger a bit faster than the doctors thought it would," Supan said.
Slowly, the running back regained the speed that made him a game-breaking threat. He noticed a difference come track season his sophomore year and the ensuing summer in football.
The Bucks star began to compete in practice and found he was faster than most of his counterparts. He still had to regain strength in stabilizer muscles, so he continued to work and added different exercises to his routine.
Medaglia used Supan as part of a split backfield, but the coach knew his would-be workhorse wasn't back to full strength.
"A year ago, coming off the leg injury, we had to nurse him back to football," Medaglia said. "We knew what he was capable of.
"You could see he was still hesitant."
But by Week 7, Medaglia noticed Supan was regaining form. Now it's the opponents who hesitate. One false move or tiny gap and Supan is in the end zone. He has 22 rushing touchdowns, 24 total scores, and 1,626 total yards.
How many players has Medaglia had that have been faster than Supan?
"None," the coach said. "Watch him. They can't catch him. I think it's a testament to the kid."
Supan uses the injury to motivate himself even more.
"I really don't even think it's 100 percent yet," he said. "I kind of think if I never feel it's 100 percent, it will keep me striving for that."
Supan's attitude and thoughts continue to govern his actions, and it has paid off in the form of a playoff berth.
Pfahler may be reached at 330-721-4058 or ericjpfahler@hotmail.com.
Comments
There are no comments for this announcement.
