SHELBY — Pain is no stranger to Karsen Homan.
A three-sport athlete at Shelby High School, the senior has experienced his share of bumps and bruises throughout his competitive career.
However, a grade 5 right shoulder separation, suffered during the Whippets’ Week 8 football game at Clear Fork, has put Homan through personally uncharted waters.
“I thought I was done,” he said while reflecting on the days following the injury.
Unable to put a shirt on or dress himself, Homan attempted to manage the immeasurable pain.
After getting an X-ray the morning after his injury, the senior still made it to his team’s film session in preparation for Shelby’s biggest game of the regular season against Ontario.
“Physically I was there, but mentally I was not,” Homan said. “That was a barrier I had to get over at first. It was a rough few days until I started to see that there actually might be a possibility that I could get back and play.”
Homan ‘fell in love’ with football as a freshman
Homan has worked through other injuries during his time playing contact sports.
But nothing has compared to the destruction done to his right shoulder — an injury which often ends most athletes’ entire season.
“Pain is something I’ve played through before, but I knew it wasn’t going to be anything like I’ve faced in the past,” he said. “Before I got cleared, I had my mind pretty well made up that if I could I was going to go through it.
“There’s times it does bother you, but at the end of the day you’re going for a greater good and you’re going out there to play one more time with those guys in that uniform.”
After just three quarters of football missed, Homan suited up for the remainder of the Whippets’ season — which ended in a Division IV, Region 14 semifinal loss to the Warriors.
He was recently named to the All-North Central Ohio defensive unit. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound senior ranked among Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference leaders with eight sacks.
Homan finished the season with 67 tackles and 20 tackles for loss, earning a spot on the All-Ohio first team in Division IV.
“I’ve been blessed to be able to play varsity football since my freshman year, so I understood that this was something that I loved and I was willing to do whatever I could to finish my last season,” he said. “It was well worth it to me at that point.”
Parents, coaches supportive of Homan’s decision
Although his desire to play through pain was deep, Homan took his future into consideration when deciding when to return to athletics.
The senior said his parents have always supported his goals — understanding the risk of injury is ever-present.
“We went through all the medical stuff and made sure I couldn’t do anything more to it or effect my future in a way that I wouldn’t be able to throw a ball with my kid one day,” he said.
“My dad played at Shelby. He understands the tradition that we have here and it’s something special. To be able to play under those lights in front of these people, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever done before.”
Aches and pains
As if a separated shoulder wasn’t enough, Homan missed the first two games of this year’s basketball season due to double pneumonia.
He returned to action against Willard earlier this season and said he’s generally felt good.
“You have days where your body aches, but that’s just a part of living with it,” the senior said. “That’s a decision you make when you decide that you want to play this sport or any sport really.
“You’re going to have days where you don’t feel real well. It doesn’t matter if everything is put back in the right place or not. You’re still going to have days where you’re not 100 percent.”
Homan wears a brace on his right shoulder while physically active, but said there isn’t much physical therapy targeted for separated shoulders — besides rest.
‘It’s humbled me’
Surgery on his right shoulder is inevitable.
Until then, Homan continues to reflect on the lessons he’s learned from his injury — which have impacted his play, but also his life.
“It’s humbled me a little bit,” he said. “It makes you learn new things.”
On the field of play, Homan was forced to rely more on his non-dominant arm — which he said helped improve his game. His ranking among the MOAC’s leaders in sacks, along with postseason recognitions, are a testament to the senior defensive end’s ability to adapt and adjust.
But arguably his biggest opponent was overcoming the mental hurdles imposed by the severe shoulder injury.
“Mentally, it taught me to be a little more patient with things,” Homan said. “It taught me to just grind things out.
“There’s going to be days that are worse than others, but at the end of the day it will get better. The day you don’t want to do it anymore is the day you have to say, ‘Okay, it’s time to be done.’
“I haven’t come to that point yet and I’m thankful for that.”