By Matt Florjancic
D3sports.com
UNIVERSITY CIRCLE, Ohio -- During his junior year at Mentor High School, located in an eastern suburb of Cleveland, the chances of Tim Cowdrick playing college football were good. However, that summer changed everything.
Cowdrick fell off a roof, four stories above the ground, while working for a construction company. After he was airlifted to a local hospital, he was told he would never play football again.
Not to be deterred by the multitude of screws holding his back together, however, Cowdrick made a comeback and is currently leading the Case Western Reserve University squad in receptions and yards gained. The sophomore has been on the receiving end of 16 passes for 244 yards.
The fact that Tim Cowdrick can walk, let alone do this, is fairly impressive. Photo by Matt Florjancic for D3sports.com |
Although he has yet to find a way into the end zone, Cowdrick has helped the Spartans compile a 2-0 record. Case defeated the Oberlin Yeomen 37-15 in Week 1. This past weekend, the Spartans opened the home portion of their schedule with a 45-6 thrashing of Denison. In each contest, Cowdrick had eight receptions.
"I had a talk with him very early in camp about expectations about being a leader," Case coach Greg Debeljak said of Cowdrick prior to the Denison contest. "He was a little apprehensive because he's just a sophomore. Everybody knows the story and everybody sees him running around out here, the effort he gives and how physical he is.
"We have the quarterback (in Dan Whalen) to deliver the ball," Debeljak added. "He proved last year that he was a big-play receiver. When he got hurt last year, we went in a four-game losing streak. A lot of it was because we just didn't have a guy making plays at the end of a game. When he came back, we won two of our last three games with him making plays."
The Spartans are coming off of a 5-5 season and went 1-2 in the University Athletic Association. Cowdrick helped his teammates set higher goals for the Spartans in the offseason. "So far, it seems like we're a lot more upbeat, we're more intense," he said. "Last year, we had a bunch of great leaders that graduated. We have a bunch of young guys that are stepping up.
"I try to do the best I can to take a leadership role for the receivers," added Cowdrick. "Our sophomore quarterback is doing a great job with handling the offense, along with our captains Tommy Z (Zagorski), Tom Brew, John Tiemeier. They're all great leaders."
Currently, Cowdrick's role is to give the offense a big-play threat.
"We have a really strong defense as we did last year," the sophomore wideout said. "Our offense came out and scored points last week. We were down early, but we didn't get rattled. We came back right away and put points on the board. As long as our offense can do that, I definitely have confidence in our defense."
"We are so young at receiver," Debeljak said. "Tim is by far the most experienced guy. The work that he got with Dan being in the same class, throwing over the summer, right now, that's what we're banking on until the younger guys learn what they're doing. He's been a great help. If he's not on the field, we're a completely different team."
Cowdrick finished the 2006 season with 18 catches for 281 yards and one touchdown.
"It's been good to come back and have a starting role, a bigger role on the team, especially after everything that's happened," Cowdrick said. "It's definitely something to be proud of."
Right now, he is currently navigating his way through opposing secondaries. His ability to compete in football has stunned many people.
"I always thought I did after everyone doubted me and said it was crazy," Cowdrick said of possibly playing football following the accident. "I always said that I'd work hard and do everything I could to be able to play again.
"Right away, (doctors) said I'd never play again," he continued. "After rehab and as time went by, I got better and had a great recovery."
The road to back to the field was not easy for Cowdrick. He had to pace himself and not put any stress on the screws in his back. "The first couple weeks, I just walked around my neighborhood. That was all I could do," Cowdrick said. "I couldn't really lift anything heavier than a milk carton. Once I was able to walk, I'd walk to practice. Then, I started riding my bike to practice and couldn't really lift anything except bench press. I did bench press for a while."
After missing the first eight games of his senior season, Cowdrick was given the all clear to suit up in the scarlet and grey of the Cardinals. The hard work Cowdrick put in off the field allowed him to join his teammates on Senior Day.
"It was a great feeling just seeing all my teammates, all my friends, family," Cowdrick said of the first time he ran from the locker room to the field after the injury. "They never thought I'd be there again. Just coming out (with) the crowd chanting your name, it was awesome.
