Relishing the moment is easy for Rippon

Ryan Rippon football POW storyNewport Harbor senior tailback, back from knee surgery, closing in on 1,000-yard plateau.At Monday’s first practice in preparation for the Newport Harbor High football team’s CIF Southern Section Division VI playoff opener, Sailors Coach Jeff Brinkley implored his seniors to have a sense of urgency.

“He told us we have to take every carry, each catch, every play like it’s our last,” Newport Harbor tailback Ryan Rippon said. “Because you never know when it’s going to be gone.”

The senior knows all too well how the sudden pop of a knee ligament can divert the pathway to one’s dreams.

Rippon, who missed most of his junior season with a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee, heard the sickening sound of the ACL in his left knee rupturing during a passing league scrimmage in July. After an MRI revealed the extent of the damage, doctors told him his senior season was over before it had begun.

“When I first heard the news, I felt like the world ended,” Rippon said.

But very quickly, the drive that has helped him produce 913 rushing yards and six touchdowns in six games set in motion a remarkably rapid recovery.

“I decided, ‘I’m not going to let this happen,’” he said of the threat of watching his senior season from the sideline.

Some Internet research and discussion with medical professionals led Rippon to a surgical procedure in Austria, in which a synthetic ligament is used to replace the ACL.

The surgery, not approved in the United States, was performed in late July. After an arduous rehabilitation, he returned for an Oct. 7 nonleague game against Mira Costa. A recovery American doctors said could take longer than a year, was completed in 10 weeks.

And Rippon hasn’t stopped smiling since. Nor has he stopped powering through holes provided by a stout Sailors offensive line.

The 6-foot, 200-pound Rippon amassed 236 yards on 25 carries to help the Tars defeat Laguna Hills, 33-13, in the regular-season finale Nov. 10. He had touchdown runs of 39, 33 and 3 yards and also had gains of 47 and 24 yards. He returned the opening kickoff 40 yards to help set up his first scoring run.

The win helped Newport Harbor (7-3) earn a share of the Sea View League championship.

It also represented a career-best performance for Rippon, who said he is just now rounding into top form.

“Before the [July] injury, I was the strongest and fastest I’d ever been,” he said. “When I came back, I felt like I had lost a whole year of off-season training.”

Brinkley also acknowledged the surgery has made a difference.

“He’s not quite as explosive as he was,” Brinkley said. “But he seems to be getting in a groove and getting stronger every week.”

Even at less than 100%, Rippon still exhibits quick bursts and the ability to run through tackles, which complement what he said is his biggest attribute.

“I’d say my drive is my best asset,” he said. “I kind of dedicated my life to getting back and doing everything I could to help this team. There were times when I got fed up and felt like quitting. But then I started thinking about the feeling you have when you’re out there with your friends [on game night]. It’s hard to explain, but I knew I wanted to have that feeling again.”

Rippon said he will never need verbal reminders to savor each moment on the field.

“I just love football so much,” he said. “It’s not anything that happens after the game or the fans. It’s just getting caught up in the moment of the game and making the play happen. It’s an adrenaline rush and time just kind of stops.”

The memories, however, live forever and Rippon -- who plans to play next season at Saddleback Community College -- hopes to keep making them for years to come.

RYAN RIPPON

Born: Jan. 6, 1988

Hometown: Costa Mesa

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 200

Sport: Football

Positions: Tailback

Coach: Jeff Brinkley

Favorite food: Mashed potatoes and gravy

Favorite movie: “Varsity Blues”

Favorite athletic moment: “That first long run [a 50-yard burst off left tackle on his second carry] against Mira Costa this year in my first game back from knee surgery.”

Week in review: He rushed for 236 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries to help the Sailors defeat Laguna Hills, 33-13, to earn a share of their second straight Sea View League title.

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20051117GP1L1J1RNo Caption20051117iq2x16knDON LEACH / DAILY PILOT(LA)