Every once in awhile I’ll read an article that actually changes my opinion on an athlete. After reading Eric Prisbell’s update on Jordan Steffy in today’s Post, I must say I have a bit more sympathy for Steffy. You’ll recall that Steffy took an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit in a game against Rutgers last September. Rutgers is known as one of the dirtiest shit talking schools in the country, and there was great speculation that the hit was intentional and called for by the coaching staff to knock Steffy out of the game. Steffy suffered a severe concussion from the hit and missed most of the season, only to return for a few possessions in October.

It has been almost a year since the hit and Steffy is just getting back to 100%. His concussion was not the run of the mill seeing stars kind. For the last year Steffy suffered through severe headaches and memory loss. Reading this article today made me remember that a) Steffy is just a 22-year old kid, b) This sort of injury can be both mentally and physically devastating, and c) It took a lot of guts for him to get back on the field.

For once I’m going to change my stripes. After criticizing him for the last three years, I’ll be pulling for Jordan Steffy today. His talent and character have never been in doubt, but he’s never been on the field long enough to reach full potential. I have a lot of respect for a young guy that can man-up and make it back after suffering a big setback. Every new season is a clean slate. I’d love to see Steffy reach his full potential on the field in his senior year.