Boothby’s amazing rebound after surgery

CEDAR FALLS - University of Northern Iowa defensive lineman Ben Boothby is listed as an exercise science and physical therapy major.

It turns out he might be his own best case study.

Less than a week removed from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, Boothby remained the anchor of a stout defense, which powered the second-ranked Panthers to a 17-10 win Saturday over Southern Illinois at the UNI-Dome.

Boothby suffered a torn lateral meniscus late in the 31-14 win at South Dakota State on Oct. 15, and had surgery last Monday to repair it. UNI Coach Mark Farley was somewhat in awe of Boothby's ability to avoid being sidelined and produce in the trenches, which can be a physical grind.

“Ben has trained his whole life and all that hard training paid off because the rest of him holds up so well that they can cut out a little bit, but he's still Ben,” Farley said. “He is a one of a kind.

“He's the first I've seen to be able to come back four days after surgery and play like he did in the position that he plays.”

Boothby was impressive, tallying eight tackles Saturday. He had 1 1/2 tackles for loss, stuffing former University of Iowa and the Salukis top running back Jewel Hampton behind the line of scrimmage on a key third-and-3 just inside UNI territory in the first quarter.

The fifth-year senior and preseason nominee for the Buck Buchanan Award, the top individual defensive honor in FCS football, was focused on suiting up. The Panthers had not beaten Southern Illinois in the last three meetings, and the fans were encouraged to wear black for a "blackout" in the UNI-Dome. It was too much to miss.

“I wanted to get back," Boothby said in the postgame press conference. "It was a blackout game. There's a lot going on that I really wanted to be a part of it. I was willing to do whatever it took.”

What Boothby did was simply amazing. Injured on Saturday and unable to walk sufficiently on Sunday, he underwent an MRI test Monday morning and had surgery later that evening. Boothby said he had full rnage of motion when he woke up Tuesday, participated in practice Thursday and resumed his role as difference maker Saturday.

“I didn't even take any of my painkillers I was ready to get after it the next day,” Boothby said. “They gave me two and I'm pretty sure those ended up in Wendy's parking lot after I got done because it didn't go too well with the anesthesia.”

“I didn't take anything through the rest of my way (back),” Boothby said. “I was really determined to come back and give all I could for my team.”

Plans were being made for Boothby to have a procedure early last week and then shelved for a week or two. Farley was apprehensive about the lightning-fast comeback until he saw Boothby's effort in that Thursday practice. Coaches and training staff hounded him about his condition, asking if he was OK, and then told him he would play.

“I was like ‘yes'. It doesn't hurt at all. It feels great,” Boothby said. “Come Thursday, Coach said he was going to put me in for a couple reps at practice. I felt fine. I played fine, so then he said I was going to play on Saturday.”

Farley said he expected Boothby to need a couple days to recuperate but the 6-foot, 280-pound lineman was ready to prepare for the Panthers' Missouri Valley Football Conference showdown with North Dakota State University (7-0, 4-0) at Bismarck, N.D. Farley classified the situation was unbelievable.

“He had maybe the best game and was fine on Sunday," Farley said. "It's one of those things I can't explain and I'm not sure Ben can.”

Boothby may have cemented his legacy in the program. It certainly re-enforced the idea that he is the toughest on the squad.

“He played like nothing happened," Farley said. "When you have the drive and the desire … that's what sets him apart.”