By BRYAN STRICKLAND
bstrickland@heraldsun.com; 419-6671
DURHAM -- The pain that Duke nose guard Kinney Rucker endured at the time of his injury simply couldn't compare to the pain brought on by the prognosis.
"Initially, they said I could be out for the season," Rucker said. "If I was going to play, they were saying November. I was heartbroken."
When the Blue Devils opened their season on Saturday against Richmond, Rucker was supposed to be a spectator while still recovering from ruptured tendons in the big toe on his right foot.
He was supposed to still be in limbo, wondering whether he'd be able to play in 2009 or if he'd have to hope the NCAA would show mercy and grant him a sixth year of eligibility.
Yet early in the fourth quarter, Rucker was anything but a spectator, coming up with a tackle near the goal line.
"I've never seen anything like it," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. "I saw all the X-rays and knew what we were facing, but he has defied all odds.
"This guy has been like Superman."
Rucker, a former Jordan High School standout, made it back earlier than anyone would have dreamed and hopes to have an even bigger role when the Blue Devils visit Army on Saturday (noon, CBS College Sports).
By the time the Blue Devils opened preseason camp in early August, Rucker had made enough progress that a return by Duke's third game seemed possible. Less than two weeks ago, he began full participation in practice and was given an outside chance of playing in the opener.
Saturday, he played 13 snaps against the Spiders.
"It was by the grace of God, by hard work and just my body healing faster than people thought it would," Rucker said. "I just rehabbed every day, just committed to the cause, and every day things started to look a little bit brighter.
"Before I knew it, I was able to be out there for the Richmond game."
Rucker suffered the injury, officially called a torn plantar plate, while doing sprints in June.
"I took one hard push off the ground, and I felt something pop," he said. "At first it felt like my big toe dislocated, but when I took my cleat off, I realized everything was still intact.
"I went and got an MRI, and it showed that some tendons were ruptured in the big toe."
Surgery and some serious rehabilitation followed -- up to six hours a day, five days a week.
"Rehab is just another name for hard work," Cutcliffe said. "He's really gone above and beyond and really endured pain and pushed himself."
The injury isn't the only trial that Rucker (6-1, 295) has endured since deciding to stay close to home to play college football.
After being redshirted as a freshman, Rucker never got in a game for a snap during his second year, either. He was switched to offensive line before the 2006 season and never got a chance to play, buried on the depth chart at a position that was foreign to him.
"I didn't trust my athletic ability early on, and then I got moved to offensive line. That was a low," said Rucker, who returned three kicks for touchdowns and played basketball at Jordan. "I felt like I could have been out there contributing to help this team win, but I just didn't get that chance.
"When I got a second opportunity to play defense, I tried to make the most of it."
Rucker moved back to defense before the 2007 season and quickly became a key contributor, mostly in a reserve role. During the 2007 and '08 seasons, Rucker played in every game, contributing 49 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
After all he'd been through to get on the field, Rucker wasn't about to let an injury sack what was left of his college career.
"Football is a game of highs and lows," Rucker said. "Having gone through this, I think I can definitely keep my head up when the lows come."
