Collegian Reporter: Road to Recovery with Josh Porcher
The 2013 season was a banner year for the Morningside Mustangs Football team. The GPAC Champions finished a staggering 13-1, with their lone loss of the season coming in the National Championship game in Rome, GA against Marlan University in overtime. In a game of that magnitude, every play counts, and every yard counts. One Mustang wasn’t able to make his presence felt.
Morningside Junior defensive back Josh Porcher suffered a setback before the 2013 season even began. He suffered a torn ACL, effectively ending his season.
“It happened two or three days before two-a-days started. I was playing a pick-up game of basketball and I went to go block a shot, and my knee buckled when I came down. I’d been playing basketball that whole summer, and it was just a freak accident.”
The Plano, TX native began the road to recovery immediately.
“I took myself away from the team for a couple months just to get the surgery out of the way. I started rehabbing.”
When asked about his life post-surgery, Porcher described the recovery process while still taking care of his school responsibilities.
“It was definitely hell. It felt like sharp knives poking at me. I slept in a lofted bed, so climbing down that latter every morning…and taking a shower took thirty minutes because I had to put a shower bag on my leg so the scar wouldn’t get wet. Campus security gave me rides everywhere and really made it possible to get around.”
Flash forward a year, and number 2 is back on the field, and loving every minute of it. When asked how it feels to be back in pads, he simply cracked a smile and stammered, “It’s amazing.”
He continued, “It’s even better now that I can go on without my brace. It’s been like a year and a half since I’ve played in a game, and I can’t wait.. My family’s coming up for the first one. Butterflies, man.”
When asked about his expectations for the upcoming season, Porcher held nothing back.
“I’m looking forward to going back to Rome, Georgia. I missed out on that opportunity last year, and that’s been a dream of mine to win a big game like that. I never won a state championship.”
As far as personal and team goals for the season, Porcher hinted that the sky is the limit for the Preseason number one Mustangs.
“We’re looking forward to winning the GPAC. I want to go undefeated. I want to go back to the championship. I want to be an impact player. I want to be an All-American this year, that’s a personal thing of mine.”
The Mustangs open the 2013-14 season on September 7th in Sioux City against Valley City State at Elwood Olson Stadium in Sioux City.