Elbow Injury Makes Esene a Most Frustrated Player

Levi Esene couldn’t stand it any longer.

After watching his San Diego State teammates warm up last Saturday, he walked into the locker room and saw an extra uniform hanging in a locker. He asked a team manager if he could put it on.

“No,” the manager said abruptly.

It was a good decision on the manager’s part. However, that’s the type of football season Esene has endured.

He wants to play at nearly all costs, but a dislocated left elbow has kept him from doing so.

Going in, Esene was considered a good bet to make the All-Western Athletic Conference team. Instead, he could win a mythical award as the WAC’s most frustrated player.

Esene’s season went down when he went down with the dislocated elbow in the first series of the second game against UCLA on Sept. 21. He had been blocked on a sweep and came up with an elbow out of joint. It was painful to him and the Aztecs, who lost the game, 34-16. Esene had been involved on four of the first 11 tackles, an indication of how well his season was going.

Lately, Esene has been sacked. The injury has prevented him from playing in the last four games.

He may play Saturday night against Oregon, but that won’t be determined until game time. If he does play, he’ll wear a padded brace on his elbow.

“Sometimes, I cry at night thinking about what has happened,” Esene said. “There’s a lot of frustration and depression. Sometimes, I walk around like I’m lost because of what has happened.”

Originally, SDSU was hoping to have its nose tackle back within three weeks. However, it wasn’t to be.

Esene practiced during the week before SDSU played at Brigham Young two weeks ago. He was wearing the brace that makes him feel as if he’s a “one-armed bandit.” He didn’t want the Aztecs shorthanded at BYU, so he told the coaches to take another player in his place because he wasn’t ready.

“I had never missed a game in my whole career before this season,” Esene said. “I’ve played with a lot of injuries in high school and junior college. This time, I can’t help it. There’s nothing I can do with this injury. It’s real difficult to tackle somebody with a dislocated elbow. I feel like I’m going to bust my elbow when I try.”

Esene, a second-team all-WAC selection in 1984, had envisioned himself helping to lead the Aztecs to a 1985 bowl game. Whenever he watches a game now, he thinks of what could have been.

“In a way, it was like the end of my life or career when I got hurt,” he said. “It’s hard for me to forget about it. A lot of times, I’ll have flashbacks when I watch a game. I’ll be thinking about what I could have done. It’s like I had a dream or goal that I can’t achieve now.”

As an alternative, Esene could redshirt and return next season.

“I’ve been confused in a way whether to redshirt,” Esene said. “Most of the confusion is because I’ve never had this happen. If the elbow feels good, I’m going to give it a try this week. If I don’t play, we still have a lot of games left. I’d have to make my decision later on whether to redshirt.”

With six games remaining, the coaching staff would prefer to have Esene play this year. Without him, the Aztecs (3-3) have tried Mike Stevens, Chris Kilby, Tal Tamamasui and Greg Williamson at nose tackle. Stevens, normally a starting end, is listed at the starting nose tackle against Oregon.

“The season’s only half over,” defensive coordinator Burnie Miller said. “The only thought about (redshirting Esene) would be if we got down to three ballgames. We still have a good stretch run to make.”

For now, stretching is about the extent of Esene’s practices. As a defensive captain, he leads the team through exercises each day. However, he is little more than a spectator during contact sessions.

Reflecting on last summer, Esene finds it extremely difficult to accept his fate. He had remained in San Diego to work out with teammates rather than return home to his family in Los Angeles.

“That’s why my situation hurts so much,” he said. “I worked so hard to gain strength over the summer. I hate to see all of that work turn into nothing. I’m still trying to fulfill something. If I have to redshirt, I’ll work out during the off-season and try to do well again.”

Added Miller: “He’s still in good spirits. He knows he has a situation that may take time. It’s like being pregnant. You just have to wait.”

There’s another factor to consider for the 5-foot 11-inch, 260-pound Esene. He may have a future in pro football.

Miller said he doesn’t think the injury would hurt Esene in the eyes of pro scouts, but Esene wonders if that is true.

“If I do play, I’ll be at 75%,” Esene said. “I won’t give a full picture of what I’m like. With an elbow like this, I won’t prove anything. Pro ball would be a dream come true, but my first priority is San Diego State. I’m thankful for what I have gotten already. I never thought I would get this far.”

Aztec Notes Coaches Doug Scovil of SDSU and Rich Brooks of Oregon were together as assistant coaches with the San Francisco 49ers in 1974-75. “We played a lot of tennis,” Brooks said. “He always whipped me. I hope the results will be different in football.” . . . . If Levi Esene can play Saturday night, the Aztecs are expected to be at full strength. Running back Casey Brown (pulled hamstring) and linebacker Richard Brown (sprained ankle) should play after missing last week’s 39-37 loss to Utah . . . . Saturday’s game will be the first ever between SDSU and Oregon . . . . Chris Hardy rushed for 104 yards and Corey Gilmore rushed for 102 yards against Utah. It was the first time in seven seasons two Aztecs rushed for more than 100 yards in the same game. Marcus Jennings rushed for 178 yards and Phil DuBois rushed for 121 yards in a 34-31 win against Colorado State on Nov. 4, 1978.