Doug Ryan of South River High School suffered a broken leg during the football preseason that forced him to miss his senior campaign on the gridiron. But he has been medically cleared to return to the wrestling team, and he is focused on getting to Atlantic City for the state championships. STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC SUCAR Doug Ryan is very thankful to be growing up in a town that genuinely cares for his well-being.
Only in a tight-knit community like South River will friends and neighbors pay unannounced visits to his home and send a steady stream of notes wishing him well as he recovers from a season-ending broken leg suffered in a football scrimmage last August.
Since that time, Ryan has endured a long, often painful, rehabilitation, but the arduous process is nearing its end. Even as he continues to recover from the broken leg, Ryan has been medically cleared by doctors to return to the athletic arena as a member of South River High School’s wrestling team.
“When you live in a small town like South River, you recognize how important it is to receive support,” Ryan, who is 6- foot-2 and 200-plus pounds, said. “Not only were my father, mother and brother with me every step of the rehab process, but many, many others helped me in many ways. I had coaches and friends stopping by my house, and I received notes of encouragement from college coaches. There really wasn’t a single moment when I felt I couldn’t get back.”
Ryan’s testament serves as a vivid reminder as to how important a positive mental outlook is when recovering from the horrendous injury he suffered. Last summer was one in which the preseason all-state running back candidate dreamt of leading his football team to a state championship and garnering multiple offers to play in college. Those dreams collapsed beneath a leg that needed surgical pins to hold it together while it healed.
“Staying mentally strong was the biggest obstacle I faced,” he said. “Then there were little things like putting weight on [it]. That was followed by walking, which led to jogging and eventually running. I realized the only thing that could hold me back was me.”
As a junior wrestler, Ryan finished fourth in the regional tournament and just missed qualifying for the state tournament. He said his individual goal is to make the states this year and help his team make some noise in the NJSIAA Group I tournament. He is on course to accomplish both. The Rams have bounced back from a 4-15 season in impressive fashion by recording five wins in the first six meets and are a frontrunner to win the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Blue Division. Ryan was medically cleared to compete in mid-December but decided to get into “wrestling shape” before stepping on the mat again, which was on Jan. 3 when he represented his team in the Joe DeMario Quad Invitational.
Ryan registered pins against three opponents in 49 seconds, 13 seconds and 1:20 wrestling in either the 195- or 220- pound class.
“This season feels much different than last,” Ryan said. “Last year, I moved from football into wrestling, but with rehabbing the broken leg, I wasn’t sure how I was going to react or if I would be limited. I can tell you that the void I feel after missing football season has fueled my passion to compete, and it’s greater than it’s ever been. I still continue to rehab the leg, but it’s getting easier and I’m feeling better.”
Wrestling may be the testing ground for Ryan’s primary goal: getting back on the football field. That will require, of course, choosing a college, which is a process yet to be played out.
“I have a few visits (Delaware Valley College and Albright College) set up the next month, but I haven’t yet decided where I go,” he said. “I know I am going to have to work hard to prove I’m 100-percent healed and that I can play at the same level I did before.”
That level enabled Ryan to become one of the top running backs in the state after a junior season in which he ran for nearly 1,300 yards and scored 17 touchdowns.
What would his senior year bring?
That question was never answered and, even today, it’s difficult for Ryan to acknowledge his football days in a Rams uniform are over. He will try to reconcile the emptiness he feels by working even harder on the mat.
“Right now, my focus is on wrestling,” he said. “We have a good mix of talent, and I’m excited to be there for my teammates. As for myself, I really want to get to Atlantic City. Once you make it, anything is possible.”
Ryan knows that only too well.