ISU’s Luna back on field

AMES - Gabe Luna knew something was wrong the moment he woke up one morning.

He was in the midst of summer workouts last June in his first year with the Iowa State football team, and shrugged off the strange feeling he was getting in his lower back.

Little did he know at the time that signal could have turned into a potentially career-ending situation.

'I should have listened to it, but instead I went through,” Luna said. 'I didn't want to disappoint anybody so I made sure I was there for my workouts.”

Luna arrived at the Bergstrom Football Complex for his workout and, as he performed a routine lift, his back gave out. He didn't know the severity of the situation until he tried to stand up and excruciating pain flooded his body.

The diagnosis was three herniated discs and two bulging discs in his lower back. After the diagnosis, the doctor told Luna his injury is usually one that does not allow the majority of players to recover enough to resume their football careers.

The 6-foot-2, 250-pound former Butler Community College defensive end wanted to be in the minority.

'‘You've got to realize, Doc,'” Luna told the physician, '‘that I haven't seen one snap of Big 12 Division I football. That's my dream and it's something I've wanted since I was a young kid.'”

The Garden City, Kan., native was told the risks were permanent nerve damage, even lower-body paralysis, but that well coordinated physical therapy and overall health awareness could minimize some risk.

Luna red-shirted in 2014 and went to physical therapy three times a week for an hour-and-a-half each session, working on core strength and lumbar exercises.

'Not to be able to see a snap in a real game day atmosphere, it hurts,” Luna said. 'I was down and quite depressed, but through the coaching staff and strength and conditioning staff, they kept it positive and kept me going and now I'm here today ready to bounce back.”

The eight-month road to recovery wasn't always the easiest one, but this spring Luna sits on the two-deep for the Cyclones at right defensive end. Despite the lost reps from last fall, coaches see progress.

'Each day you can see a little bit more is clicking with him,” said defensive end coach Stan Eggen. 'He still doesn't have the confidence yet that we'll look for at the end of spring, but I'm pleased with his direction right now.”

'Gabe looks like he's missed the reps he has because of the back issue that he suffered through last fall,” said Coach Paul Rhoads, 'but that doesn't mean I'm disappointed or that he hasn't come along.”

Now a red-shirt junior, Luna said he is virtually pain free and participates in workout routines and spring practice with the team. Although the lower-body workouts are modified to ensure his well-being.

Luna tries not to think too much about his back or the risk involved during practices. He lives in the moment.

'I'm having a good time and enjoying every second I'm blessed with to get to come back from an injury like this,” Luna said. 'It means so much to me.”

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