Football
Cordle Working Toward Rebounding From Injury
By John Porentas

OSU offensive lineman Jim Cordle made a very positive impression with the OSU coaching staff when he arrived on campus last year, so positive that there was talk that Cordle could be in the two-deep in his true freshman season. That possibility came to a screeching halt on one snap of the ball when Cordle planted his right foot and felt something snap in his arch.

Cordle was diagnosed with an arch sprain and a Lisfrank Fracture, an injury that is a tear in the ligament between the metatarsals. It is a serious injury, but despite that fact, Cordle tried to get back onto the field as soon as he could to compete for that spot in the two-deep. It's a decision he most likely regrets now.

"I didn't know how bad my injury was when I did it and I tried to rush it, but instead I just prolonged it," said Cordle.

"(OSU tight end) Rory Nicol did the same thing. We both wanted to play so we rushed it back and ended up hurting ourselves even more," Cordle said.

Cordle ended up not playing at all last season, but did recover late in the year and was able to participate in practices for the Fiesta Bowl. He was not, however, able to regain his previous form immediately.

"I came back for bowl practice but I didn't do too good because I was definitely out of it. I was real worried about the foot," he said.

"When spring practice came, I did good in winter conditioning but I was still kind of nervous about pushing really hard off the foot because I didn't want to hurt it. But now, through the summer, I have confidence in it now. This summer we've been working heavy and hard and it hasn't bothered me at all."

Cordle said that the injury cost him not only the chance for playing time, but may have put him back some in his development.

"I missed reps, I missed conditioning, and when I did miss conditioning I put on some weight," Cordle said.

"When I came back I tried to loose the weight and I ended up losing too much. Now I'm putting back on properly, which is good. When I came in (to OSU as a freshman) I was 285. I got up to 305. I actually ended up going down to 275, but now this morning I weigh 289 so this summer I've put on good weight. I wanted to be 290, 295, so I'm almost back all the way physically," he said.

"I'm almost in as a good a shape as I have been since I've been here. Last summer going into camp, that was the best shape that I was in."

Cordle did not make the mistake of trying to rush things the second time around, and has taken the necessary precautions as he has worked his way back into shape.

"I've been wearing orthotics to support the arch," he said.

"It started out that once I put them in I wore them all the time. But then I just eased back to just the workouts, and then today I didn't wear them and I was training pretty heavy and I didn't have them in and it didn't bother me. Before the season I'll put the orthotics in and I'll do an arch tape and then a regular tape and an ankle brace. It'll be all braced up," Cordle said.

"I'm excited for (fall) camp and I'm going to really want to go to camp so I can get back. I missed it (football)," Cordle added.

Cordle was working out at 6:00 AM with a group of about 30 other Buckeyes, a group that included all of his three roommates James Laurinaitis, Alex Boone and Todd Delinger. In an earlier interview Laurinaitis claimed that group could go through massive amounts of food. Cordle confirmed that.

"We go through milk, a couple of gallons a day, protein shakes, cereal," he said.

"I like to go shopping for for food, but as soon as I buy it we eat it all."

Cordle took exception, however, with Laurinaitis' claim that he was the only one who did any cleaning in the group.

"I read that actually. I actually printed it off and I'm going to put it on our refrigerator," said Cordle with a laugh.

"We all clean but it does get kind of messy."

Cordle said that the four have definitely slipped into roles as roommates. He and Laurinaitis are a bit more subdued, while Boone is very outgoing and is always ready with a laugh and a joke...within limits.

"Alex had too much fun one night but he's learned from that. He's definitely doing things right now," said Cordle.

"He's not drinking. He has a good time and is a joker.

"Denlinger is kind of quiet like me, but he can get loud. We're kind of similar in that we like to be by ourselves sometime. He actually has the master bedroom in the house and he does all the bills. He's kind of that guy that takes care of things."

Listen to the entire interview (audio, approximately 10 minutes)

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