Jeff Deliz expected to be preparing for graduation from the Naval Academy and a career as a fighter pilot beginning next month, but one play early last season changed his future.
The safety suffered a broken right foot in the second game of the season, which forced him to miss the entire year and withdraw from the academy and return home to Michigan so he could make a full recovery.
Deliz returned to the football field for the first time this spring, as the fifth-year senior safety watches spring practice from the sidelines still recovering from the severe injury, which he hopes will be healed by the start of fall practice.
“I?m impatient when it comes to rehabbing because I want to get back quickly,” said Deliz, who was Navy?s nickel back as a junior and defensive captain last season. “But with this type of injury, you have to do everything the right way. From the beginning it has to be elevated and I had to be off of it for three months. I had to do a lot of balance work and basically teach myself to walk again. It?s like a rare second chance. I?m just trying to get everything I can out of it. I?m not going to get another chance.”
But the native of Clinton Township, Mich., considers the injury a blessing in disguise, as he gets a rare chance to return to Annapolis for a fifth season. He had a year of eligibility remaining since he did not play as a freshman.
Deliz, who suffered the injury in Navy?s second game at Rutgers, said he tried to remain in school but the pain of just walking to class became too great.
Deliz?s injury was just one of two serious defensive setbacks Navy suffered during it loss to Rutgers. Earlier in the game, junior linebacker Clint Sovie was lost for the season with a broken ankle after tackling running back Ray Rice. But unlike Deliz, Sovie, who made 61 tackles and two interceptions as a sophomore, is back on the field and competing for a starting job.
Sovie and Deliz?s presence should help a young defense that allowed an average of 36.4 points per game last season after injuries forced the unit to play several freshmen and sophomores.
“It was frustrating that the team was struggling on defense,” Sovie said. “They had to learn in the games without the benefit of spring ball or fall practice and I felt they did a pretty good job considering the circumstances. I was happy to see them come together.”
