BUTLER TWP— Something happened on the way to Jeff Achezinski's first start as a Butler varsity football player at Art Bernardi Stadium.

It was delayed a year. And there was nothing funny about it.

A 6-foot, 225-pound guard, Achezinski suffered a severe knee injury during a practice before the Shaler game his junior season. The injury was so severe that he feared he would be forced to give up the sport.

"There was a chance,"he said quietly. "I was pretty depressed about it."

But after surgery, a month on crutches and eight months of physical therapy, Achezinski was cleared to return to football just days before the start of August training camp under new coach Jeff McAnallen.

"He was limited in what he could do in camp — in what I would let him do,"McAnallen said. "He had been running, lifting, doing all he could, but Jeff was just getting back and I didn't want to see him aggravate that knee.

"That kid went through two-a-days, never missed a practice, iced his knee after every one. You could tell right away that was a kid who wanted to play football."

And play he did.

Achezinski played in every game his senior season, missing part of the Shaler game after tweaking his knee, and served as senior team captain all season.

He was named Butler's Offensive Lineman of the Year, won the Greg Brown Scholarship, received the Golden Tornado's Adversity Award and was voted team MVPby his teammates.

"I was apprehensive about his coming back at first,"said Carol Achezinski, Jeff's mother. "I was a typical mom, concerned and worried. But no way could I stop him. I didn't want to stop him.

"This was what he wanted to do."

Butler didn't win a game last season, but McAnallen already is using Achezinski's efforts on the field in preparing his 2008 squad.

"I talk to the kids all the time. Each week, when we were watching film, I'd point to Jeff and say: 'This is how you play the game. This is how you finish blocks.' He graded out the best week after week," the coach said.

Achezinski had to wear a custom-made brace all season and said he never was at 100 percent.

But he was close enough.

"I was one of only five or six seniors out there and it meant a lot to me to be a captain all the way through," he said.

"The players voted for the captains at first and I was named one. Then the new coach came in and he named the captains. He picked me and stayed with me."

Carrying a 4.0 grade-point average, Achezinski plans to major in business or engineering at St. Vincent College, Allegheny or Westminster.

He plans to play football at his school of choice as well.

"I've visited the campuses, talked to the coaches and they all have interest in me," he said. "I'm not through playing yet."

McAnallen said Achezinski likely will play center or defensive end in college.

"I could have used him as a defensive end, but I was too fearful of putting too much on him,"he said. "I didn't want to lose him after a couple of games.

"Jeff was a great player and a great leader. He made the calls for the offensive line and he was always one of the kids who would give talks in the locker room before each game.

"He's the type of kid a coach wants around his team,"McAnallen added.

Achezinski grew up as a three-sport athlete. He played baseball through Pony League and basketball through ninth grade.

After spurning basketball his sophomore year to concentrate on weightlifting for football, he planned to play his junior year.

"My knee wiped out that idea," he said.

While Butler went winless last year, Achezinski said he believes the program is on the right track.

"Most of those guys will be back, they're used to Coach McAnallen's system now and they'll be all the better for it," Achezinski said.

Just like he'll be all the better for successfully rehabbing a blown-out knee.

"He fought back from adversity and was voted team MVP,"Carol Achezinski said. "We felt a lot of apprehension before. Now we're filled with pride."