INJURED PLAYER ANTICIPATES FOOTBALL SEASON TYLER HAWKINS IS BACK, AS DETERMINED AS EVER.

Byline: Gerry Gittelson Staff Writer

CANYON COUNTRY - Like a recurring nightmare, Tyler Hawkins can remember the play two years ago that changed his life - and nearly ended his football career - as the whole thing plays out in slow motion over and over again.

``I was in 10th grade, so I was a reserve running back but was in the game at the end because we were kicking Saddleback's butt at Santa Ana Bowl,'' Hawkins said. ``I got the football, and because most of the guys were second-string, the wide receiver missed his block, so I was hit just as I planted my foot in the turf and turned upfield.''

Then Hawkins heard his knee pop - an ugly, unforgettable sound that sounded like the snap of a tree branch - as Hawkins fell forward while his cleat remained planted in the grass.

``My knee just completely gave out. When it was over, I looked down and the top of my leg was straight but it was all crooked from the calf down,'' he said. ``I kind of said to myself, Whoa, that's not the way my leg should be. I think that's when I went into shock.''

Hawkins suffered what's known as a spiral fracture - an injury so severe that some sufferers never walk again.

Taken by ambulance to the hospital, the prognosis was not good - especially for a player like Hawkins, one of the few Canyon sophomores to make the varsity that season.

After putting his lower leg back together with plates and screws, the doctor told Hawkins he probably would never play football again.

``Actually, that's what just about everyone said. My mom, her friends, everyone told me to just play another sport like volleyball or swimming,'' Hawkins said. ``But I just laughed. I'd been hurt before, but I love football too much to let another injury drive me away.''

A week later, Hawkins, confined to a wheelchair, was released from the hospital on a Friday night - just in time to rush over to Canyon to give his teammates a high-five on the way to the locker room during a halftime of the next game against visiting Etiwanda.

``I think blood was still oozing from the screws in his leg at the time, but there he was,'' coach Harry Welch said. ``I thought to myself, that's the kind of young man I'd want for my own son if I had one.''

Fired up thanks to Hawkins dramatic return, Canyon won 48-7 that night. Meanwhile, Hawkins knew he was more than a cheerleader, and he vowed to return - better than ever.

And he has.

After four months on crutches and countless hours of rehabilitation, Hawkins made it back. After a solid comeback season as a linebacker last year, Hawkins, a senior, is stronger and faster and supremely confident. Considered one of the Foothill League's top returning defensive players, he hopes to help carry Canyon to its fourth consecutive 10-win season.

``A lesser young man could not have done what Tyler has done,'' Welch said.

These days, Hawkins calls the whole ordeal ``a pain in the butt,'' but he also believes he learned a lot about himself after enduring such a tragedy.

``I think in some ways, breaking my leg was a blessing in disguise because by going through it, I developed a strong determination and work ethic,'' Hawkins said. ``Now things are going great. I guess when things like this happen, you learn a lot about who you really are. I remember when I first got rid of the crutches, it was just after the football season ended, and it was like a Christmas present. I just tried to keep on focusing on the positive.''

At 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds, Hawkins, who bench-presses 275 pounds, is big enough to be a great high school player, but it might be tough to keep going after such a setback, no matter how determined he is. But Hawkins certainly has options because he carries a 4.2 grade-point average, and he could end up at an Ivy League university, or perhaps fulfill his dream of joining the armed services and becoming a Navy SEAL.

Hawkins is also an avid guitar player whose hero is Eddie Van Halen, so he's certainly well-rounded.

For now, Hawkins is totally focused on the upcoming football season. If anyone has learned to savor the moment and not worry too much about the future, it's Hawkins.

And the kid certainly deserves his moment in the sun. There's no question about that.

Gerry Gittelson, [phone]

gerry.gittelson(at)dailynews.com

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Canyon High's Tyler Hawkins has overcome a badly broken leg to help make a difference on this year's Canyon High football team.

(2) Canyon High School's Tyler Hawkins has undergone rehabilitation for a badly broken leg so he can play football this year.

David Crane/Staff Photographer