The Florida Atlantic player made an abrupt cut. Nebraska safety Rickey Thenarse broke down and began to retrace his steps back toward the ballcarrier.
Pop.
It was the sound every player dreads hearing. The senior fell to the ground and grabbed his knee, thinking his career was over.
"I was in pain," Thenarse said. "I was just thinking, ‘Not again, not again.'"
After being helped to the sideline, one of the trainers came over and told him, "Rickey, you can come back again. That's what you wanted."
Thenarse found out later he'd torn his ACL, ending his season. But the trainer was right: This winter, the Big 12 Conference granted him a medical hardship, giving him a fifth season of eligibility.
Always a fan favorite for his frantic playing style and bone-crushing hits on special teams, Thenarse will compete for one of this year's starting safety spots. After the departure of seniors Matt O'Hanlon and Larry Asante, secondary coach Marvin Sanders said both starting safety positions are there for the taking.
"It's a wide-open position," Sanders said. "There are going to be fi ve or six guys competing for playing time and a starting job, and he's right there with the rest of them."
Thenarse made his mark on punt and kick coverage during his first two seasons and was named Special Teams MVP both seasons. After starting five games as a junior, Thenarse found himself behind O'Hanlon and Asante on the depth chart at the beginning of last year but was still seeing time on both special teams and defense before his injury.
Thenarse said the first step in his rehab was regaining the extension and flexion in his knee. Next came a regimen of quad lifts, calf raises and squats to further strengthen the knee. Sanders said that while Thenarse is not yet back to 100 percent, he has no doubt the senior will be ready to go once the season starts.
"One thing Rickey will do is he will give everything he's got," Sanders said. "He's going to progress, and hopefully he will get more comfortable as time goes on."
While it's been tough coming back, Thenarse said he has realized the injury wasn't all bad. Unseating Asante, a member of the Big 12 Second Team last year, or O'Hanlon, who tied for second in the Big 12 with six interceptions, would have been a tall order. Now, Thenarse is set to compete with a host of inexperienced safeties, led by P.J. Smith and Austin Cassidy.
"It was real tough, but it's a real blessing," Thenarse said.
Sanders is also thankful to have a player as experienced as Thenarse return to the secondary after losing two of the conference's best.
is a member of the 
3 comments