Mangled Finger Or Not, BC’s Kelly Wants Shot At H-SC (Daily News-Record)

Daily News-Record - By Jeremy Cothran

BRIDGEWATER — As football practice wound down on a crisp, placid autumn afternoon, Bridgewater College linebacker Brandon Kelly joined the rest of his teammates for the weekly "up-down" drills, a ritual that spares no one.

Kelly, who’s still recovering from a crushed finger, could have skipped the drills and instead practiced with the other injured players performing run-of-the-mill pushups.

But there was no chance of that happening. It’s Hampden-Sydney week.

Kelly is slated to make his return at the weakside linebacker position Saturday, almost six weeks after he mangled his right hand performing a drill in practice. The injury itself was visually gruesome – imagine a finger positioned in ways it shouldn’t be – but it was harder for Kelly to swallow the notion he would have to miss almost half of his senior year.

"We were going through blitz drills," Kelly said. "It was the fifth day of camp. I came back to the huddle and saw it bent completely out of place. Turned out I had a crushed knuckle. Didn’t think it was going to be so bad until I got to the doctor. They said I had to have surgery, and I was worried I wasn’t going to come back this year."

Most of his teammates initially did not consider the injury to be so debilitating. Kelly’s roommate, Brandon Orndorff, called his friend after practice, ready to rag on him and question his manhood.

"I called him and asked him if he was done being a wuss," the Eagles’ nose guard said, "and he was like, ‘Actually, I’m going to be out for a while.’"

The prognosis was six weeks. The Eagles’ coaching staff targeted BC’s game against Guilford on Oct. 14 for his return, but Kelly had other ideas.

"This is the game I had marked down," the Bland native said. "I’ve been thinking about this one for a while."

Orndorff, in particular, is thrilled with Kelly’s anticipated return, noting the senior had "worked his butt off" to get ready for the 2006 season. He would just like to see Kelly change some of his nightly habits, which have earned him the nickname, "Verizon."

"He’s always on the phone," Orndorff said. "He’s got a girlfriend now, and they talk about an hour every night. He’s the same good ol’ guy, though."

Having Kelly back in the fold gives defensive coordinator Grant Higgison an interesting dynamic. Kelly is fast, athletic and has game experience at the position. The only two negatives is that he’s still rusty coming off of the injury, and he’ll have to play with a soft cast on his hand.

"It’s hard to say," Higgison said regarding Kelly’s defensive impact. "He hasn’t put on any pads yet, but he’s got speed and he’s been around the block. It’s a huge help, especially at that position."

The Eagles (4-0) started the season with senior Venancio Biela, who was benched after BC’s 30-27 overtime win against Ferrum. Junior safety Tony Gilliam ascended to the role for Bridgewater’s 58-21 romp over LaGrange (three tackles) last weekend and will see a majority of the snaps against the Tigers (1-2), who were picked to finish second in the ODAC behind BC.

"We just needed more production out of the position," Higgison said. "We needed someone who could match what [linebackers] Craig [Smith] and Brandon [Borst] were giving us."

If healthy, Kelly shouldn’t have any problems filling those shoes. He played in nine games last year, finishing with 20 tackles and was projected to be the starter at weakside this year. He’ll likely only see about 10 to 15 snaps against HS-C, according to Higgison, to spell Gilliam and get his legs back under him.

"We’ve got to make sure that he’s 100 percent physically ready," Higgison said. "He’s basically a one-armed guy out there, and that’s a liability. It would be like having a [defensive back] with a bum ankle."

There also were certain risks involved. Because Kelly is making his return this season, he’s effectively ruining his shot at a medical redshirt, which he could have applied for after his injury. It’s a tough decision to make in Division III, because of the costs involved in private education – BC’s pricetag hovers around $27,000.

"I’m not real sure," Kelly said of his decision process. "I didn’t think about taking a year off. I would have probably done it if [the doctors] said I couldn’t make it back for the Guilford game. But I’m hoping we’ll go a long way in the playoffs and it feels like a full season."