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'Amazing' Huners Back In The Game

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By BRETT McMURPHY, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 9, 2007

TAMPA - The season opener was still five months away, but University of South Florida guard Matt Huners was resigned to the fact that his season was over.

In USF's April 14 spring game, Huners was blocking on a routine run play when his left leg got "rolled up."

"That stuff happens all the time," Huners said. "You can feel the knee about to go and then you straighten your leg out. It's happened so many times and nothing happened."

This one was different. Huners lay on the Raymond James Stadium turf. He had torn his ACL, MCL and PCL and damaged the capsule around the knee.

"The doctors said you probably won't be back this year," Huners said.

Huners, though, didn't feel like wasting an entire season. He wanted to do something about it.

A 6-foot-3, 290-pound junior from Palm Harbor, Huners started 11 games as a sophomore and was a key component to the Bulls' offensive line. After surgery, he began the long process back, which included three to four hours of daily rehab.

"If we asked him to do 10 leg lifts, he would do 30," said Steve Walz, USF's head trainer and an assistant AD.

Huners, who had redshirted as a freshman, was even more determined to return for this season since he couldn't gain another year of eligibility.

"I wanted to help the team," Huners said. "I wanted to get back. If I didn't get back, it would have been a waste of a year. I'd never get these games back."

So Huners pressed on.

"I would have a couple good weeks in a row, then there would be one day where I had tons of pain and could barely walk," Huners said. "I thought, 'I don't know if I can do this.'"

Walz said most individuals with a torn ACL, MCL and PCL don't return for nine to 12 months.

"It was a major, major knee reconstruction," Walz said. "Any games he played this year would be gravy.

"But if someone could do it, I thought it would be Matt. He listens, he's smart and he works his tail off."

Once the season started and the Bulls started to climb in the polls, Huners could only sit and watch.

"It was difficult not to play, but we were winning so that always helps," Huners said.

Huners returned to practice Oct. 8 and miraculously hoped to play the following week at Rutgers - barely six months after the injury.

But then Huners was sidelined by back spasms.

"I think it was a sign from above that we needed to wait a little bit more," Walz said.

Huners' comeback was delayed two weeks until the back spasms subsided before making his debut last week against Cincinnati.

"It's not surprising how soon he came back because of his great work ethic," USF strength coach Ronnie McKeefery said. "It's a painful process to go through.

"It's a testament to Steve, associate athletic trainer Keith Abrams, Dr. David Leffers and Matt doing everything right."

Huners estimated he played 44 of 90 offensive snaps and was still feeling the aftereffects a few days later.

"It was hard, I'm not completely feeling great," Huners said. "I'm still sore. It took a lot of hard work.

"I wanted to try my hardest to get back even if it was only for the last game. I had to go through a lot to get back, but it was worth it."

Walz said he had goose bumps watching Huners last week.

"It was exciting - and scary," Walz said. "I knew he did a great job rehabbing, but until you see that first hit.

"It's amazing what he's been able to do at this point."

USF coach Jim Leavitt said Huners' return showed a lot of courage.

"For a guy to come back off that knee injury and to give us some snaps, he'll get better as he plays, that's just tremendous courage," Leavitt said. "I think the world of Matt."

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928 or bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com.

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