Iron Wills : Injured Cal Lutheran Linebackers Demmon, Bentancourt Show Their Mettle as They Forge Comebacks

Sean Demmon extended his right hand to greet a visitor, a normally unobtrusive gesture. But for Demmon, a linebacker on the Cal Lutheran football team, shaking hands these days is a noteworthy occasion.

“It must be nice to be able to do that again,” an onlooker said to Demmon.

Demmon smiled. “It has been a long time,” he said.

Last October, Demmon broke his right wrist in a game against Cal State Northridge. He had entered the game after linebacker Earl Bentancourt had gone down with a major knee injury. A few plays after losing Bentancourt, Cal Lutheran lost Demmon.

But unlike Bentancourt, who was lost for the season, Demmon figured he’d be back before the final game in late November.

He figured wrong.

Ten months, 10 casts and one operation later, Demmon is trying to earn a starting spot for the Kingsmen, who reported to camp Sunday and begin practicing in pads Thursday.

Demmon, who handles the snapping duties on punts, may not win a starting job, but at least he has a shot.

“From March on until the beginning of August, I didn’t think I’d play this year,” he said.

In April, Demmon had bone from his hip grafted onto his hand. Two weeks ago, when he had improved the strength in his right hand, he was given clearance to play.

“It feels really good,” said Demmon, a 6-1, 220-pound junior. “I can squeeze my hand at 90% compared to my left hand.”

Jim Bauer, Cal Lutheran’s defensive coordinator, said Demmon will compete with Tom Gabriel for the starting spot.

“My philosophy is the guy who ended the last season and who was the starter in spring is the starter,” Bauer said. “That’s Tom. Sean has got to beat him out.”

Bauer is glad to have Demmon back. In fact, he’s glad to have any linebacker to work with. Last season, 13 of 14 players who played linebacker missed at least one game with injuries. “It was a nightmare,” Bauer said.

Demmon’s bad dream came in the first quarter against the Matadors. After Demmon made a tackle, another player fell on his elbow, and although he played the rest of the game, he knew there was a problem.

“I told a friend in the huddle after the play that I had just broken my arm,” Demmon said.

The lengthy rehabilitation process began the next day and culminated with his return to the practice field. Unfortunately for Bentancourt, his news is not as good.

Bentancourt’s injury required total reconstruction of his right knee during a five-hour surgery three days after the Northridge game. One ligament was so badly damaged it had to be replaced with a piece of tendon from his hamstring muscle. A bone in his knee was chipped and cartilage was torn.

In April he had a second surgery to remove scar tissue after his leg was in a cast for four months.

“He is a great football player,” Bauer said. “One of the best I’ve been around--when healthy.”

But Bentancourt isn’t currently healthy. Three weeks ago, while running sprints at his home in Rosemead, Bentancourt tore a calf muscle in his right leg.

He estimated his knee was at 75% strength before the calf muscle injury. “Now, it’s probably down to 65%,” he said.

His chances of playing this season are slim.

“If he’s not 100% ready to go,” Bauer said, “he’ll redshirt because this is his last year. He’s just too competitive, he’s got too much pride.”

In his first two seasons as a defensive end, Bentancourt had 40 quarterback sacks. “He’s just an incredibly gifted football player,” Cal Lutheran Coach Bob Shoup said.

Bentancourt’s request to have 1985 count as a redshirt season was denied by the NCAA because his injury occurred in the sixth game of an 11-game season, more than halfway through the season.

So when Bentancourt plays again, he’ll be a senior.

“I just hope and pray to God that I make the right decision,” he said. “And if I do redshirt, I’ll have eight months to get ready.”