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OU's Reynolds ready to go

by: JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Sunday, February 15, 2009
2/15/2009 3:13:02 AM

Ryan Reynolds' knee is good to go.

So Reynolds told the Tulsa World in a telephone interview last week.

The University of Oklahoma linebacker prepares for his senior year having endured his third knee injury — and his second ACL repair. He'll miss all of the upcoming spring practice period — drills start March 3 and the Red / White Game is April 11 — but he's already well ahead of where he was after his 2006 ACL injury.

Reynolds recently got fitted for his new knee brace and began straight-ahead running last Monday.

"Then it's just progressing for the next three months," he said. "After that, I'll be cleared for May, June, July and August. I'll get a good three or four months before the season starts."

Reynolds said the most important lesson he learned the first time about bouncing back from major knee surgery was dietary. Last time, the 6-foot-1, 225-pound Reynolds ate himself into a 245-pound body, then had to drop weight while playing his way back into game shape.

Now, with a conscientious eating plan and as much cardiovascular work as he can get, Reynolds has stayed at 225 and will be fast and fit when May comes.

Reynolds' latest injury came in the second quarter of last year's game against Texas. He returned to start the third quarter and finished a series, then went down for good a few plays later. Texas took advantage of his absence for a second-half rally, but the Sooners edged out the Longhorns for a spot in the Big 12 championship game — and eventually the national championship game — by BCS percentage points.

Q: A lot of people thought your absence from the second half against Texas was the difference in the game. Even though you lost to Texas, you played in the Big 12 title game and the national championship game. Did it feel good to know that your knee wasn't the difference in the entire season?

Well, I don't know about the Texas game, but as the season went on, I felt our team got a lot better. I felt if we were to play Texas later on in the season, or had a tie-breaker game or something like that, I think we would have won that game. I think we were a better team than Texas at the end of the year. I mean, I'm glad that loss to Texas didn't have any effect on us going to the national championship. But I don't feel like me coming out of the game was the reason why (Texas won).

Q: What can you recount about conversations you had with your dad or other family members about sticking with it and not quitting after the injury?

We just went over it and I knew what had worked from the previous injuries and what didn't, and how coming back felt and what I had to do to make sure I was coming back 100 percent. We just talked about my diet and exercise, instead of sitting around on the couch all the time, when I couldn't run, just doing all the cardio stuff I can do, eating right so I wouldn't gain that 20 pounds I gained last time and I'd have to come back and get into shape and lose all that weight. That process took about the first two months to come back, trying to get back into shape. This time we just talked about staying light and being able to come back quicker.

Q: ACL rehab is akin to torture, and yet you are the one who has to choose to go through it. Are there still dark times when you don't feel like rehabbing and you just want to cut corners?

Not this time. Honestly, the first time I would do that because I didn't know what to expect when I came back. I'd kind of tell myself, 'Oh, if I cut it short today, it's not going to hurt me in the long run.' But this time, when I feel like doing that, I've just got to push myself and finish all the things. And now, I'm actually doing extra. As opposed to last time I would just do what I was told and that was it, this time I'm going above and beyond what I'm told to do.

Q: After the injury, you became something of a coach to Travis Lewis, Keenan Clayton and Austin Box, and, all things considered, the OU linebackers ended up having a terrific season. What was that like for you, the second half of the season?

It was great seeing the success they had, all three of them, and Mike (Balogun) as well. Travis has told me it helped him out a lot because out on the field, instead of relying on me to make the calls, he took it upon himself to make the calls, and later in the season, he was doing as good or better than I was at doing that.

Q: I saw a question on a message board a couple days ago asking whether Mike Balogun or Austin Box was going to be OU's middle linebacker next year. Are people forgetting about Ryan Reynolds at middle linebacker next year? Are you expecting to be back in time for the start of the 2009 season?

Yeah, I'll definitely be back. I mean, we're all going to be battling for the position. Each year the season's over with, nobody has their position set in stone. You're not safe. Anyone can come up and beat you out for it. So we're all going to be competing with each other for the starting spot.

John E. Hoover 581-8384
john.hoover@tulsaworld.com

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