JORDAN: LUCKY TO BE HERE; OFT-INJURED GOALIE GRATEFUL FOR CHANCE.Byline: Brian Dalziel Daily News Staff Writer With all the untimely and unfortunate accidents Matt Jordan Matt Jordan (born October 13, 1975 in Aurora, Colorado) is an American soccer goalkeeper who currently plays for the Montreal Impact of USL First Division. Jordan graduated from Overland High School in Aurora, has experienced over the last year, Canyon's senior goalkeeper is lucky to still be playing soccer. And be alive, for that matter. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound Jordan has been injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. four times since last spring: - A twisted ankle when another dirt bike collided with him in midair when he was on a weekend getaway toward the conclusion of last season. ``I missed two games,'' he said. ``I'm never riding dirt bikes during the season.'' - A bruised bruise v. bruised, bruis·ing, bruis·es v.tr. 1. a. To injure the underlying soft tissue or bone of (part of the body) without breaking the skin, as by a blow. b. quadricep and back pain when his truck crashed through a telephone pole after hydroplaning Hydroplaning and hydroplane may refer to:
``People who saw my truck were amazed a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. I was still alive,'' he said. - A ruptured spleen Rupture of the capsule of the spleen, an organ in the upper left part of the abdomen, is a potential catastrophe that requires immediate medical and surgical attention. Function of spleen and bruised kidney when a Sea/Doo, a personalized per·son·al·ize tr.v. per·son·al·ized, per·son·al·iz·ing, per·son·al·iz·es 1. To take (a general remark or characterization) in a personal manner. 2. To attribute human or personal qualities to; personify. water craft, ran into him at Buena Vista Lake near Bakersfield. ``The rest of my summer was done,'' he said. ``All I could do was just walk.'' - And finally, in September, while playing for his club soccer team, Jordan injured his knee when he collied with an opposing player. ``I've had some bad luck,'' Jordan said. ``I just thank God for having him look over me. I've had a lot of close calls and near-death accidents. It makes you look at life differently and makes you appreciate what you have.'' Despite all the mishaps, Jordan has still been able to continue with the sport he's loved since his parents got him involved almost 10 years ago. And fortunately for Canyon and coach John Robb John Robb may refer to:
quest after, go after, pursue look for, search, seek - try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of; "The police are searching for clues"; "They are searching for the back-to-back Foothill League championships. ``He's gone through a lot,'' Robb said. ``My initial fear was he wasn't going to be back. He came to school with a cast on his leg in late September, and I didn't know about the accident (in the soccer game). ``It was like, here we go again.'' As with the rest of his accidents, Jordan took it slow. He worked on rehabilitating his knee and worked his way into a brace brace: see drill. (character) brace - left brace or right brace. . Now the knee, which at first doctors said would need reconstructive surgery reconstructive surgery n. Plastic surgery. reconstructive surgery, n surgery to rebuild a structure for functional or esthetic reasons. , is back to normal. ``There's no way that I was going to miss my senior season,'' said the 17-year-old Jordan. ``I was really down and worried about missing the season.'' So far in 1998, Jordan has recorded two shutouts for the 2-3-3 Cowboys. A year ago, he had six shutouts and helped his squad earn its first league title since 1991; the team finished 16-5-1. Robb said Jordan will be a key commodity if the Cowboys want to repeat as league champs. ``Matt's going to be a very big part,'' Robb said. ``I think we're going to have a solid defense this year and I'm hoping he will be the leader of it. There's no question that he will be.'' What makes Jordan so strong in the nets is his courageous attitude and knowledge of the goalkeeper's role. ``He's totally fearless,'' Robb said. ``He still goes out and still runs down and takes the ball away from opposing players. He has very quick reflexes and has made several saves with players right at his feet. ``He reads the field well and knows when to come out and when to stay on his line. He just uses proper technique.'' Off the soccer field, Jordan is just as active. A 4.0 Honors Student An honors student is a student in elementary, middle, or high school recognized for achieving high grades. Honors students are recognized on lists published periodically throughout the school year, known as "honor rolls". , he is involved with many extracurricular activities. He's the senior class treasurer; he helps with Teen Saferides, a volunteer service for students who need a ride home if they or someone who is driving has been drinking; he's a member of the National Honors Society, the California Scholastic Federation and Key Club, a school club that helps the community in a number of different ways. How does he do it? ``My parents are always there helping me,'' he said. ``And I have a lot of friends who help me out and we get together and study. I do stay up late. I get about 6-1/2 hours sleep a night, but I try and get seven, and that's a good night for me.'' And every day without injury is a good day. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Canyon High's four-year varsity goalkeeper Matt Jordan, 17, has overcome four injuries since the spring. Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News |
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