By Lee Davis
Joe Donald will always remember the homecoming game of his junior year.
For all the wrong reasons.
Donald, a standout linebacker for Mountain Brook, broke his left tibia in his ankle in the Spartans’ 35-16 homecoming win against Thompson. He spent six weeks wearing a cast and another four weeks with his leg in a boot. Weeks of rehabilitation followed.
Mountain Brook clearly missed the presence of their defensive leader. The Spartans struggled to a 3-7 season and missed post-season play for the first time in five years.
Despite the injury, Donald – a three sport star – played basketball and baseball after football ended, but he didn’t feel fully recovered until near the end of the school year.
“It was rough,” Donald said. “Having to miss most of the football season was one of the most frustrating experiences I’ve ever had. It was hard to watch and see our season fall apart. That was a big incentive for me to get healthy and be able to play for my teammates.”
Donald worked hard during the summer to get ready for his senior year. Spartan coach Chris Yeager made it clear that his team was counting heavily on Donald’s pending return.
“Joe is a special player,” Yeager said. “His presence lifts everyone’s mindset.”
Early in the 2015 season, Donald has already shown why his coach considers him special. In Mountain Brook’s first three games, he has made an eye-popping 39 tackles from the middle linebacker position and established the Spartans as one of the area’s top defensive units despite a 1-2 record. The Spartans’ 3-5 alignment is largely designed for Donald to make the tackles, and he has taken advantage of the opportunities.
“Joe has great ability to move from sideline to sideline,” Yeager said. “And he has good mental quickness. He’s impressive in every way.”
Donald believes he hasn’t lost any quickness since suffering the injury. “I feel exactly like I did before I was injured,” he said. “I have as much confidence as I ever have. The main thing is not to think about the injury. As long as I focus on the game and what I’m trying to do on a given play, everything is fine.”
There’s no secret to being a good linebacker, Donald said. “Everything happens so fast, you just have to be ready and determined,” he explained. “You always have to know what to anticipate. It helps if you are a well-rounded athlete, but the most important thing is to understand and be a student of the game.”
While Donald’s return has certainly lifted the Spartans, one thing they have lacked the past two seasons is luck. Mountain Brook lost three games on the final play in 2014 and has already lost close decisions to Hoover and Thompson in the new season.
“Our coaches have told us that we need to start fast and finish strong,” Donald said. “We got behind by 14 in our two losses and trailing that much cost us the games. If we can get off to better starts and do what our coaches say, we will be fine.”
Donald doesn’t accept the idea that he is the anchor of Mountain Brook’s defense. “Football is a team game,” he said. “Everyone has an important job. If we don’t play together, I can’t make the tackles.”
One lesson Donald learned from his injury was how much football meant to him.
“Before the injury, I don’t think I appreciated how much football meant to me,” he explained. “I would dread things like Monday practices after a game. Now I look forward to all of it. Missing so much of last year helped me understand how much I love football.”
Donald would like to continue his football career in college but has no definite plans. “Right now, I’m concentrating on helping Mountain Brook win games,” he said.
With Joe Donald at full speed, the Spartans’ prospects for a good season are greatly improved. And hopefully he will have a more enjoyable homecoming.