By Joel Weckerly, Sports Writer
Quarterback Colby Freeman took two snaps on the first play of the second half in last season’s Sept. 29 game against Eastern New Mexico. First, there was the snap from the center, followed by the snap of his ankle as he was tackled.
“I definitely knew something was wrong,” said the 6-foot-3, 205 pound Brown-wood native. “I didn’t know what it was until I looked down at my ankle and saw it going in three different directions.”
Thus began a long rehab session for Freeman, a highly-touted transfer from Texas A&M University who had started just six games for ACU. The remaining five he had to watch from the sidelines.
“It was very hard to be there on game day and have to sit out,” Freeman said. “I learned a lot mentally from watching football, but it was frustrating knowing I wasn’t a contributing factor.”
Head coach Gary Gaines, who occupied those same sidelines, said he recalled watching his starting quarterback go down.
“It was an unfortunate deal for us,” he said, “but those sort of things happen. It’s life.”
Regardless, Freeman’s ab-sence was felt by teammates on and off the field.
“I’d like to say no, but yes, it affected us,” said sophomore placekicker Eben Nelson. “The mental aspect of having our leader down was a big factor.”
But life goes on for Freeman who, at the start of his senior year of eligibility with the Cats, said he feels close to complete recovery.
“I’m pretty close,” he said. “Somewhere between 90 and 100 percent. The extra 10 percent is just mental stuff.”
Gaines said Freeman’s mobility looks a lot better than it did in the spring but said it remains to be seen how Freeman handles severe hits. The red jerseys quarterbacks and kickers wear in practice indicate to defenders that they are not to be hit, something red jersey No. 5 said he can’t stand.
“I hate red jerseys,” he said. “I hate not getting hit. I don’t consider myself a regular quarterback in that regard.”
That display of equality with his teammates shows Freeman’s solid leadership, said senior running back Eric Polk.
“It’s like we’re the soldiers and Colby’s the colonel,” Polk said. “Everybody really looks up to him.”
With that kind of admiration, Freeman said he wanted to be the best example of a leader he could be.
“I want guys to look at No. 5 come game time and know he’s ready to go,” Freeman said. “I want to give off the right vibes for everyone.”
Nelson said Freeman’s leadership was evident even in high school. Nelson played for Stephenville and recalled facing Freeman and the rival Brownwood squad in 1998.
“It was a really close game,” Nelson said, “but I remember Colby really taking charge in the game and they ended up beating us. I could really tell he was a good leader.”
Freeman’s leadership earned him some impressive stats for the amount of games he played last season. In 5 1/2 games, he threw the ball 104 times for 60 completions, good for 58 percent. He passed for 745 yards and three touchdowns and ran for an additional 182 yards and one touchdown.
“He’s an all-around player,” Polk said. “He can run it on you or he can sit in the pocket and throw short and long passes. He’s kind of a Brett Favre-type quarterback.”
And just like Favre, Freeman has to deal with a lot of pressure at his position, something he doesn’t mind dealing with.
“There’s a lot of pressure,” he said, “but if I didn’t enjoy the pressure, I wouldn’t be at the position I’m in.
“If guys are panicking in the huddle, I want them to be able to look at me and know everything’s gonna be all right.”
