Injured seniors still glad to participate
When Shelley White suffered a torn Achilles tendon in preseason practice, he immediately set a goal for returning for the Army-Navy football game.
The goal had to be amended after it became clear he was not going to be fully healed and rehabilitated in time to play in a game this season. That is why the Archbishop Spalding graduate is thrilled that he’ll be in uniform this afternoon when the teams’ 116th meeting kicks off at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
“Just the fact I’ll be able to suit up and run onto the field with the team is rewarding. It will be fun and exciting to be part of the atmosphere,” White said.
White suffered the injury while participating in a routine postpractice drill in which defensive backs run downfield and work on high-pointing the football for an interception. The Annapolis resident leaped and reached high for the ball, then came down awkwardly, causing the injury that cost him his senior season.
White easily could have written off football and turned all of his attention to the academic and military requirements of the Naval Academy. Instead, he continues to attend practices and meetings on a daily basis, believing that’s what a senior leader should do.
“I knew that football would end sometime. It ended a little earlier than I thought as far as playing, but I’ve still been part of the team and that means a lot,” he said. “To be able to put the pads on one more time and warm up with the team, to run around and break a sweat, that is important to me. It may sound cheesy, but it’s an accomplishment. You miss that feeling of running out of the tunnel with the team. That’s something I’m really looking forward to doing one more time.”
White is one of three Navy seniors who suffered season-ending injuries in the first few months of the season. Wide receiver Marc Meier tore up his knee in practice before playing East Carolina on Sept. 19, while safety Kwazel Bertrand went down with a broken ankle against Air Force on Oct. 3.
Bertrand and Meier are also going to dress in full pads this afternoon for the same reasons as White.
“It really hurts to not be able to play and contribute in such a big game. On the other hand, just being there with the team will be special,” Bertrand said. “I’ll be in the stadium and on the sideline doing whatever I can to help us win, whether it’s giving advice to some of the younger guys or just encouraging the defense as a whole when they come off the field.”
Bertrand, a Tennessee native, was having a superb season before the injury, recording 19 tackles and recovering two fumbles through four games. Meier, from Chesapeake, Va., had played on special teams in the season opener and was expected to be a leader of the wide receiver corps.
For White, Bertrand and Meier, their senior seasons ended suddenly. But they’ll be back on the field today.
Meier said putting on the special Under Armour uniforms that have been designed for this game and being able to storm out of the tunnel for his final Army-Navy matchup is important.
“I set a goal and I got to it. I’m so happy they’re going to let me dress and run out with the team on Saturday,” he said. “It’s a memory that I’ll get to hold forever.”