Colorado State University Athletics
CSU's Sisson, epitome of tough, remains in leadership role
9/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 22, 2011
By Stuart Buchanan
Athletic Media Relations
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines tough as a person capable of enduring strain, hardship, or severe labor. Colorado State defines tough as Mychal Sisson.
The casual fan knows Sisson as the starting strongside linebacker for the Rams for the past three seasons. Fans might also know that he is the nation's active career leader in tackles for loss, and that he led the country in forced fumbles last season. Fans know what he does on the field but what they don't know is what he goes through to play each week.
Sisson, who fractured his ankle on Sept. 10 against Northern Colorado, had played in 39 straight games and prior to his redshirt season as a true freshman in 2007 hadn't missed an organized football game since seventh grade. For an undersized athlete, this is easier said than done.
He isn't done yet, and vows to return to the field before the sun sets on his college career. And when he does graduate, he will be remembered for many things at CSU, most importantly for his toughness. It is obvious Sisson bleeds green and gold.
His toughness was first shown during his recruiting visit to Fort Collins in late 2006. A month before his scheduled visit, in what became his final prep game at Duncanville (Texas) High School, Sisson came up the middle on a blitz and was hit in his left knee. The block fractured his leg, and he was restricted to a knee brace and crutches...in Texas, that is.
To Sisson, injury is a sign of weakness. That wasn't the image he wanted to show for his first meeting with the Rams coaching staff, so he left his crutches back home.
"I didn't want to come on a visit on crutches," Sisson said. "That makes you look bad. I wanted to show the coaches that I was tough."
He showed up with only a knee brace and Colorado State coaches obviously saw the toughness because they stuck with him, even when other schools were pulling offers off the table.
Now, fast forward to the start of Sisson's playing career. After a redshirt year in 2007, Sisson took the field against CU for the start of a promising career on Aug. 31, 2008, at the Broncos' stadium, launching a consensus freshman All-America campaign. A sprained ankle against CU, and a concussion at Utah, could not keep him from a 105-tackle season.
After winning the New Mexico Bowl in 2008, Sisson was determined to keep CSU prominent in the football world. He got off to a quick start in 2009, leading the Rams with nine tackles and a sack in an upset win at CU in Boulder. Sisson pulled his weight as a sophomore, finishing the year with 91 tackles, and 15½ tackles for loss. Again, Sisson battled through injuries. This time it was the shoulder.
"I don't remember how I hurt it," Sisson said. "I was real banged up against Air Force. I could barely lift it."
Notice the toughness yet?
Sisson had surgery on his shoulder the spring before his junior year but didn't miss any of spring camp. He took the field to begin the 2010 campaign at 100 percent.
Then came 2010 and a barrage of injuries, forcing Sisson from the lineup for the first time since that sprained ankle in early 2008.
Against CU in 2010, he tweaked his right knee. This forced him to miss the first couple plays against Nevada the following week, but on a bum knee the liberal arts major still compiled three tackles. Three weeks later Sisson was back in the training room, this time for an injured left knee.
"I injured my other knee against TCU," Sisson said. "I was going for a hit and I hyperextended it."
This wasn't the end of the injury bug in 2010. Sisson hyperextended his elbow in the middle of the year. He was able to finish the season and this past spring he again had surgery. Following the procedure, for the rest of his playing career, he is forced to wear a giant elbow brace.
See how he bleeds green and gold?
Then came the worst injury of them all, the injury against UNC that ended his 39-game streak, the injury that will prevent Sisson from touching school records that he was easily going to break. He fractured his ankle while blocking on a second-quarter punt.
People were curious as to why the best player on CSU's defense and the team's leader was even playing special teams in the first place. This was a choice made by the linebacker himself.
"I told Coach Lew that I wanted to be on special teams," Sisson said, referring to associate head coach and special teams coordinator Larry Lewis. "Particularly I wanted to play on punt and punt return.
"I wanted to help out anyway I could. Special teams is a gray area that can make a difference in each game and you saw that in the CU game."
The recent injury has started a new phase in Sisson's career. The senior, who had surgery that night to insert a plate and screws into his ankle, will now rehab like his career depends on it.
"Right now I'm trying to get motion back in the ankle," Sisson said. "I'm icing and stuff. Soon I'll get off the crutches and I can start running in a pool and swimming."
Most any other athlete would have hung up his cleats and called it a good career. Most any other athlete would have decided his individual numbers were good enough, but not Sisson. He is not "most any other athlete." He is determined to stay the leader he was before the injury.
Before the CU game Sept. 17 in Denver, he was told to sit and rest his ankle; told specifically to immobilize himself. Sisson just laughed.
"Doctor said I needed to stay off my leg," Sisson said. "But I couldn't do it. I had to be up and moving around."
By the end of the game he had no voice left. He was breaking pregame huddles, barking out words of encouragement and helping players line up. Sisson also helped deliver the halftime speech.
Sisson has his eyes set on the soonest return possible, which could be as early as Oct. 29.
"I'm shooting for that UNLV game," Sisson said. "But it all depends on the healing process. If I feel comfortable enough to be on the field and I won't do any more damage, I'll give it a go."
He also said that if it isn't UNLV then at the latest he wants to be back for the TCU game. The Dallas native said that would be a good game for his return, since it's in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and all his family would be there.
Whenever he returns later this season, it is safe to say that Sisson will be remembered as one of the toughest players to grace Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium.
