The offseason is normally a time to relax, spend time with family and maybe take a vacation or two to unwind after a long season.
But while others were taking a breather, Trenton High School senior Zayne Braswell was working. He was doing whatever it took to make it back for his final season of high school football.
Braswell tore his ACL in the final game of his junior season after taking a direct hit to the knee. He initially tried to continue playing, but quickly realized something was wrong.
“He just happened to get me in the right spot, and I just knew I was injured after that,” Braswell said. “I really wanted to be out there with the guys, but I could barely even move, so I had a feeling it was something bad.”
After undergoing ACL reconstruction with physicians at UF Health, Braswell began the long road back to the field.
“It was lots of hard work during that rehab process,” Braswell said. “Lots of long days in and out of the weight room trying to strengthen the knee, but every minute and ounce of pain was worth it because I knew it needed to be done.”
Braswell also credited Trenton athletic trainer Lynsey Bryant for helping him throughout the rehabilitation process.
“Lynsey was awesome,” Braswell said. “It’s so nice to be able to have an athletic trainer here at the school who can be here with us, working and grinding, and helping every step of the way. She was a big help in getting me back to the field.”
So when the first regular-season game arrived and Braswell stepped onto the field for the first time since the injury, the moment carried a little more meaning.
“I’ve been in Trenton my whole life, and being with this football team and around the guys is almost like another family,” Braswell said. “Nothing was going to hold me back from getting out there against South Marion and competing.”
Not only did the Tigers defeat South Marion, Braswell was a big reason why. He rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns, including a 74-yard touchdown run to open the scoring.
The performance earned Braswell this week’s UF Health Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Athlete of the Week award.