LINCOLN — It had about been two weeks since doctors had surgically repaired his right knee, and Rickey Thenarse didn't want to move.

The anesthesia was wearing off. Pain was slowly replacing the numbness.

Thenarse knew all about this ligament tear, though he'd never actually experienced an ACL injury, or its demanding recovery process.

And on that mid-October day, the Nebraska safety couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed.

“I couldn't listen. I couldn't concentrate,” Thenarse said. “I was in a lot of pain. I couldn't do anything.”

But he got out of bed.

And he's been doing it over and over again for the past two months.

Rehab is at 8 a.m., five times a week. Then the senior has class. Football practice and team meetings are in the late afternoon and evening.

“It's a learning experience,” he said. “But it's helping me a lot. I just feel like I'm a better player, a better person for going through this.”

He'll add this setback to an already long list of life-changing events, moments of the past that have hardened the 21-year-old Husker.

Thenarse grew up in south-central Los Angeles, where gang activity seems to consume residents, including the youth.

Two of his brothers, Kejaun and Brandon, are dead because of it. Many of Thenarse's childhood friends are gone, too, either buried by loved ones or locked behind bars.

In the ninth grade, Thenarse said, he was shot in the lower left leg. The bullet broke his tibia.

“But I was back walking in a month,” Thenarse said.

By the time Thenarse was a senior in high school, he'd developed into a standout football player, attracting attention from college coaches for his all-around talent.

He had an instant impact on special teams at Nebraska, but was a slow developer at safety during his first two seasons. A dislocated shoulder hampered his growth as a junior — the first under coach Bo Pelini and his staff.

And then, right when things seemed to be going Thenarse's way, his right leg landed awkwardly as he made a tackle on a first-quarter kickoff Sept. 26 against Louisiana-Lafayette. The torn ACL ended his season.

“When that happened, I heard it just snap,” he said. “It locked up. It hurt for like two minutes, then it just stopped.”

That's when he knew. There would be more challenges to overcome, mentally and physically.

“I had high expectations and high hopes this season,” Thenarse said, “but stuff happens. ... You have to be tough.”

Through August's preseason practices, Thenarse had made the kind of improvement that leads to increased playing time. He might have had the most productive camp of any defensive back.

Secondary coach Marvin Sanders could see that Thenarse finally had a handle on the game's complexities.

“He was getting a better understanding of the scheme,” Sanders said. “It was just starting to click to where he understood where everybody needed to be and what he needed to do.”

Thenarse said that knowledge has only increased now, mainly because of his seasonlong seat on the sideline. He's viewed football from a different angle, and learned plenty.

He's hoping he'll be healthy enough to prove it next fall.

Nebraska officials have told Thenarse that he'll qualify for the NCAA's hardship waiver, giving him an additional year of eligibility after his senior season was abruptly cut short. The paperwork can't be filed until next year.

But Thenarse is still targeting spring practice for his return to the field. He's already running again, but hasn't been cleared to make any lateral movements.

He'll have little time to reassert himself into what should be a congested competition for playing time at safety. Larry Asante and Matt O'Hanlon will be gone, but several capable youngsters are waiting for their chance.

In a way, Thenarse will be battling with himself, too — confidence in the injured knee isn't restored overnight.

But Thenarse won't waste time complaining. He has too much work to do.

“It's a now-or-never situation,” he said. “I think I perform better when everything is on the line. That's how it's been my whole life.”

Contact the writer:

402-473-9585, jon.nyatawa@owh.com

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