Q'A with Luke Swan
October 26, 2007 | Football
Badger senior captain and WR Luke Swan, whose season was cut short after he tore a hamstring while making a catch at Illinois three weeks ago, talks about the injury, his inspirational visit with his teammates last Friday night and what his future holds.
First, how are you doing' How are you feeling physically and emotionally'
'Physically, I'm doing real well. Dr. Kaplan did a great job with the surgery. They said everything attached like it was supposed to and the incision is healing. They haven't had a chance to take a picture, but they say, from all signs, things are doing really well. It doesn't hurt at all, which has been a blessing. Emotionally, I'm doing real well, too. The first shock of it was definitely there. Seeing the MRI and realizing that my season was over was kind of shocking, but after that I had some time to think and pray and talk to different people. Right now, I only see the small pieces of the puzzle; I don't see the whole picture.'
What's the short and long-term prognosis '
'The doctors took the re-hab program from another football player who had this injury and showed it to me. From what I know, I'll be another four weeks on crutches and then I'll be able to start walking and get back into jogging and into the rehabilitation. They said the program should be right around six months (from the injury) and then I'll be able to get back into activity.'
What are you doing (or will you be doing) for re-hab '
'We haven't really gotten into specifics of what the re-hab will be yet. I'm sure it will most likely be a lot of range of motion work, strengthening it. My quad already looks very depressing, just because of atrophy. But range of motion will be a big thing and strength will be a big thing to just get back to being able to run like I could before.'
Can you take us back to the play on which the injury occurred' What was the play call' Did you know something was seriously wrong when you landed so awkwardly'
'I definitely remember the play call because it was something we had not worked on in practice. It was a play that Coach Chryst kind of came up with on the run. I knew it was going to be open, but I knew the safety would kind of flow a little bit and then come back. I remember seeing the ball and I knew I was going to take a hit, so I kind of turned my back to him a little bit as I caught the ball and I landed in kind of a hurdler 's stretch, sort of a split kind of stretch. My leg was straight out and I landed awkwardly and their guy hit me from behind. It pushed my body down past my leg, way past where my flexibility would allow. It didn't really hurt that bad when it happened. It was more of a stretching sensation. I thought, `OK, I hurt my hamstring, I'll be back in a few weeks.' I walked on it after the game and I walked on it all that night (without the crutches). I walked into the doctor's office for the MRI the next day. I was limping and it was slow walking, but it didn't hurt, I think, more or less because everything was detached. Then I had the MRI and realized what had happened. '
It was obviously difficult to handle when you found out your season had ended. What was on your mind when you found out' How'd you handle it'
'It really goes back to who you are as a person. It's where your identity is. Am I just a football player or am I more than just a football player' Do I have other things in my life that satisfy me and that I can fall back on' My faith was a big part of that. Just understanding that God has a plan for my life. He planned this injury and I'm going to learn a lot from it. I'm already learning patience. So, leaning back on my faith and my family and all the people that have supported me has been really awesome. The outpouring of love and the people that have been really concerned for me has been great.'
Several players mentioned the talk you gave to the team the night before the Northern Illinois game. How did that come about and what did you say '
'I was originally supposed to talk the day after my surgery, but I was too 'loopy' from the medication and I'm glad it happened that way because I don't know if I was emotionally ready. I probably would have broken down in front of the guys. I hadn't really had time to think about a lot of things. So, once I was able to think about it, what kept coming into my head was that you really don 't know when your last play will be. I challenged the guys and asked them, `If you knew right before the next play that it would be your last play, how would your intensity change and how would your technique change'' Everything would be raised to a different level. If you were told 22 plays into a game that you would be hurt, how would those plays be different' They'd be perfect. You'd play with everything you've got. So, I just told them to harness that idea and to remember that stuff happens quickly. And to just bring an intensity to the game. '
How does it feel to know you're still a big part of the team, even though you can't contribute from a physical standpoint on the field'
'That's something that has really helped me, to realize that I do have a different role on the team now. Before, it was to be a player and leader. Now my role is to be encouraging and to be a guy that shows passion for my teammates and to help them as much as I can on the sidelines. Just to be there as an off-the-field leader.'
How has the support been for you from teammates, coaches, fans, etc.'
'It has been amazing to see all the people that I sometimes don't even really know send me notes saying they really enjoyed watching me play. It's awesome to see all the people that really care. One person that has helped me out a lot is my roommate, Chris Maragos. He has helped me with everything because I can't do a lot of stuff for myself right now. He has been awesome, always asking `What can I do for you'.'
What do you think of the job freshmen Kyle Jefferson and David Gilreath have done to help pick up the slack at the wide receiver position that has been hit by injuries this season'
'I knew early on that those guys would be contributors in some way and I was excited about what they would bring to the table. As soon as 'Hubb' (fellow senior WR Paul Hubbard) went down (in the second game of the season at UNLV), Kyle stepped in and really started playing well. I had a chance to sort of mentor Kyle and David along the way and it is fun to see them step in and succeed and not be freshman and make plays for the team.'
As the season winds down, what are you plans' Any thoughts about what your future holds'
'That's a good question. I've been going through that in my head. The injury has allowed me to step back and think about what my future is going to be. If I do get an opportunity to be in an NFL camp and this leg injury heals like it is supposed to, I'll definitely take that opportunity. If that doesn't happen, I'd like to give arena football or some other football leagues a try. I want to get back on the football field. I was satisfied with how I finished here and I don 't have any regrets, but I still feel like I have some more football to play. If not, then I'd definitely like to look into coaching collegiately. I've already talked to Coach Bielema about possibly being a graduate assistant here and earning a master's degree. After that, I really don't know at this point. '
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you have for someone who wanted to walk-on to the Badger football team' Would you recommend the experience'
'I definitely enjoyed my time here. I've grown as a person and as a football player. But I'm not going to say it's for everybody. There are some guys that have that dream and that desire and feel like they can play here and I would definitely tell them to go for it. They do need to understand that it's a long road and you have to persevere through a lot of things. But the reward on the other end is great and I have no regrets about coming here. If you think you can play here, be an advocate for yourself. Put together a highlight tape and be an advocate for yourself. Then, once you get here, don't hold anything back. I think sometimes guys don't want to rock the boat, but it's important to establish yourself as a guy who can make plays. The first impression is the lasting impression.'
