After Leg Injury, Mountain Returns as Strong as Ever : Football: Fullerton College fullback tore a muscle in practice in 1989 and underwent emergency surgery. But tonight it will be business as usual.

Fullerton College’s John Mountain will look as inconspicuous as most fullbacks do when the Hornets take on Cerritos in a nonconference game at 7 o’clock tonight at Cerritos.

Mountain will block, take a few handoffs and maybe even catch a pass. After each play, he will jog back to the huddle. No big deal.

But for Mountain, a former standout at Foothill and Anaheim high schools, it’s mighty important. A little more than two years ago, he suffered a scary injury that could have ended his football career, or, doctors told him, might have even cost him his leg. Mountain’s problems started the first day of practice at Fullerton in 1989. While running, he heard a pop in his right calf. But because he was determined to make the team, Mountain didn’t let it bother him.

He put ice on the leg after practice, and it seemed to get a little better. But by the next morning, the pain increased. Eventually, his lower leg went numb. Mountain limped out of a class and into the office of trainer Bill Chambers.

Chambers recognized the injury immediately as a torn muscle that was bleeding. Chambers took Mountain to team doctor Philip McFarland. Mountain had walked into Chambers’ training room about 1 p.m. Two hours later, he underwent surgery.

“I had no idea what was happening,” said Mountain, 20. “I went into the doctor’s office, and the next thing I knew, I was under the lights. They didn’t know how bad it was, but they told me my options were losing my leg, being in a brace for the rest of my life, or I could be fine.

“They wouldn’t know until they got inside my leg and found out how bad the damage was. I had tears in my eyes as I went under.”

The surgery was successful, the muscle healed, but Mountain faced a long road back. He spent about two weeks in the hospital, under heavy medication.

Once home, he was unable to get out of bed much for another month. It was five months before he could jog. He dropped all his classes and spent most of his time watching television and movies. His weight dropped from 217 to 176 pounds the first two months after the injury.

“My mom got sick of going to rent movies for me,” Mountain said. “But that was all I could do was lie there. I think I saw about 130 movies, some over and over.”

Mountain returned to classes in the spring of 1990 and was taking part in spring drills--though not strenuously--toward the end of the semester.

“A lot of how someone comes back has to do with the makeup of the kid,” Chambers said. “John wanted to get better. He was a real delight to work with. He was here working hard all the time.”

Mountain, 6 feet 2, got stronger and pushed his weight back up to 215, and earned the starting fullback spot for Fullerton last fall. He rushed for 423 yards in 51 carries.

His best game was against El Camino, when he ran for 123 yards in eight carries. His success last season has left Mountain ready for this season--now.

“This is the season I’ve waited for all my life,” he said. “This is the time to see if I’m good enough to go on. But I don’t even want to think about getting hurt. I never want to go through anything like that again.”

In tonight’s games, all at 7 p.m.:

Fullerton (0-0) at Cerritos (1-0)--Fullerton starts the season ranked fifth in the Southland Poll; Cerritos is sixth. Cerritos, ranked seventh by J.C. Grid-Wire, opened the season with a 23-12 victory over Palomar last Saturday.

Long Beach (0-1) vs. Golden West (0-0) at Orange Coast--Golden West Coach Ray Shackleford starts his 26th season with a 141-97-9 record, sixth best among active community college coaches.

Santa Monica (0-0) at Saddleback (0-0)--Saddleback Coach Ken Swearingen starts his 30th season with a career mark of 220-67-6, second only to Fullerton’s Sherbeck on the all-time community-college list.

San Diego Mesa (0-1) vs. Rancho Santiago (0-0), Santa Ana Stadium--The Dons start the season with an experienced starter--Rich Fanti--at quarterback. Fanti passed for 1,648 yards last season. Mesa opened the season with a 42-20 loss to Mt. San Antonio.