Two senior football players take time off to recover, gear up for fall
Two of the football team’s veteran leaders look to recover from injury and get back to the practice field.

By Brent Yarina
Sports Editor

The Horned Frogs are three weeks into spring drills, but Reggie Harrell and Marvin Godbolt are already tired of watching the team practice.

These two seniors can’t wait until they are healthy so they can get off the sidelines, strap on their helmet and bang heads again.

And that day couldn’t come any sooner.

“It’s very hard sitting out here and watching,” said Harrell, who is recovering from off-season foot surgery. “I don’t like spectating one bit.”

Godbolt also can’t wait to get back in pads so he can make his first hit.

“Sitting on the sideline and being this hungry is going to make me come out and hit a little bit harder than I was before,” he said.

That is a scary thought for the rest of Conference USA and the Frogs’ other opponents, considering Godbolt was one of the conference’s hardest hitters before suffering a season-ending knee injury last season.

He isn’t just a hard hitter either. Playing in only four games last season, Godbolt still earned third-team all conference honors, with four interceptions and six pass breakups.

“It doesn’t mean nothing now,” the weak safety said of his 2003 accolade. “It’s a whole new season and I have a question mark on me with my knee. I’m just looking at as I’m a freshman going out there as a senior.”

As much as these two leaders want to get back on the field, they understand the importance of not rushing their comeback.

“I have to have a speedy recovery because they will need me next year,” Harrell said. “I’ll just have to watch now and work hard in the summertime with a lot of conditioning.”

Head coach Gary Patterson said he doesn’t expect either senior to participate in practice until August.

“They’re going good,” Patterson said. “We’re being very cautious with them. You have to be careful at this point of the year because you don’t want to lose one of them for four months or more.”

Both players agree their respective recovery is ahead of schedule.

“I feel real good,” Godbolt said. “The knee is fine. I just need to avoid contact right now. But I’ll be ready come fall.”

Harrell said his foot feels fine and that he’ll be ready for the season opener, despite still walking on crutches.

Patterson can’t wait for their return because of the experience the two seniors bring to the team.

“There’s no substitution for experience,” he said. “That’s what were trying to get here. We’re trying to become an older football team, and they give us that.”

Godbolt is proof of his coach’s philosophy.

“I don’t think I’m going to improve the defense, but I think I’ll bring a leadership role back to the team. I’m going to do my job and help out the younger guys.”

Patterson feels Godbolt’s return will benefit both the defense and the younger players.

“Communication is always a great part of success and {Godbolt} makes everyone better with his leadership. He’ll bring a lot back to this defense.”

As far as any fears of another injury, neither of these seniors are worried.

“I’m not going to play any more conservative,” Harrell said. “I’m going to go out there and play as hard as I can and act like the injury never happened. You can’t baby injuries because that is when you get hurt. It happened, yeah, but there is nothing I can do about it. All I can do is come back strong and be ready.”

Godbolt said his knee won’t even be on his mind when he gets back to the field.

“I don’t see it being a big problem,” he said. “Once I get out there, it’ll be over and done with.”