Better late than never for Early

MeanGreen61 · August 10, 2006

Football: Better late than never for Early

UNT LB returns from long layoff due to knee injury

08:59 AM CDT on Thursday, August 10, 2006

By Brett Vito/Staff Writer

North Texas linebacker Maurice Holman hasn’t had far to look for inspiration during the opening days of fall practice.

Whenever Holman has felt a little tired or sore, one glance at fellow linebacker Shawn Early has been enough to convince him to push on. After all, a little soreness is nothing compared to what Early has gone through over the last year and a half.

The senior tore anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his knee during spring practice after the 2004 season, missed all of the 2005 campaign and is just now resuming his full workout regiment with the 2006 season rapidly approaching.

Early was cleared to begin football-related activities just a little more than two weeks ago and is gradually working his way back into form while trying to regain his place in the Mean Green’s starting lineup.

“For me it’s an inspiration to have Shawn back out there,” Holman said. “He came back from a devastating injury, isn’t holding any grudges and wants everyone to get better. He wants to play with a passion like anyone would, but he is still giving us a boost by pushing along the younger guys.”

Early was a backup safety and linebacker in his first two seasons at UNT before breaking through as a junior in 2004, when he finished with 60 tackles and a sack while starting 11 of 12 games at outside linebacker.

Early was expected to start for the second straight season as a senior in 2005. That plan was cut short when he injured his knee in February during the early stages of spring practice. Early had surgery a short time later and was unable to recover in time for the 2005 season. He only worked out for a few days in spring practice earlier this year before being sent back to the training room for additional rehabilitation work.

“It was real tough to sit out,” said Early, who is just six hours short of earning his degree. “It was the first season I have missed and the first major injury I have had. It taught me patience and made me mentally stronger.”

That mental strength has paid dividends during a long and arduous recovery period. Early worked on rehabilitating his knee and still found time to spend hours in the weight room in an effort to get stronger.

Early played outside linebacker as a junior but is expected to move to an inside position this season in UNT’s new 3-4 base defense to take advantage of his strength and compensate for any speed he lost due to his knee injury.

“Shawn has always been a physical player and we were worried about his knee, so we moved him inside,” UNT linebackers coach Kenny Evans said. “We want to get our best 11 players on the field and Shawn is right up there with them. We have to find a spot for him, whether we rotate him at inside linebacker or move him somewhere else.

“We definitely like the way he is moving right now.”

While Early has looked like he is back at full speed early in practice, he still has several challenges to face.

UNT worked out in half pads on Wednesday and will not begin practicing in full pads until Friday. Those practices will be a key step in Early’s recovery process.

“Every day is big for Shawn,” UNT head coach Darrell Dickey said. “Just him being out there since he didn’t do anything in spring is a big deal. Any time you are coming off of a serious injury, just cutting and planting and doing football-related things, there is that feeling of insecurity. He has done well with that and did well in half pads today when we had a little contact.”

Early will be in a stiff battle for playing time once UNT starts practicing in pads.

The Mean Green have five linebackers on their roster who have been starters at some point in their careers.

UNT will have more spots for those players this season in the 3-4 defense, but Early could still face a long road to earning extensive playing time.

The journey is one Early is ready to begin in earnest with the first workouts in full pads on Friday.

“I have been running and cutting on my knee and it feels pretty good,” Early said. “I have confidence back in my knee. Once I get hit on it or make that first cut, I will be all right.”

Ieans no longer with team

Former UNT wide receiver/quarterback Jonathan Ieans has been released from his scholarship and is no longer with the team, Dickey said Wednesday. Ieans was an all-district quarterback as a senior at Houston Madison and was both a backup quarterback and wide receiver in three seasons at UNT.

Dickey likes look of freshmen

Dickey said he was pleased with how UNT’s freshmen fit in with the team’s returning players during the first full-squad workout of fall practice.

UNT’s freshmen worked out separately from returning players during the first two days of practice.

“I liked how the freshmen jumped right in there,” Dickey said. “The ones that had opportunities today looked like they had been here a while and had a smooth transition.”

Briefly …

UNT is still waiting for paperwork to come through that would allow incoming freshman defensive end Draylen Ross of Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis to begin practicing.

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

SilverEagle · August 10, 2006

“For me it’s an inspiration to have Shawn back out there,” Holman said. “He came back from a devastating injury, isn’t holding any grudges and wants everyone to get better.

I can understand being disappointed, and even being somewhat bitter. But just who would he hold a grudge against?

Mad Hatter · August 10, 2006

Help - I was just reading this article and it got me to thinking of someone else that sat out last season. They play on Defense and had a BIG problem with dehydration. He's back this year, and everyone's real excited, and I CAN"T THINK OF HIS NAME!

I know someone can help.

SilverEagle · August 10, 2006

Help - I was just reading this article and it got me to thinking of someone else that sat out last season. They play on Defense and had a BIG problem with dehydration. He's back this year, and everyone's real excited, and I CAN"T THINK OF HIS NAME!
I know someone can help.
←

Issac Thomas, #91 on your program. And he did play some toward the end of last season.

Mad Hatter · August 10, 2006

THAT'S IT!!!!!

Thanks SilverEagle!

Isn't he supposed to be a dominating kind of player too?

It's good to hear that Early is back.

Danish42 · August 11, 2006

Whats the story on Ieans? I know he was inconstitant but were there reason he left the team?

FirefightnRick · August 11, 2006

Whats the story on Ieans? I know he was inconstitant but were there reason he left the team?
←

I would suppose depth reasons as he was very far down. The last time I talked to him I let him know how very proud of him I was for trying, and trying as hard as he could and not giving up even though he never had gotten to play. I wish him all the luck in the world and hope he gets that chance with his new team. I wished he had of done it earlier so that he could have had a better chance at getting more playing time.

Rick