Touchdown?
Jacob Hespeler’s Button in Ottawa to support his team
Jacob Hespeler’s injured receiver targets September return
CAMBRIDGE — With another victory in the books, the Jacob Hespeler Hawks shake hands with their opponents, followed by a postgame salute.
Fifth-year receiver Elijah Cruickshank leads the cheer and, with helmets raised, players recognize a former coach, and then a hobbled teammate.
“One, two, three ... Hatterstrong!,” they say, followed by, “four, five, six ... Button!”
The first part of the cheer is a tribute to Mark Hatt, a popular physical education teacher who died in 2015 from lung cancer.
The second part recognizes Brad Button, a fourth-year receiver who suffered a gruesome injury during a Waterloo County (WCSSAA) game Sept. 28 on the unkempt playing field at Bluevale Collegiate Institute.
The injury happened, as Button recalls it, after making a catch. His foot became entangled in the long grass and he was hit from behind by a Knights defender, causing his right knee to bend in a way it’s not supposed to bend.
Button, 17, immediately knew something was wrong and that was later confirmed at Grand River Hospital, where he learned he had suffered ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and LCL (lateral collateral ligament) tears, as well as extensive nerve damage that still prevents him from bending his foot toward the shin.
The latter condition, commonly referred to as foot drop, is the one that worries Button most. He wants to play football again in his fifth and final year of high school and there are no guarantees the nerves will regenerate and allow him to do so.
“That’s the toughest part, not knowing. I’m focusing on playing next year, that’s my goal, to be on the field next September,” said the soft-spoken Button, who had a six-hour surgery on Oct. 19.
“It was pretty tough at first. I was upset and emotional about it, but staying involved with the team has helped. The guys have been very supportive and I think it’s going to be exciting for me to be there on the sidelines with them at OFSAA. I really believe in these guys and want them to win.”
The Hawks take on the Gananoque Trojans in Wednesday morning’s OFSAA Central Bowl and Button will be there, leaning on his crutches, to witness what he hopes will be the school’s first provincial championship in three attempts.
Button made his way to Ottawa on Tuesday afternoon, a few hours after receiving an encouraging injury update at a Toronto hospital. Doctors, he learned, are optimistic he’ll make a full recovery, but there’s no way of knowing whether he’ll be ready to play football in September.
It was the news he’d been hoping for. “I asked about playing football in September and they said it’s possible, so it’s kind of up to me now,” he said.
Button began playing football four years ago with the Cambridge Lions and has been honing his skills ever since with hopes of eventually playing at the university level.
This was going to be the year he impressed recruiters with his talents and he started out with a two-touchdown performance against the KCI Raiders.
The injury happened the following week.
Button has tried to remain upbeat and points to Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith as a source of inspiration. Smith suffered a similar injury in the final game of his college career at the University of Notre Dame, and defied the odds by making a successful comeback.
Button has also spoken with former Jacob Hespeler student Chris Haas, who lost half his right foot in a 2015 car crash and returned to the football field the following year.
Haas, who recently played with the Tri-City Outlaws in the semipro Northern Football Conference, reached out to Button earlier this month and offered to help with his comeback.
The injury, said Button, has hammered home the life lesson of taking nothing for granted.
But the injury has done nothing to dampen his enthusiasm for football.
“I watch it every Sunday, I play fantasy football, I play Madden every day, I talk to my dad about football every day,” he said.
“I still love football and I’m determined to play again,” he added.
Button will be in good company if he’s able to play in September as the Hawks have a solid group of returning seniors, and the school’s junior team recently captured the WCSSAA championship.