Despite injury, Hallandale's Anderson stays positive

Facing obstacles is something high school football players experience all the time on the field.

Whether it's a linebacker in the way of a running back who is trying to find the end zone or a wide receiver who is looking to beat a defensive back on the field, obstacles are always in the way.

But the obstacle that Hallandale safety A'kevis Anderson is facing is one that is usually impossible to overcome for a teenager when the psyche is so fragile. However, Anderson is meeting the challenge head on after breaking his tibia and fibula in his left leg in the Chargers' spring game against Cardinal Gibbons in May.

Coming into spring, Anderson was rated as the No. 20 player in The Miami Herald's Top 20 for Broward, but because of the devastating injury he suffered, interest has dropped. Prior to the injury, he had not picked up any offers, but he had clocked in at 4.49 in the 40 in spring camps and was rising up the charts.

Any chance of getting an offer essentially came to a crashing halt on May 21 when his left cleat locked in the turf while attempting to make a tackle. Now, all Anderson wants to do is find a way to get back on the field and seeing his football career flash before his eyes.

THE INJURY

''My cleat got stuck in the ground and the grass was dry so when I tried to make the tackle, my leg just got stuck, my weight went back, my tibia and my fibula. It almost popped out of the skin,'' Anderson said. ``They had to put a rod through the bone, four screws, two at the top and two at the bottom. My doctor said my bones are healing fast and in a year I can take out the rod.''

But before the rod can come out, Anderson wants to get back on the field. His target date is by the time the playoffs start, something that's expected in a weak District beyond defending Class 4A state champion Booker T. Washington.

''It's just going to take some time, but I went to two doctors, the second doctor told me that I could play ball by playoff time,'' Anderson said. ``So that's what I am shooting for. I've really been through a lot in my life. I've had concussions, broken bones before, and that hasn't stopped me before.''

Surprisingly, the near compound fracture wasn't painful physically. It was painful emotionally for Anderson.

''It wasn't really painful, the part that hurt me the most was the thought that I might not be able to play anymore. That was the thing about it,'' Anderson said.

But after talking to his doctor, Anderson started believing he could make the journey back to getting on the field.

''My doctor works with pro athletes and I asked him if he thought I'd be able to play and he said sure. He said he knows pro athletes who play with plates in their arms and rods in their legs; it depends on how you take care of your body,'' Anderson said.

EDUCATION IS KEY

While schools such as Florida International and Florida Atlantic have fallen off his recruiting radar, Anderson is concentrating on rehab and his education. He says he's not worried about offers at this point.

''I am looking to get a full scholarship either by grades or by walking on. My bones are already connecting and the doctor said that's real good thing,'' Anderson said. ``It's not really a particular school I am looking at. I am just looking to go to school, education wise, whether it's a JUCO, a D-III college, it's not really about that. It's about what the school can offer me on my education. All these years of playing football, it's not been about how good a school is in terms of football and things like that, it's been about my education.''