He bounced on his feet and waited. His coach came over to him and made sure he was ready for action. For the first time in over 23 months, he would be on the field for the SU men’s soccer team.

He kicked his legs in circles and continued to get loose. The orange and white number seven jersey moved in the wind. The referee waited for the next stop of play to put him in the game. The ball went out of bounds, and he trotted onto the field.

The microphone crackled for a second. A few moments later, the name that had been said so many times previously at the Syracuse Soccer Stadium would be said again: Isaac Collings. The clock showed 25:37.

He positioned himself at midfield. The ball came back into play and sailed over his head. Fourteen seconds later, Collings would touch the soccer ball – and he was back. The sixth-year senior, who has suffered three torn anterior cruciate ligaments in his time at SU, was on the field for Syracuse for one last season.

‘It’s kind of like a second chance,’ Collings said. ‘It’s rare what I’m going through grad school and stuff like that. So it’s a second chance, and I want to make the most of it. A couple of months ago, I was thinking there is no way I’m coming back, college soccer is done for me.’

***

Oriskany High School (N.Y.) needed a win to reach the Section III tournament. To do so, it would have to defeat its biggest rival, Herkimer High School. It was a cool night, and plenty of people were in attendance – the perfect recipe for a rivalry game.

Oriskany won the game behind its captain at the time, who finished his career with 91 goals and 91 assists. The captain, of course, was Collings.

‘Isaac played midfield for us that game, and he was just dominating everybody out there,’ said former Oriskany High School coach Keith Bremiller, who worked with Collings his senior season. ‘Everybody was just in awe. It was the coach’s dream where everybody on the team played well, and Isaac was always the leader in our games.’

From a young age, Bremiller said, Collings was always around soccer. He remembered how during his brother’s indoor soccer games as a youngster, Collings used to come stand at the mid-line and just shoot balls at the goals. Nine out of 10 times, Collings would score.

Collings would go on to graduate from Oriskany as a McDonald’s High School All-American. Life could not be better for him on the soccer field.

***

He had never been seriously injured before. Maybe some twisted ankles and stuff like that, but never anything serious. But this was a serious injury.

As a member of the United States U-18 national team, Collings tore his left ACL during the summer of 2003 – just before he was scheduled to become a Division I college player.

‘It was really tough,’ said Collings, now 23. ‘It really sucked. That’s what you look forward to about college, getting that first year and proving yourself as a freshman, but it was unfortunate.’

The injury kept him out for the first season. He finally donned the Orange as a redshirt freshman in 2004 and played a full season in 2005. In that stretch, he started all 36 games for SU and scored three goals and had eight assists. He led the Orange in assists in 2005 and was tied for second on the team in points in 2004.

He continued to play well into the 2006 season. In the first four games that season, he scored a goal and had an assist. Collings was the force he expected to be when he came to Syracuse.

But injuries would strike again.

In the fourth game against Georgetown, Collings injured his left knee again. He originally thought he had tweaked it, but he said it just didn’t feel right. It was another torn ACL.

‘We were just getting into the season and starting to play well and to have a player like that go down was definitely a big blow,’ said senior teammate Spencer Schomaker. ‘I think we did an OK job with that, but at the same time, I mean, it wasn’t what we wanted.’

Collings sat out the rest of the season, but was ready to play the following season. He played during the summer and rehabilitated his knee. He was ready for one last season with the Orange.

Unfortunately, his right knee was not.

He tore his right ACL this time and would have to sit out another season.

‘The third time, it was just unbelievable when it happened,’ Collings said. ‘I was thinking there is no way this can be happening, the third time before my last season.’

After missing the 2006 season, Collings had been sidelined for 47 games in his Syracuse career. His time to shine on the collegiate level was shrinking – as well as any hopes to play professionally.

‘The injuries definitely shattered some goals I was going for,’ Collings said. ‘The first year, I wanted to start in those games, and I did that. I then really wanted to start making a huge impact after that, and it was going well until the injuries, and it’s unfortunate.’

***

Hanging up the boots. Quitting. The option of ending his collegiate career at Syracuse crossed Collings mind during his tenure. With his graduation and the real world approaching, calling quits to what had been an injury-plagued college career became a viable option.

He knew he could apply for a medical redshirt with the NCAA, but that was a just-in-case scenario. He would need graduate school to do such. He wasn’t planning on coming back. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology in December.

Others were planning on his return.

Teammate Kyle Hall said he told Collings that he wanted him on the field for one more go before his career was over. Foti wanted him back as well.

‘It took some time before we even approached the subject of him returning to play and whether or not he’d be eligible to play and getting a waiver for him to play,’ Foti said. ‘He was just so down in the dumps about not being able to play last year that it wasn’t something that we brought up, and eventually over time, we saw that through the rehab he was going to recover and that he is going to be able to play.’

Foti and Collings talked about graduate school and how he could play one more season for the Orange. Foti’s confidence lifted Collings’ spirits.

After graduating, Collings went to visit his family and got a job in Tampa, Fla. He continued to rehab his knee, but didn’t know what he was working for.

In May he got a phone call from Foti that gave him a reason to keep working.

Collings had been accepted to graduate school at Syracuse, where he now studies science education. He could continue to play soccer. He could not be more elated. After times considering whether to quit, Collings could have his one last season with the Orange.

‘I was really excited as it just seemed too good to be true,’ Collings said. ‘I just wanted to take it one day at a time because I knew that it happened twice before with me while I was training in the summer while getting ready for the fall.’

***

He moves around the field, calling for the ball. He makes several passes to his teammates, but nothing special. He sprints, but seems to be playing within himself. It’s not until with more than 11 minutes in the half that he dazzles the crowd.

He gets the ball at the top of the box, moves the ball between several defenders and fires a shot at the goal that is blocked by the defender. It could have been the perfect welcome back moment, but there is plenty of season left for that. He plays out the rest of the half in a 3-0 victory over Canisius and sits the second half. It is enough for the first game.

When healthy, Schomaker said Collings brings quickness, speed and power to the midfield. On this night, the quickness with his feet and power seems to be there, but the speed will come later.

He still has ambitions of possibly playing professionally later, but for now, playing in front of students and fans at the SU Soccer Stadium is enough. It’s one last chance at ending his career on the right foot. One last chance to fulfill the promise he brought to Syracuse.

‘I’m not going to turn it down,’ Collings said. ‘I’ve been playing my entire life, that’s what I’m here for. The real world is waiting for me, and it will still be waiting for me when I’m done playing. I’m only young once, and I have to go through with this.’

mrehalt@syr.edu

Published on September 2, 2008 at 12:00 pm