Jesse King knew something was amiss.
The scoring star with the Victoria Shamrocks of the Western Lacrosse Association and the Georgia Swarm of the National Lacrosse League had just scored against the Burnaby Lakers in Game 3 of the opening playoff series at The Q Centre back on Aug. 12, 2016.
He did not play the game he so loves again until 483 days later after tearing his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments and also tearing the meniscus in his knee.
鈥淚 think the toughest part was the whole not-playing, mental aspect and not being as involved with a team as I have been in the last 18 years of playing lacrosse,鈥� the 25-year-old said of what he missed the most during his lengthy, gruelling recovery.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e just a bystander, in your own right, and you don鈥檛 want to be too vocal. Obviously, you put in your pieces from what you see from off the floor, but that鈥檚 all you can do,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t just doesn鈥檛 feel like you鈥檙e as much a part of the team as you are when you鈥檙e obviously playing.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 something I鈥檝e never had to do before, so it was mentally challenging, but I also think it was good for me at the same time.鈥�
The 2015 third-overall NLL draft pick of the Swarm has learned a great deal about himself during that long layoff. It included surgery on Oct. 24, 2016; that was followed by two weeks of being bed-ridden.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long haul, but it鈥檚 been good. It鈥檚 been worth it waiting out that long,鈥� he added.
The joy of making a return to the floor was overwhelming for the former Ohio State Buckeye standout.
鈥淓ven just at practice, when I got to training camp, I was so excited to be playing lacrosse again,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ven just a run around on my own at home; I just enjoyed it so much more because it鈥檚 something you take for granted so easily. It鈥檚 humbling and I鈥檓 thankful.鈥�
He made his triumphant return Dec. 8 with a three-goal and one-assist performance in a 13-11 loss to the New England Black Wolves, scoring in the first quarter.
鈥淵eah it was OK, not bad,鈥� said King. 鈥淚t was nice to get that first one. I was happy that it happened in the first game, but there鈥檚 a lot of work to do as a team because we lost the game. I think moving forward the coaches will have a good game plan for us this weekend.鈥�
He鈥檒l play his second game Saturday night in Colorado against the Mammoth, a team that includes his Shamrock teammate Chris Wardle and close friend Brody Eastwood.
King now wears a carbon fibre brace over a sleeve and he will never forget the hard work it took to get back to playing. He began physio two months after his surgery and continued that work while he moved down to Atlanta last year. He鈥檚 now back residing in Victoria.
鈥淚t was a developmental thing going from balancing on one foot to be able to walk, to being able to walk from side to side, to being able to jog and then jog side to side, and then to sprint. You can鈥檛 move on to the next phase until you complete the action beforehand,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was a long process and I鈥檓 happy that I鈥檓 on the tail end of it all, but I鈥檓 still looking to get better every day.鈥�
He will never forget the pain he felt when he suffered the injury, nor the work required to get back.
鈥淚 had scored. It happened right before, technically,鈥� he said of the injury, suffered just as he provided the Shamrocks with a 1-0 lead 5:04 into the game. 鈥淚 had planted my leg, my knee kept going, and I came back short side and put it in the net and fell to the ground and knew something was wrong. I had a pretty good idea what it was at that point.鈥�
He then became a spectator and at least got to enjoy in the Swarm鈥檚 Champion鈥檚 Cup run, defeating the Saskatchewan Rush in two games.
鈥淚t was tough to watch, but again I was happy for my teammates and for those guys who were able to do it,鈥� said King, who receives a championship ring since he was still part of the team, listed on injured reserve and assisting in any way he could off the floor. 鈥淚 was happy just to be a little part of it.鈥�
As for this season, the Swarm are 0-1 and will attempt to defend the NLL title.
鈥淥bviously, you have high expectations, especially coming after a year when we won the Champion鈥檚 Cup last year. We know everyone鈥檚 hunting for us, so I think it鈥檚 going to be an interesting ride,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think we do have a good chance of being successful again this year so, hopefully, we can progress over the season and, come playoff time, we鈥檙e playing our best lacrosse and work towards winning another Champion鈥檚 Cup.鈥�
More than anything, though, King is just glad to be back on the ride.
