San Doval is back on the field

For linebacker Ric San Doval, an injury before the 2004 season could have meant the end of his Penn football career.

"I was up in the Poconos skiing," San Doval said. "As I went to stop in the middle of a hill, I hit an ice patch, lost my edge, and my [left] leg whipped into a tree."

Hard to imagine that tomorrow, No. 32 will be starting at linebacker for the Quakers.

The accident led to tears in his ACL, MCL and meniscus, which meant that San Doval, slated to be a team captain in 2004, would have to miss his senior season. This was particularly disappointing as San Doval finished his junior year a first-team All-Ivy selection and a recipient of the Edgar Church Memorial Award for contributing the most to the team.

But the Allison Park, Pa. native began therapy right away to recover as soon as possible.

"It's been a year and a half long process," San Doval said. "From getting off of crutches until now, it's just been an uphill climb. Getting my jump and my ability were the hardest things to get back. You've got to work twice as hard because you're one step behind. But I'm still walking now -- that's all that counts."

Because of his perseverance, San Doval feels fully recovered now.

"You do so much during rehabilitation that the left leg is actually stronger than the right leg now. You get to a point where you're running and the left leg wants to keep on going and the right leg starts to get tired before the left leg."

San Doval also had to go through the process of getting permission to play during his fifth year.

In order to be allowed to play the extra year, he had to demonstrate a medical hardship and still have graduation requirements remaining.

While the injury constituted medical hardship, San Doval could have graduated last spring. However, he decided to add a third concentration in Wharton and consequently have remaining requirements.

"The course load is pretty heavy, but I figure that while I'm here, I might as well make the best of what at one point was a bad situation. At this point, it's turned out to be favorable. I figure if you're at the best business school in the world, why not take advantage of it?"

Now that San Doval can play his final season, Penn coach Al Bagnoli is looking to him for defensive leadership.

"He'll provide some stability for us ... [and] a little bit of leadership." Bagnoli said. "He has a presence about him. He's a four-year starter so he certainly has some credentials."

While he is not the only one with credentials, he is close. The offseason loss of Chad Slapnicka to a disk problem has left the Quakers very young at the position. But junior linebacker Kory Gedin believes that having San Doval out there with them is like having another coach on the field.

"He plays both linebacker positions, so he knows everything all linebackers do, so he's out there coaching all of us young guys."

Despite their youth ‹¨« not just in the linebacking group, but in the entire front seven ‹¨« San Doval has confidence in the Quakers defense.

"We have a lot of talent. It's to the point that we're too deep. That's our biggest asset. And we have a lot of team speed. As long as we can harness our talent and speed, hopefully it'll be a successful year."

San Doval has turned a serious setback into a positive motivational tool.

"You really appreciate your ability to be able to play the game," he said. "Last year, it was something that I loved and enjoyed doing, and then I wasn't able to.

"You stand there and you watch Penn games go by. And you watch the kids you came in with freshman year, who went through camp with you. You watch them go out and you watch the way they are after tough games are over.

"It really puts a little fire inside of you. It puts the drive back, the hunger back and it's just a blessing in disguise."

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