Patient Progress

CORVALLIS — Joe Newton has a lot of extra time on his hands this college football season, and he’s hardly enjoying a minute of it.

“I really, really miss playing,” the Roseburg High graduate and Oregon State redshirt junior said. “Right now, I’m just working as hard as I can to get back to full strength — if not stronger — than where I was before.”

The 6-foot-7, 258-pound Newton would like to forget where he was on the Beavers’ first scheduled day of practice in August.

He was on the turf, unable to walk after suffering a third-degree tendon strain in his lower left leg. The injury occurred during a pre-practice agility drill.

The Beavers have been without Newton — who was considered one of the nation’s premier tight ends entering the season — ever since, and have revamped their overall offensive philosophy because of his absence.

Oregon State likely won’t abandon that philosophy this season even if the Beavers earn a bowl berth, as Newton isn’t expected to be close to full strength again until spring football drills begin.

But that hasn’t deterred Newton. He has still attended his Monday-through-Friday rehabilitation schedule religiously to the delight of the Beavers’ coaches and athletic trainers.

That work ethic has them believing that by next season, Newton, 22, will be able to pick up right where he left off.

“That’s always a goal of mine,” said Barney Graff, the head athletic trainer at OSU. “One of my goals is for him to be just as good of a football player when he gets on the field again as he was before the injury, no question. Right now, Joe is making excellent progress.”


<b>FROM TOP TO BOTTOM</b>
Newton, a first-team Parade All-American tight end his senior year at Roseburg High in 2001, established himself as one of college football’s top players at that position in 2004.

After he was limited to 13 catches as a redshirt freshman in 2003, Newton broke out as a go-to guy the next season. His 56 receptions was tops for tight ends in the Pacific-10 Conference, and his seven touchdown catches gave him eight for his career — just one shy of Tim Euhus’ school record for tight ends.

He was also named the Player

of the Game in the Insight Bowl against Notre Dame, catching seven passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns. And his 687 receiving yards and seven TD catches earned him All-Pac-10 honorable mention along with a spot on the College Football News All-Sophomore team and Sports Illustrated’s All-Bowl Team.

Then, just prior to the start of the 2005 season, disaster struck.

While running an agility drill at the Truax Indoor Center, Newton cut and heard a loud pop come from his left ankle. He fell to the turf and his leg went numb. He was diagnosed with a third-degree tendon strain which would sideline him indefinitely.

It was a major blow to the Beavers, who since 2003, had made the tight end position a key component in their offense with the likes of Newton and Euhus. It was also an emotional blow for Newton, who has had to play spectator for just the second time in his playing career.

“It’s a lot different,” Newton said. “I feel like it’s my redshirt season all over again. I have a lot more time on my schedule now to focus on school-related stuff. But in reality, I feel a lot like I’m on the outside looking in.”


<b>THE MISSING LINK</b>
Oregon State’s offense was designed around the strong crop of tight ends the team has had in recent seasons. But the loss of Newton changed the Beavers’ overall offensive strategy.

“It has been different,” OSU coach Mike Riley said. “We’ve had to rely on other people to make more plays for us.”

Senior split end Mike Hass is having his best season yet in his college career, accounting for 1,425 yards on 80 catches. Sophomore Yvenson Bernard broke the 1,000-yard barrier against Washington two weeks ago and has accumulated 1,193 yards and 12 touchdowns on 266 carries.

But those stats have come in part because of the loss of Newton, whose absence has been all too apparent.

OSU tight ends Jason Vandiver and Dan Haines have accounted for 27 catches for 264 yards heading into Saturday’s Civil War at Oregon — nearly half of the production Newton had by himself last year.

Newton was also a primary target inside the 20-yard line (the “red zone”) in 2004. Of the 28 times OSU quarterbacks threw to tight ends in the red zone, 19 were intended for Newton. This year, tight ends have been thrown to three times inside the 20 with no touchdowns, as opposed to six scoring passes last season.


<b>ROAD TO RECOVERY</b>
Newton underwent surgery on his tendon to repair the structural damage in the ligaments close to his ankle. Following surgery, he was on crutches for six weeks and then transferred to a support boot. By late October, he was able to wear shoes and walk around campus like any other student for the first time in more than two months.

But even if the Beavers do become bowl-eligible after Saturday’s game and earn a postseason bid, Newton is in no hurry to get back on the field until he’s fully recovered.

“I didn’t really set a timeline for myself,” Newton said. “My approach was to look more toward the future and get back as fast as I could and be as strong as I was before.”

Newton has religiously attended his five-day-per-week rehab sessions. Graff said the junior’s Monday, Wednesday and Friday sessions focus on exercises to strengthen the lower body, such as leg presses and hamstring exercises. Tuesdays and Thursdays are focused on low-impact aerobic workouts. Just recently, Newton added sprints to his workout regimen.

That’s a far cry from where he was not long after the injury.

“For a while I couldn’t do much running,” said Newton, a forest management major. “Going from crutches to a boot was a real big deal. I even had a hard time getting around in my forestry field labs.”

Graff said Newton’s dedication has helped his recovery process immensely, though he wouldn’t put a target date on when the senior will be able to strap on shoulder pads again.

“We’re real fortunate. This young man is a real hard worker,” Graff said. “He’s always shown up for his sessions, and sometimes that alone is the hardest part of rehab.”


<b>LOOKING FORWARD</b>
The numbers and overall production Newton compiled last year had Riley and some NFL scouts believing prior to the season that Newton has a future in pro football. Riley still believes that, but he said that future could hinge on how well Newton recovers.

“It’s really hard to tell right now,” said Riley, who has been a head coach with the Canadian Football League’s Winnipeg Bluebombers, the NFL’s San Diego Chargers and the San Antonio Riders of the now-defunct World League of American Football.

“It all depends on how next year goes.”

Newton is close to graduating and said he needs just 15 to 20 credits to finish his degree in forest management. But he said even if he does finish all the courses for his major, he’s still planning to graduate next winter following the 2006 season.

And as of now, there are plenty of indicators that Newton will be back at full strength, or better, come next season.

“I feel like I’m progressing well,” he said. “I’m really excited because the more I do, the closer I am to playing again.”


• You can reach sports reporter Jon Mitchell by e-mail at jmitchell@newsreview.info, or by phone at (541) 957-4219.