BUTLER TWP — Even before his first varsity start, Lee Stalker's football career was over.

For a week.

As a junior at Butler last year, Stalker was a backup tight end and linebacker for the Golden Tornado. But throughout preseason practice and into the first three weeks of the season, he experienced numbness in both arms after occasional contact.

"It was just strange,"Stalker said. "I'd feel numb for five minutes or so, then it would go away."

Butler's coaches and trainers had him suit up with a neck harness, figuring he was suffering from repeated stingers.

"We weren't sure what it was, but he was playing through pain,"head coach Garry Cathell said.

The concern became great enough that the Butler trainer recommended Stalker's parents, Gary and Wendy Bayer, take him to a specialist for an examination. After X-rays were taken, it was determined that Stalker's second and third vertebrae had been fused together at birth.

The doctor informed Stalker that his football career was over.

"He said my neck wasn't stable enough because of it, that it could snap or break if I was hit a certain way,"Stalker said.

"I can still remember Lee walking over to me, alligator tears in his eyes, telling me he couldn't play anymore,"Cathell said. "That kid was all about football. He was devastated.

"I told him he was still part of the team. I wanted him around at practice and at games. Even though he was never a starter, he was always a vocal, enthusiastic guy, and I didn't want us to lose that."

So Stalker stood on the sidelines at practice that following week. He stood on the sidelines at Shaler the following Friday night.

While doing so, his parents received another life-altering call from his doctor.

"The doctor saw how upset I was that I had to give up football," Stalker said. "He did some research and discovered that neck injuries have resulted involving players with their first and second vertebrae fused together, or with their third and fourth vertebrae fused together.

"He couldn't find any case where a player with his second and third vertebrae fused together had gotten hurt. He cleared me to play, as long as I could stand the pain."

The difference is in range of motion.

"Range of motion in the neck is unaffected by the second and third vertebrae being fused,"Wendy Bayer said. "It is affected by the first and second, or third and fourth being fused. Getting hit the wrong way in those cases could result in paralysis from the neck down.

"When Lee first saw the neurosurgeon, he was told he never should have been allowed to play contact sports in the first place."

Further research changed that opinion.

Stalker returned to practice the following Monday. He remained a reserve player the rest of the season.

During the off-season, he went to work to change his status.

"Lee just attacked the weight room,"Cathell said. "He was in there every day. When we decided to switch to a 43 defense and move him to defensive end, he thrived there."

With Stalker back on the field, his mother is back in the stands. She never misses one of his games.

"When a play starts, I follow him and pay close attention to that first hit," Bayer said. "I'm still nervous to this day. That's my child and you naturally fear the worst.

"We have an agreement. If he gets hurt and can't get up right away, he knows to give me a thumbs-up so Iknow he's OK."

Now 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Stalker is finally a starter and already has become an impact player on defense this season. He blocked a punt in this year's opener at Kiski Area and recorded a safety there.

He's caused two fumbles and recovered another. He has a quarterback sack and 19 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss, through the Tornado's first four games.

Not bad for a first-year starter.

"Yeah, I became more intense when I was cleared to play again,"Stalker admitted. "I mean, football was taken away from me."