Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Injury Frustrates Kasa
August 18, 2009 | Football, B.G. Brooks
"I've been better . . . but I'm not in pain and can't be doing anything for awhile," Kasa said Tuesday of the injury that occurred during a pass blocking drill the previous day.
"I'm trying to stay positive, but I was really pissed (Monday) that I've got to be out now for CSU (CU's opening opponent on Sept. 6). I really wanted to play in that game.
"I've just got to stay positive; there's nothing I can do about it now."
After never having suffered a serious injury at Legacy High School, the state's top 2009 football prospect now finds himself facing the possibility of missing from six to eight weeks and undergoing surgery if his injury doesn't mend during rehabilitation.
A worst-case scenario - at least for his hopes of playing immediately - would have him redshirting this season and not contributing to a defensive line that needs to replace three graduated starters.
D-line coach Romeo Bandison said if Kasa, a 6-foot-7, 260-pounder who had been impressive in the camp's early work, were to miss almost two months of the season, a redshirt would seem to make sense.
But, Bandison added, that's a decision to be made after watching several issues play out, including the health of his other defensive ends and the progress of Kasa's rehabilitation.
Of the redshirt possibility, Kasa said, "I'll see how long I'm out . . . coach is probably going to meet with me pretty soon and we'll talk about it. I don't really know right now."
Kasa, who initially committed to Florida but swung to CU before February's national letter of intent day, underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam on Monday that he said revealed the partial MCL tear.
"But everything else is fine, though," he added. "It's not torn all the way; it's still hanging in there."
His rehabilitation can't begin until the swelling in his knee goes down, which he estimated would be a week to a week and a half.
He said he would resume cardiovascular conditioning work as soon as possible, adding, "Right now I can't do much; I'll wait a week and start rehabbing."
A couple of days before his injury, Kasa was one of three freshmen singled out by coach Dan Hawkins as defensive newcomers who appeared to be working their way toward immediate playing time. The others were end Forrest West and tackle Nate Bonsu.
Knowing that only increased Kasa's angst.
"The last week I really started to catch onto things," he said. "It was going good in practice. It's definitely a pretty bad setback for me.
"I mean, I want to play. I think everybody wants to play, but I've just got to take it in stride and try and get back as fast as I can."
HEARTFELT THANKS: The CU senior who was seriously injured in a bicycle accident near the Dal Ward Athletics Center and befriended by four football players and a volleyball player said he is "very grateful'' for their assistance.
"I'm hanging in there," Jacob Dana said in an email to CUBuffs.com. "I'm still very tight. On Friday, we'll have another CT scan to see how the old noodle is holding up.
"I can say I'm very grateful to those who found me and called the emergency personnel. It if wasn't for them and their quick thinking, things wouldn't have turned out nearly as well for me.
"Unfortunately, I have no memory of the accident or anything afterwards until I came to in the hospital the next day.
"Please extend my gratitude to Aric and the others who helped me and let them know that my lack of memory for their good deeds is nothing personal.
"Thanks for your concern and good luck to the team as they get ready to start the season."
Placekicker Aric Goodman and three teammates (Cody Hawkins, Scotty McKnight and Kyle Cefalo) discovered Dana unconscious after the geology major apparently hit a curb and crashed. Also at the scene was volleyball player Becah Fogle.
A couple of 911 calls were made, but Goodman said he wound up appraising emergency officials of Dana's whereabouts and situation.
In a story on Goodman posted on CUBuffs.com Monday morning, Goodman said, "I feel like that's the standard and any student would follow it. We were put in that situation and it wasn't anything extraordinary that we did.
"Anyone else would do it, it just happened to be us. Fortunately we were there in time and his injuries weren't more severe."
BUILDING A BOND: Everybody in the pool - or on the bus: The Buffs took another team unity trip Tuesday afternoon to another water park.
Other fun and games in recent days have included an egg toss and home-run derby (using tennis balls and racquets) to end practice.
Coach Dan Hawkins said such team building ventures are priceless: "When you can get your guys to care more about the successes of everybody instead of yours, then you've got something special . . .
"These guys are pretty tight, for a variety of reasons. One, just being together and the continuity in terms of what we do, how we do things . . . You need to be on the bus; there's too many people on the bus and if you're not on the bus you stick out."
DaVAUGHN DA MAN? He'll get there. Freshman tight end DaVaughn Thornton is a raw talent, but that's OK with position coach Kent Riddle.
His assessment of the Denver East product: "He's still learning . . . it's awesome when you see a guy with the kind of talent he has who still has very little idea of what he's doing.
"You say, 'Wow, that's good.' There's a fairly steep learning curve there, but he's going to be a good player."
BUFF BITS: The second scrimmage of camp will be an off-campus affair. The Buffs will travel Thursday afternoon to Regis High School for work that is closed to the public and media. Reason for the road trip: To get the team used to travelling and playing in an unfamiliar venue, Hawkins said . . . . CU returns to two-a-day drills Wednesday, but both practices will be fairly light in preparation for the scrimmage . . . . The final scrimmage of camp is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 29.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
