Huskies linebacker achieves his dream, now has torn ACL

One split-second. One blind-side block. One sharp pain that shot up his right leg, and Brandon Huppert's season was over. It happens that fast in football. One unfortunate moment out of many moments, and a player goes from Superman to surgery.

And for Huppert, a junior linebacker from Edmonds, the injury late in September's upset win over USC has become just another major detour on the long road he has taken from high school to the Huskies.

Just three weeks earlier, Huppert had received his ultimate reward. The Wednesday before the season opener against Louisiana State, Washington's new coach Steve Sarkisian gathered his players in the meeting room, off the tunnel underneath Husky Stadium, and told them he was giving scholarships to five walk-ons, including Huppert.

"It came as a complete surprise," Huppert said earlier this week, before he underwent surgery. "It was the dream come true."

A cheer rose up from the other players. This was Huppert's Heisman.

"He's done everything I've asked him to do, on and off the field. He put in great time, great effort," Sarkisian said recently. "Everything he was doing on special teams, on defense was worthy of a scholarship."

One of the philosophies of Sarkisian's new program is that hard work and good work are rewarded. Being a walk-on doesn't have to be limiting. Being a true freshman doesn't mean you won't get a chance to play. There are few preconceived notions about who should play and who shouldn't.

"My goal was to make an impact any way I can," Huppert said, "and getting the scholarship was like a confidence boost."

Huppert took a circuitous route to his scholarship. He wasn't heavily recruited at Edmonds-Woodway High School. He wanted to be a Husky, but Washington wasn't interested. In 2005, he chose to become a grayshirt at Boise State. He could work out with the team, but he couldn't practice.

He participated in Boise State's spring ball in 2006, but the lure of Montlake never left him.

"After spring ball, I made this gut choice to go out on a limb and transfer here," Huppert said.

He came to Washington without any guarantees and participated in a mini-combine camp, directed by then-assistant coach Chris Tormey.

Huppert tore a hamstring running his 40-yard sprint, but Tormey was impressed with his strength and commitment and invited him to walk on. Still, Huppert didn't see his first game action until last season, playing briefly against Arizona State and USC in Washington's 0-12 season.

"I was just grateful to coach Tormey for sticking with me and giving me the opportunity," Huppert said. "After I tore my hamstring, I didn't think I was going to make it. It was a real downer. I had a good thing going for me at Boise and I risked it to come here, then I got hurt and I thought, 'This could be it.' "

Then came the scholarship and work on the special teams. Huppert was living his dream, playing Saturdays on special teams. He made a bone-jarring tackle on Damian Williams on punt coverage in the upset over USC.

But in the second half, the last time Washington punted, Williams made a cut. Huppert planted his right leg, was hit and felt something give. The pain knocked him to the turf like a sucker punch.

For two days, as he waited for the results of an MRI, praying that his knee only was sprained, or maybe just his meniscus was torn and he could be back by the Oregon game. But the diagnosis was a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee.

"It's really hard, especially for him," Sarkisian said, "a guy who's overcome and overcome and overcome to get to this point, and then to get injured. It's disappointing, but he's the type of kid, he'll work himself back."

Huppert faces the long season of waiting.

After Friday's surgery, he will need six to nine months of rehabilitation. Once again, Huppert will have to start all over.

"The alternative is quitting, and I'm not a quitter," he said. "I'm not scared of hard work. You only get one chance at football. It's a short-lived game, but I just feel like I've got to keep doing it."

Players such as Huppert — work-hard walk-ons — are part of the foundation of a rebuilding program. They are role models who illustrate the level of passion needed to compete.

Huppert's injury could end his career. But I'm betting that his passion will push him to a fast recovery. I'm betting he will be back.

Steve Kelley: 206-464-2176 or skelley@seattletimes.com