NEW WILMINGTON — Last year, Doug Orloski felt a twinge in his knee.

The Westminster College linebacker and Slippery Rock High graduate thought nothing of it.

"I jogged off the field," Orloski said.

The sophomore on the junior varsity team had no idea how badly he was injured until a week later, when an MRI showed a 90-percent tear of his ACL.

Surgery was needed and, after three weeks and zero snaps in varsity action, Orloski's season was over.

Sort of.

Orloski helped out where he could. In the three weeks before his knee injury, he was invaluable on the scout team.

"My job was pretty much to make the kid in front of me better and to make myself better at the same time," Orloski said. "I take pride in it. I just hoped my work there would get me noticed."

It did. Orloski was voted Scout Team Defensive Player of The Year by his teammates.

It is an honor Orloski does not take lightly.

Neither does Westminster head coach Jeff Hand.

"Dougie is a great young man," Hand said. "He's been through some trials and tribulations with his injury and he just keeps fighting through it."

Orloski worked hard to rehabilitate his knee while continuing to help his teammates any way he could.

"He is certainly invaluable," Hand said. "You can't ask for anything more than somebody who knows their role and does their role to the best of their ability day in and day out."

Orloski would like to expand his role, but first he has to get his knee back in shape. A week before camp opens, Orloski says he feels it's at 90 percent now.

"I can still tell there is something going on in there with all the scar tissue," Orloski said. "It's still tight, but when I get out on the field, I won't even think about it."

Orloski is champing at the bit to suit up again.

He not only wants to prove he is healthy, he also wants to prove he deserves a spot on the varsity roster.

"It's going to be a challenge," Orloski said.

Orloski, who received a medical redshirt last season, will find a familiar face on the team in 2009.

His younger brother, Derrick, who was a standout receiver for Slippery Rock last season, will be a freshman for the Titans.

"I played peewee football with him for two years and we played two years together in high school," Doug Orloski said. "I may have three seasons with him here. It's going to be exciting to play with him again."

Orloski is just hoping he gets an opportunity to play and put the injury behind him.

If not, there is always the scout team, where he has proved his value already.

"This is Division III football. If you don't love it, you wouldn't be here," Orloski said.