WICHITA FALLS, Texas - Midwestern State's Brad Dittmar didn't really think much of the discomfort in his left knee on the first play from scrimmage in its last football game some 695 days ago on the turf at Wantland Stadium on the University of Central Oklahoma campus.
"We were running (a) play where our guard and center pull," the 6-4, 265-pound senior from Fredericksburg said. "I remember hauling my but off trying to get that edge. Right when I got there, I planted my left foot and that rover hit my knee straight on. I remember laying there screaming, but I really didn't think it was a bad injury. I was thinking maybe I sprained my knee or something like that."
The next person he saw was MSU head athletic trainer Gary Diehm, but it was the look on a coach's face that told the story.
"I saw the look on my coach's face," he said. "He just shook his head and turned away. I kinda realized right then it was something serious."
That and several tugs on his left leg to reset a knee which had suffered medio dislocation which impacted his ACL, MCL and PCL as well as damaging the meniscus.
"I had questioned in my mind if I would walk again," Dittmar said. "It took me two surgeries, but I had an awesome doctor in Dallas."
Dr. Daniel E. Cooper, the current team physician of the Dallas Cowboys, performed the first of the surgeries later that week before Dittmar began the arduous rehabilitation process.
But he wouldn't go through it alone.
"I never expected it to be that bad," he said. "The first surgery was bad but I had my team there the whole time. I had guys going over to my house so those times when I got kinda lonely and feeling down about it, I got reassured that I was still a part of the team and I never really felt like I missed a step even though I couldn't always be there."
Dittmar had battled his way to starting the first four games of the 2010 season at right guard. He would find out that he'd need that same strength to find his way back to the field.
"He has an excellent work ethic and a great attitude," Diehm said. "He works hard and does what he's asked to do. He'll try to do more than what he's asked to do. Sometimes you had to pull the reins back on him rather than pushing him. He's not someone you have to motivate because he's intuitively motivated and has a lot of desire."
Even with his own hard work, Dittmar credits the efforts of Diehm and his staff for a very successful rehabilitation process which allowed Dr. Cooper to schedule his second surgery - an ACL replacement - three months earlier than anticipated.
"We just pointed him in the direction and he went and did the work. We gave him the exercises to do and he went and did it," Diehm said. "He had a bad injury. To go from where he was at to where he is now, the good Lord is shining down on him and everything worked like it was supposed to."
In fact, it worked out so well Dittmar was cleared to resume football activities prior to the start of last season.
"It took me a year to rehab and I'd actually gotten cleared a season ahead of time - the (2011) season but didn't get participate in it," Dittmar said. "Just to give it extra time to heal up."
Instead of just sitting on the sidelines during the Mustangs' historic 10-0 Lone Star Conference championship season, Dittmar took the opportunity to grow both on and off the field.
"I don't know what I'd do without the team here so I showed up to every practice and every meeting they had and all the games I could go to," he said. "I didn't make a lot of away games but any meeting or any part of a team activity; I tried to include myself in. The coaches were absolutely willing to let me do that."
Overcoming a serious career-threatening injury was definitely a challenge, but sitting proved to test Dittmar's patience even more.
"It was probably the hardest thing I've ever done to see those guys out there in the game that I love and I'm staying off to the side just observing it," he said.
But the big picture quickly snapped clear into focus.
"I got another perspective of the game," Dittmar said. "I got to see it played out without doing it myself so I feel like I got a mental edge. I learned a lot about technique and how the simple things can affect the game. It really gave me time to get to know other people better because I wasn't strictly with the (offensive) line. I'd get to watch more parts of the team. Even though I wasn't playing, I felt like I was a part of the team."
Even after getting back to full strength, Dittmar's knee continued to impact his play on the field - and the fact his body just wouldn't retain the weight necessary to compete at a high level on the offensive line.
"I wasn't a heavy lineman to begin with when I got hurt but I had a really hard time trying to keep weight on," he said. "I would eat and eat and it wouldn't come back on me. It was a physical toll on my knee just simply going out there and facing guys that are 60 pounds heavier than me every play."
Finally, MSU coach Bill Maskill hit him with a great solution to the problem at the end of the summer - a move to tight end.
"I'd heard a rumor about it from some of my friends back in the spring, but I never took it too serious because nothing's official until the coaches say," Dittmar said. "I actually talked to coach Maskill the day we reported and he told me I was officially going to tight end. I had it my head that I was going to do it but it hadn't really hit me."
Once again, Dittmar is approaching a position change with the same outstanding attitude and work ethic he needed to persevere through all the recovery stages following both knee operations.
"In spring, it was day-by-day in practice because I was practicing and then trying to rebuild myself right after that. It will be an easier transition," he said. "It just opened up the game of football for me. Every play got opened up with pass routes. I feel like I was blind before but now I can see. It's something else at tight end, but I love it."
Now, there's just one more challenge for Dittmar but it's certainly a welcomed one.
"Of course, now I'm going to have to work my way up from the bottom again," he said before flashing his trademark positive attitude. "You can't ask for a second chance and then get to prove yourself all over again. I love the opportunity to get out there and get to do it again."
COUNTDOWN TO OPENERS
WOMEN'S/MEN'S SOCCER/VOLLEYBALL -- 8 DAYS: Women's Soccer opens the year against No. 10 Fort Lewis (Colo.) as part of the MSU Classic on Friday, Aug. 31 at the MSU Soccer Field. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. West Texas A&M and Colorado Mesa lead off the classic earlier in the afternoon at 3 p.m. The MSU Men's Soccer team takes on Texas A&M International at 7 p.m. to complete the tripleheader.
FOOTBALL -- 16 DAYS: No. 4 Midwestern State opens the regular season at Tarleton State on Saturday, Sep. 8 at Memorial Stadium in Stephenville, Texas. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
ON TAP
SIXTH ANNUAL WELCOME BACK DINNER: The Sixth Annual Midwestern State Athletics Welcome Back Dinner features former Dallas Cowboys legendary quarterback Danny White as the guest speaker on Sunday, Aug. 26 at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
Reserve your spot now for the Sixth Annual Midwestern State Athletics Welcome Back Dinner by submitting $70 for an individual sponsorship. Additional seats are available for $40. For more information, contact Sheri Mummert at (940) 397-4779.
LIFE SKILLS DAY WITH KEYNOTE SPEAKER KEN "COACH" CARTER: The inspiration for the awarding winning movie Coach Carter is slated as the keynote speaker for Midwestern State University Athletics' Third Annual Life Skills Day set for Saturday, Aug. 25.
The general public is invited to attend the event set for 6 p.m. at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
