By Jim Hague
It’s one thing for a college athlete to overcome the obstacles of a reconstructive knee injury, enduring the months of painful rehabilitation and the lonesome road to recovery.
Imagine trying to get through two similar knee surgeries. It takes a special breed of individual to make it back from such turmoil.
Rutgers-Newark junior center Afolabi Ajumobi is that kind of young man, having withstood two painful anterior cruciate knee ligament surgeries and surviving two rugged six-month rehab and recovery periods to make it back on the floor for the Scarlet Raiders.
Now, fully recovered from the two operations, the 6-7 Ajumobi is poised and ready to be a major contributor for the Scarlet Raiders, who hope to contend for the 2007-08 New Jersey Athletic Conference league championship.
“It’s been real hard,” said Ajumobi, who was born in Nigeria, but came to the United States as a youngster, settling in Roselle, N.J. “But at the same time, going through the two knee surgeries has taught me a lot. It’s taught me about dedication and determination and hopefully, I can pass some of that along to my teammates.”
In 2004, Ajumobi was all set to contribute to the Scarlet Raiders, after playing two years of high school basketball at Roselle Catholic. Before then, Ajumobi never played organized basketball before.
“I used to play in local parks for fun,” Ajumobi said. “But I never played organized until I was a junior in high school. It wasn’t my main objective. I just wanted to get into a good college.”
Ajumobi played well enough at Roselle Catholic to catch the eye of Scarlet Raider head coach Joe Loughran.
“The first time I saw him play, I said, `Wow!’” Loughran said. “I knew that you couldn’t teach someone to be 6-foot-7. He was athletic and blocking every shot. I knew he was a raw talent. As it turned out, no one was recruiting him, so we came up lucky.”
Ajumobi enrolled at R-N and saw limited action, averaging 2.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest in 2004-05. He also collected 35 blocked shots in 27 games, ranking second on the team and fifth in the NJAC.
When the 2005-06 season was about to begin, Ajumobi was expected to be a player of impact, when he was injured during a preseason workout.
“At first, I didn’t even realize how serious it was,” Ajumobi said. “But it was a complete tear of the ACL and had surgery.”
Ajumobi sat out the entire 2005-06 season as a medical redshirt and spent six months working on getting the knee back into shape.
“I was cleared by the doctors in May to play again and I felt fine again,” Ajumobi said.
Ajumobi was in the middle of having a solid campaign for the Scarlet Raiders last season, when he was injured in a crucial NJAC game against Kean in February, ending his season.
The result? Another torn ACL, which meant more surgery, more rehab, more work.
“I was actually shocked when I tore it,” Ajumobi said. “The doctors said that I actually could have played without surgery, but I didn’t want to risk it, so I had more surgery.”
However, Ajumobi faced the crossroads of his young basketball career.
“When I found out I tore the knee a second time, I didn’t think I’d ever play basketball again,” Ajumobi said. “But I definitely was determined, because I knew my teammates were going to need me.”
Ajumobi said that the second rehabilitation was harder to deal with.
“I just got cleared to come back, so I can’t go full strength yet,” Ajumobi said. “That’s what I’m waiting for, when I can go all out.”
“No question, we need him to stay healthy,” Loughran said. “It’s nice to have him back, but we’re not going to rush him. It’s a slow process. His timing is still off and his legs are still heavy. It’s going to take some time for him to get in shape again. He’s been through a lot. I think it’s going to take him about a month.
Added Loughran, “Right before he got hurt last year, he was starting to come into his own. He had three or four games where he dominated. So I think he will be even more of a factor when he comes back this time. He’s come back quicker than expected. His post moves are better and he constantly works on his shooting. He’s becoming a better player all around.”
And there’s never been any doubt about his defensive skills.
“In our league, it’s a pretty nice luxury to have someone back there who can block shots like he can,” Loughran said. “The potential is definitely there.”
The Scarlet Raiders begin their 2007-08 season on Friday, Nov. 16, at the Virginia Wesleyan Tournament, when they face North Carolina Wesleyan in the first round. Ajumobi is excited about the team’s chances this season.
“I can see the potential we have and I want to be a part of that,” Ajumobi said. “I want to be a part of that first championship here. I’m trying to play, because I know the team needs me. I want to be more of a leader with this team.”
Loughran knows Ajumobi’s importance to the Scarlet Raiders’ fortunes.
“If he can stay healthy and play like I know he can, then we can be in the NCAA (Division III) Tournament this year,” Loughran said. “This is the one kid I’m rooting for. Considering all he’s been through, I just hope everything works out for him this year. I hope he can have a great year.
Added Loughran, “Afolabi is one of the most coachable kids I’ve ever had. He’s willing to listen and learn. He played at a good program in high school and obviously learned a lot there, because he came to us with a good basketball IQ. It’s great that we have him.”
Ajumobi is a business major at R-N and hopes to go graduate school for business when he graduates.
“I definitely feel my education is more important than anything,” Ajumobi said. “I play basketball for the love of the game. But education, that’s my future. I don’t know for sure what I’ll do after I graduate from school. Maybe I’ll go to work for a big corporation.”
If Ajumobi shows the same determination in the business world that he did in rehabilitating his two knee injuries, then his work ethic would be a bonus to whatever corporation hires him in a few years.
