BUTLER TWP — Nate Hartung's goals have changed — for the time being.

The 2005 Butler graduate and former Golden Tornado football and basketball standout had visions of playing Division I college football.

Now he'd settle for a healthy season of football anywhere.

"My first two college seasons were pretty much ruined by injury," the 6-foot-2, 350-pound Hartung said. "All I want is to be injury-free for a year, just to see what I can do."

After serving a three-year Mormon mission, Hartung enrolled at Brigham Young University as a walk-on offensive lineman. He broke a bone in his lower back during camp and became a medical redshirt.

Unable to attain a scholarship at BYU, Hartung transferred to Eastern Arizona Community College, a junior college football powerhouse. He played center and guard for the Gila Monsters, who went on to post an 8-3 record as the 15th-ranked team in the NJCAA.

Hartung played all season on a broken ankle.

"I broke it in the first game of the season and didn't have a medical redshirt available, since I used one last year," he said. "So I played on the bad ankle all year.

"I only practiced a couple of times all season and was spelled from time to time on game days."

So Hartung won't be transferring to any D-I school this summer. He won't be playing spring football, either.

"I needed surgery on that ankle after the season and there were some complications with it," he said. "Because of some medication I needed, I can't play football for six months."

By next fall, Hartung expects to return to action.

Eastern Arizona rolled up 3,943 rushing yards — an average of 358 per game — while passing for only 471 yards. The Gila Monsters rushed for at least 1,500 more yards than any other member of the Western States Football League.

The Gila Monsters had four of the league's top 12 rushers and scored 42 or more points four times.

Hartung plans to spend another year at Eastern Arizona before looking to transfer to a Division I school.

"I'll have two years to play two seasons when I do transfer out," he said. "I've run into some bad luck, but I'm still confident I can play. I just need to get healthy."