STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

More Lely High School

• Lely, Immokalee play key district game
• Jeff Caruso, Victoria Howard crowned Lely's homecoming and queen
• Prepzone football: O line leads Lely to victory

Share and Enjoy [?]

Kent State honors 14 seniors today.

The players will be introduced roughly 20 minutes before kickoff. They'll hug family members at midfield and accept a handshake from their coach.

Fritz Jacques will be there.

He'll be the one with that clunky brace on his left knee and the enormous smile on his face. The one thankful for one more chance to play the game he loves.

The one with the torn ACL.

Jacques, a Lely High product, has been back for three games now, on the field again after putting off surgery to repair the torn ligament in his knee.

"This is why I tried to come back," Jacques said. "It's going to be an exciting day."

And a happy ending.

For the first five games of the season, Jacques, a strong safety, was the face of the KSU defense. He made 29 tackles and intercepted a pass.

Then, on Sept. 29, while in pursuit of an Ohio University quarterback, Jacques heard a pop and crumbled. He wondered if his career had done the same.

The ACL injury is one of the most common in football, and there are countless stories of successful comebacks. But most players have surgery to repair the ligament damage in short order and can spend six months or longer rehabbing before their return.

Jacques is an exception.

This being his senior season, he wanted the chance to return and finish what he'd started. He will have surgery, but not until Dec. 1.

Jacques came back Nov. 11, six weeks after the injury, and registered four tackles against Northern Illinois in a limited role. He started for KSU in last week's 24-14 loss to Temple and will do so again today as he celebrates with the other seniors.

Down the road, Jacques said he'd still like to give pro ball a shot. For now, though, his focus is on providing a boost for KSU any way he can.

"I'm still a hustler out there," Jacques said. "You just have to be a little smarter."

It hasn't been the type of season he and his teammates had envisioned. Even if they beat Buffalo (4-7), the Golden Flashes (3-8) would still finish four games below .500.

But Jacques can't complain.

He's had a fine career in the KSU secondary. He's played in 40 games with 24 starts.

With one more to come.

"It's my last game," said Jacques, who has always carried a reputation for supplying big hits. "I'm gonna lick all them boys."