by Vanessa Strobbe
Daily Lobo
After an early season injury, one of the UNM football team's leaders plans to make an impact starting this weekend.
Lobo linebacker and team captain Cody Kase, who has been hampered by a hamstring injury, wants to help change this season's direction in his comeback against Wyoming on
Saturday.
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"I haven't had the season I've wanted at all so far," Kase said. "This is my comeback game, and a turnaround game for our team."
Late in the Lobos' season opener against Portland State, Kase severely pulled his right hamstring. The injury forced Kase to sit out the second game of the season, against NMSU, which was the first game he'd missed in his career.
Kase started the next two games with the injury but was unable to play beyond the first quarter. He remained on the sidelines, watching his team go 2-3 through the first part of the season.
"The first couple days I went back to practice after I hurt it, I just kept re-straining it," he said. "It seemed like it was going to be forever until I could get back onto the field."
Kase said he had the same problems when he tried testing the hamstring in a game.
"It would start feeling good, and I would try to play in a game," Kase said. "But when I went full speed, I just re-strained it. I didn't know if I would ever get full strength back this season."
Through constant rehabilitation exercises with the trainers and strength coaches, Kase fought the thought of an ended season.
"I had to keep saying to myself, 'If you keep rehabbing it, you'll come back,'" he said.
Kase said the most frustrating part was watching his team lose without his help.
"My teammates stepped up when I couldn't be there, but it was tough," Kase said. "I knew I needed to be out there doing and helping every way that I can."
Voted team captain by his teammates this year, Kase heads the defense and is known for his valuable knowledge of the game, the plays and the defensive positions.
Head coach Rocky Long said Kase is a leader the team looks up to.
"The players see him not only because he's a good football player, but he hardly makes mistakes. He plays hard, and they see him as their leader," Long said.
Without Kase's defensive leadership last week, the Lobos lost their conference opener to Air Force, 24-7, allowing 262 rushing yards in the contest. Wyoming, which had more than 500 yards in total offense last week against Syracuse, brings an offensive threat that Kase plans to stop.
Kase said this week's practice is the best he has had in many weeks, and his hamstring feels the healthiest it has in a long time.
Long said Kase's good health and playing time are sure to benefit the team.
"When you have a good football player feeling 100 percent who tends to play good, it's going to add a lot to the team," he said.
Kase said he just needs to go out on the field and not worry about his hamstring.
"Every game plays out differently, but I know I have to be out there to make an impact," Kase said. "One play can change a game; one play can change the momentum. So I need to make a couple big plays."
