District303aPastPlayer
10-25-2007, 09:50 AM
TCU senior defensive end Tommy Blake has returned to practice, a sign of normalcy in what has been a sad saga.
Tommy Blake
Tommy Blake has spent most of the 2007 season on unspecified medical leave.
Blake, a preseason All-American after making All-Mountain West Conference the past two seasons, has spent most of this season on unspecified medical leave. Friends quoted in The Dallas Morning News earlier this month indicated the issues related to stress. Blake missed the opener against Baylor, came back for three games, in which he made a total of 11 tackles, and hasn't played again.
Blake watched the Horned Frogs lose to Utah 27-20 Thursday night from the sideline. He wore his No. 97 jersey, a pair of dark slacks and a towel around his neck. No pads, no helmet, no sacks.
While it would be unfair and incorrect to stay that Blake's disappearance has been the cause for the Horned Frogs' 4-4 record, it is fair to say that the team has struggled as he has. TCU already has lost one more game this season than it did in the previous two.
Since the Utah loss, Blake has practiced Sunday night and Tuesday, participating in all drills at full speed.
"We're going to try to get him back in shape and get him back into the mix," TCU coach Gary Patterson said, "so he can help us win the last four ballgames. … It will be good for the team. More important, it will be good for him."
Patterson, cautious about saying too much about Blake, said the subject makes people "uneasy."
"It's something that a lot of people don't know how to deal with," Patterson said. "In the old days, when a kid was acting up, he's a bad kid. Now we recognize what problems they have and that there are solutions. There are ways to help them."
Patterson sounds as if his eyes have been opened by what happened to Blake. The coach remains convinced, even if football has any role in Blake's problems, that it can help lead him to wellness.
"Athletics is one of the best [vehicles] for being able to teach people about life," Patterson said. "There are a lot of good teachers out there that care. Sometimes, in today's society, they are a little strained in how to help kids. A lot of people out there are trying."
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/notebook?page=iform078&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab4pos1
Tommy Blake
Tommy Blake has spent most of the 2007 season on unspecified medical leave.
Blake, a preseason All-American after making All-Mountain West Conference the past two seasons, has spent most of this season on unspecified medical leave. Friends quoted in The Dallas Morning News earlier this month indicated the issues related to stress. Blake missed the opener against Baylor, came back for three games, in which he made a total of 11 tackles, and hasn't played again.
Blake watched the Horned Frogs lose to Utah 27-20 Thursday night from the sideline. He wore his No. 97 jersey, a pair of dark slacks and a towel around his neck. No pads, no helmet, no sacks.
While it would be unfair and incorrect to stay that Blake's disappearance has been the cause for the Horned Frogs' 4-4 record, it is fair to say that the team has struggled as he has. TCU already has lost one more game this season than it did in the previous two.
Since the Utah loss, Blake has practiced Sunday night and Tuesday, participating in all drills at full speed.
"We're going to try to get him back in shape and get him back into the mix," TCU coach Gary Patterson said, "so he can help us win the last four ballgames. … It will be good for the team. More important, it will be good for him."
Patterson, cautious about saying too much about Blake, said the subject makes people "uneasy."
"It's something that a lot of people don't know how to deal with," Patterson said. "In the old days, when a kid was acting up, he's a bad kid. Now we recognize what problems they have and that there are solutions. There are ways to help them."
Patterson sounds as if his eyes have been opened by what happened to Blake. The coach remains convinced, even if football has any role in Blake's problems, that it can help lead him to wellness.
"Athletics is one of the best [vehicles] for being able to teach people about life," Patterson said. "There are a lot of good teachers out there that care. Sometimes, in today's society, they are a little strained in how to help kids. A lot of people out there are trying."
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/notebook?page=iform078&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab4pos1