Chippewas spend bye-week recovering
Greg Burghardt
A Division I-A football player’s actions are put on display for all to see 12 Saturdays a year.
Sliding in between two of the those Saturdays is an off-week. There is no game to play and the public spotlight is temporarily turned off.
“I’m going to watch film, relax, work on my car. Whatever comes to mind,” said senior halfback Terrence Jackson.
He also is being closely watched as he finishes recovering from a shoulder injury which caused him to miss the Eastern Kentucky game two weeks ago.
“My shoulder is good — it’s back,” Jackson said. “But it’ll be good to have time to heal a little more.”
Jackson is not the only player who will use the weekend to heal.
Sophomore Johnathan Nelson missed last week’s loss to Ball State with an arm injury.
“I’m going to recuperate, get back and get healthy,” Nelson said. “This is a lengthy injury so it’s good to have the extra time.”
Players without major injuries also will relax and restore their bodies from the bumps and bruises collected during the course of a season.
“I’ll do some homework, watch T.V., just relax and heal up all the little things,” said senior linebacker Eddie Hillery.
One thing that will not make it onto Hillery’s television is the tape of his interception in week one against Michigan.
“I saw it on film with the team and my mom has the game taped off of T.V.,” Hillery said. “I’ve seen it a couple of times.”
A common misconception about a team’s off-week is that it is just that — off.
Junior Jacob Brown said otherwise.
“Basically we’re lifting weights, we have three practices and we have Saturday off,” Brown said. “Then we come right back Sunday for game week.”
Jackson points out, however, that this week is a time for a player to get some much-needed rest.
“It’s helping players that need more time,” he said, “Everything we can do to make the team better.”
Coach Mike DeBord explained the thought process behind holding players out of practice.
“We looked at three things,” DeBord said. “Who we wanted to hold out of practice — everything. Then, the guys we wanted to hold out of practice during the physical stuff, the team stuff, and maybe have them just do some individual things. Then, the third part was keeping a guy in there for everything.”
DeBord and his coaches also are granted one day off.
“Saturday, I’ll have off,” DeBord said. “That is the one day where I’ll take a breather.”
The day off gives DeBord the opportunity to watch his son Kyle who plays wide receiver for Mount Pleasant High School.
“He plays Saturday night, so I’ll have a chance to watch him play,” DeBord said. “Everything has worked out great. He’s played four games and I have gotten to watch three of the four. It’s been great.”
After Saturday the Chippewas will start all-out preparations for Bowling Green, also in the midst of its off-week.
