Senior Michael Fry, a football player of 13 years, saw his final football season cut short last May during Rugby playoffs when he tore his meniscus. Fry said, what could have been a devastating setback instead became a test of resilience. Through months of recovery and emotional challenges, Fry said he stays connected to his team and finds strength in disappointment.
Q: What position do you play in football?
A: I am a nose guard, which is the middle defensive lineman, third running back, and I also did a lot of punting.
Q: How did you first get into football? What does the sport mean to you?
A: I got into football in kindergarten. I started out by playing flag football– it was just something fun to do. Then once I started playing tackle and started developing friendships, I really stuck with it.
Q: What was the football season like leading up to your injury?
A: The season wasn’t bad, I was doing really well. But then I got hurt in rugby. Last season I sprained my ankle, and it was pretty bad, so that did cut off some of my playing time, but other than that it was going really well.
Q: Can you describe what happened during your most recent injury?
A: It was in May. I was playing rugby in Dayton, Ohio. It was the first playoff, about five minutes in. This really big kid came, and he just hit me in the side of the leg. My foot was stuck in a divot. I couldn’t really move it, and it just popped my knee right out. I tore my meniscus on both sides of the same knee.
Q: What went through your mind at that moment?
A: At first I was thinking about how it kind of hurt. But then I was sitting there for a while, and I was thinking, “Wow, that really really hurts.” And I knew this wasn’t just a normal injury. I stood up, and I couldn’t walk.
Q: What actions have you taken for your recovery process?
A: I’m doing a lot of exercise at home, and I’m seeing a physical therapist. I am just trying to get my strength back slowly.
Q: What has been the toughest part of being on the sidelines?
A: Not being a part of big plays because I know I would be out there. It was hard going from a player who was on the sidelines maybe once or twice to being on the sidelines the entire time.
Q: What keeps you motivated through the recovery process?
A: The chance that I could potentially play. It’s a very small chance, but it’s also very possible. It will be towards the end of this season. Maybe I’ll hop in for Senior Night or do some punts.
Q: How has the injury affected you emotionally, not just physically?
A: It made me tougher emotionally because for a while it was just letdown after letdown, getting bad news after bad news. It was very much like a roller coaster. First it was a fracture in my tibia, then I found out it was meniscus, which is not the best news but still better than an ACL tear.
Q: Were there moments when the injury felt overwhelming or discouraging?
A: It was difficult to hear that I wouldn’t be able to play. There were so many moments, especially going back into weight training [where] I realized how much of my strength, mostly my legs, I had lost–and learning how to walk again was the most difficult part.
Q: What would you say has been the most overwhelming part of this?
A: Not being able to play the one sport I truly love. Even though the past couple years it’s been a rocky relationship, it’s still something I’ve built so many relationships upon–so not being able to play the last year that I can, it’s difficult.
Q: How has this experience changed your perspective on football and life?
A: I never knew how much I needed my legs until I lost them. This made me keep an open mind on protecting my body and making sure that if something doesn’t feel right, don’t push it off. Get it checked out, even if it’s a small bump.
Q: What advice would you give another athlete going through a similar setback?
A: It gets easier. It may take some time, maybe longer than you thought, but once you go through and treat it the way your doctor advises, it’ll be so much better.
Q: What’s something positive to come out of this experience?
A: I am still a part of the team, and there are a lot of people out there that really do have my back. It’s not just me by myself, I have a whole support system behind me.
Fry will be cheering on the Solon Comets tonight at their away game in Hudson starting at 7 p.m.
