YSU's Hegedus, Hawkins back at full speed

By BRIAN DZENIS

bdzenis@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

There’s renewed enthusiasm for football practice from Kyle Hegedus and Kierre Hawkins.

The redshirt-senior safety and redshirt-junior tight end for Youngstown State’s football team are back at full speed this fall after both players tore their ACLs last year. Hawkins has been getting reps throughout fall practice, but after almost a year to the day of his original injury, Hegedus was cleared for full-contact practice. His first such practice came on Tuesday.

“I love being back. Being in the athletic training room for 11 and a half months with the year we had was really tough,” Hegedus said on Wednesday. “[Head athletic trainer Ethan Solger and assistant trainer Steve Lapso] made it so that it wouldn’t be hard out here. They made it hard in rehab.

“You really appreciate being out. You really appreciate being able to do normal activities when you’re hurt and out for so long, but I just love being out here and being out with the guys.”

The team’s starting safety in 2017 was plugged right back in with the first team with the first team defense.

“He’s doing well. He’s way ahead mentally and knows the defense and what’s going,” head coach Bo Pelini said. “He just needs to shake some rust off, but he has been doing well. He communicates really well and he’s been a big presence back there.”

Hawkins initially strained ligaments in his knee during last year’s fall camp, but after trying to come back and play during last year’s 4-7 campaign, Hawkins and Hegedus soon became rehab buddies.

“I got a lot of reps and I was able to run. I played [against Valparaiso] and felt good with no problems,” Hawkins said. “Then there was that second game [against Western Illinois] and I just completely tore it.”

The pair were a common sight on the sidelines during practices last year working out with team trainers. Both players credited each other with their respective recoveries.

“We did a lot of running. It was tough, but we were pushing each other everyday,” Hawkins said. “We were all going through the same thing where the season was over for us. We’re key players and we have some big goals knowing that we have each other’s back. It was great.”

From an eligibility standpoint, Hawkins can apply for a medical redshirt after the 2020 season. Hegedus can do so at the end of this season, but said he is unsure if he will apply or not. Hegedus has torn his ACL twice during his tenure at YSU.

He’s immediate concern besides the upcoming football season is pursuing his masters degree in athletic training. As part of that program, Hegedus spent time working with the training staff for the YSU women’s basketball team. During games, the safety would man the table with cups of water for players and coaches. Given head coach John Barnes’ propensity to pace between the bench and cooler, Hegedus was busy.

“I had to fill up his water. Every time he came over, I’d have to pay attention to how much he drank,” Hegedus said. “I always made sure it was filled up before he came over. He’s a character, but he’s doing really well over there and I really enjoyed watching that team play.

“They all cared about each other. When it came down to it, they only had so many girls on the active roster and they all played heavy minutes. Whether they started or not, their minutes counted,” Hegedus added. “They relied on each other and they cheered for each other. They were so encouraging to each other and that’s what I took away from that experience.”

Both players come to practice each day appreciating every whistle, clash of pads and calls for additional workouts even when practice is over.

“It changes your mind. You appreciate things on the field. Even if you mess up a play or drop a pass, you’re thankful that you’re just able to do it,” Hawkins said. “You want to do well, but it’s just a blessing that you can just walk or move around. A lot of people take that for granted and now that I’m out here, I’m just soaking it all up.”