Sophomore Collin Conley’s wrestling season was mostly postponed before it even actually started. In a C-team football game against Fort Zumwalt South during fall break, Conley went for a run. After the play ended he could hardly walk on his feet.

“In the last C-team game of the season, it was a play where I [got] the ball and I ran through a gap and someone stepped on my foot and had broken my fifth metatarsal in my right foot,” Conley said.

Conley wasn’t happy when he found out the news about his foot; it ended his hopes of playing on varsity at the end of the year and he didn’t know when he was going to be able to wrestle again. Although there were lots of things going on in his mind, he was supported by others such as his teammates from both sports.

“We still joke around with him and make fun of him, everything teammates do with each other and he helps out the freshman during practice,” junior varsity football teammate DJ Dillon said. ”He still feels like a big part of the program.” 

Many of his teammates from football came to wrestle with him this year such as Dillon but another is sophomore Samme Woodall. The bond they built during the football season made the comradery between Conley and his teammates a lot stronger.

“I expect him to do good when he comes back,” Woodall said. “I think when he gets back, he will start winning a lot.” 

Many of his teammates joke around about his foot and joke about him faking the injury but they all know how severe an injury like a broken bone can be. Conley realized the type of teammates he has around him through this journey.

“I try to help out the underclassmen a lot and give them pointers and at the same time, the team realizes my condition and they don’t bully me about it, they just try to motivate me,” Conley said. “My coaches always told me to treat every game, every practice like it’s the last one you could ever have and I kind of get it now. I realized the set back it all brought me which motivates me to train even harder and become better than before I even broke my foot.”

With Conley missing only the first few meets of the season, he’ll be able to experience most of the season with his team. And on top of that, he will be able to prepare for track and football training in the spring. The motivation he has to get stronger is helping Conley improve his moves and technique after he returns.