Tosin Aguebor, sophomore captain for the Bears, proved to be a successful and crucial member of Mercer's football team during the 2013 inaugural season, his freshman season.
In addition to starting in all 12 games, he received several accolades throughout his freshman season, continuing into his sophomore preseason. He was named to the First Team All-Pioneer Football League, as Mercer's Co-Defensive Most Valuable Player, to the All-America Third Team and to the SOCON 2014 Preseason All Conference.
Unfortunately, during the final scrimmage of this preseason, he fell to a serious injury.
“While in a live scrimmage, a teammate cut back a run, so I went in on the tackle. We were both going down, and another player dove in on the tackle,” Aguebor said. “I felt a snap in my leg, and it ended up being a fracture in my fibula.”
Acting quickly, Aguebor decided to receive surgery the next day. He had a metal plate and three screws put in his ankle. For the next four weeks, he will be unable to put weight on his leg. Until he can apply pressure to his right leg, he is committing to upper body lifts and extensive rehabilitation to gain strength and to prevent muscle loss.
The team and coaching staff have surrounded Aguebor with encouragement and support throughout his injury thus far. Teammates have been extremely helpful in getting Aguebor through the early stages of his injury while he is limited on crutches.
Bobby Lamb, head coach for the Bears, is upset about the injury but knows that Aguebor will continue to contribute throughout the remainder of his injury.
“He is the most productive defensive player, and what we will miss most are his leadership skills,” Lamb said. “I told him he was still going to have to lead just in a different way. He will have to be more like a cheerleader from the sidelines because he will not be able to lead by example anymore.”
Although Aguebor will be out for the majority of the season, he was still named one of the team’s four captains for the 2014 season along with John Russ, Kirby Southard and Corey Lockett.
“It is going to be extremely hard watching from the sidelines, considering this is the first time in my life I have ever had a serious injury and have to miss games,” Aguebor said, “but you best believe I am going to be hyped up on the sidelines cheering the team on while waving my crutches in the air.”
As the team prepares for their first contest on Thursday, Aug. 28, against the Reinhardt Eagles, Aguebor is helping by assisting the other players in his position to make sure that they are game ready. He has fully accepted and embraced this role change forced by injury.
Although Aguebor is out for at least eight weeks, he is hoping to come back for the last few games of the season. Coach Lamb confirms that there is a chance for his return this season: “There is a possibility he will get back for the last few games of the season.”
Aguebor concludes, “The doctor says I should be out for eight to 12 weeks, but I am looking to try to come back by game six or seven, God willing.”
Crucial member of the Mercer Football Team gets injured