"I wouldn't have been able to have done it without their support and help," he said of his family. "It's something pretty major to happen to you."
Whether or not Cowdrick can take the Spartans to the promised land, the courage to compete after an accident that could have left him permanently injured, will earn him something much greater; the respect and admiration of family, friends and fans.
Heidelberg turns in Princely performance
It took nearly four seasons, but Heidelberg earned a victory last weekend. With a 37-26 win over the Oberlin Yeomen, the Student Princes started a season with a winning record for the first time since Brian Cochrane debuted as the head coach.
In December 2006, Heidelberg hired Mount Union alum Mike Hallett away from Thomas More as head coach. Along with the change in leadership came a new attitude. For the first game under Hallett, the Student Princes used a balanced offense to gain the elusive victory.
Though they surrendered 367 passing yards to Oberlin, Heidelberg threw for 210 and rushed for 221 more yards, out-gaining Oberlin 431-414 in total yardage. Kenny Sims led the rushing attack for the Student Princes with 89 yards on 12 carries. Quarterback Steve West had a passer-efficiency rating of 218.00 after going 15-of-18 for 210 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, Heidelberg intercepted four Oberlin passes. Sophomore defensive end Matt Grieves led the way with three sacks, one fumble recovery and five total tackles. For his efforts, Grieves earned Ohio Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors.
News and Notes
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association had a rough weekend in Week 2. All five teams in action ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard. The closest any team came to winning was a 35-34 loss by Alma to Cornell. Wisconsin Lutheran, who broke a long losing streak in Week 1, had the most difficult weekend with a 63-3 setback against Dubuque.
The 23rd-ranked Little Giants of Wabash were 35-33 winners over Franklin. Wabash focused on an aerial display with 477 yards passing. In addition to his passing statistics, quarterback Dustin Huff set a second school records with 499 yards of total offense. Huff also tossed four touchdowns passes in the victory, though it may be his last game as the senior quarterback, who has already received one medical redshirt season, was injured as Wabash covered Franklin's last onside kick.
Carnegie Mellon used two second-half touchdowns in the 16-6 come-from-behind victory over Grove City at home Saturday. Though they gave up more yards to Grove City, the Tartans ran 12 less plays. Travis Sivek and David Babcock each scored rushing touchdowns for Carnegie Mellon.
Millikin found out the hard way that the Polar Bears of Ohio Northern still have some bite to them. With Lenny Trusnik leading the defense from his linebacker position, the Bears defeated Millikin 42-0 at home in Dial-Roberson Stadium. The offense was the story of the day, as they hung 542 yards on Millikin. R. J. Meadows rushed the ball 18 times for 122 yards and one touchdown. David Delk received five passes from quarterback Jeff Pankratz and took three in for scores in the lop-sided victory.
The struggles continue for North Coast Athletic Conference teams. In addition to Oberlin being upset by Heidelberg, Wooster lost 45-35 to Waynesburg in the home opener for the Fighting Scots. Three touchdowns in the third quarter gave the Yellowjackets hope. The three scores in the fourth quarter gave Waynesburg the win over a Wooster team still in search of its first victory.
Games of the Week
No. 22 Carnegie Mellon (2-0) at Hobart (0-1), Saturday, 1 p.m.: The Tartans had early success against Rochester with a 33-10 victory. However, a Week 2 scare against Grove City has put Carnegie Mellon on notice that other teams are looking to put a blemish on an otherwise perfect record. The Hobart Statesmen were frustrated with a 30-27 overtime loss to Dickinson last weekend. They are looking for a postseason appearance for the fifth time in six years.
Wittenberg (0-1) at Olivet (0-1), Saturday, 1 p.m.: After difficult losses in their respective openers, Wittenberg and Olivet have a lot to prove. The Wittenberg Tigers dropped a home game to a depleted Capital squad in Week 1, 13-0. The Comets fell to Illinois Wesleyan 20-9, also at home. It will be a battle of wills to see which team will take a step toward the playoffs and who will need to sharpen their skills for the remainder of the regular season.
