A record career cut short

The Portland State football program made huge strides on the field and returned to relevancy during the 2011 season, finishing third in the Big Sky conference with a 7-4 overall record. As the Vikings tried to qualify for the postseason, the team’s biggest hurdle was finding a consistent running threat after losing their ace halfback in the hole.

All-Big Sky running back Cory McCaffrey was potentially on his way into the record books after accruing 731 yards on 122 carries, producing 13 touchdowns and averaging nearly 150 yards per game in the first six weeks of play. The prospect of McCaffrey being an NFL draft pick looked promising, but the dream came to a halt after an achilles injury brought his season to a sudden close.

The team finished the season strong despite the loss of McCaffrey, winning four straight games before falling to Weber State in the season finale, eliminating their hopes of a playoff berth. Against Weber State, the Vikings turned to cornerback Denzel Davis to help stimulate the running game after losing Shaquille Richard to injury the week before. The rushing attack was shut down against Weber State and the Vikings were forced to try and win the game through the air.

The loss brought up questions about whether or not a healthy McCaffrey could have been the difference maker.

“It was hard watching from the sidelines and not being able to contribute,” McCaffrey said. “I know I could of done some things had I been out there, but it is what it is, and you can’t really change anything that happens.”

McCaffrey tried to maintain a positive attitude after going down with the injury against the Montana Grizzlies in week six. As the Vikings attempted to rally in the fourth quarter, McCaffrey overstretched his achilles on a broken passing route-play and knew immediately that his season might be over after hitting the ground. The injury seemed to deflate the team as they went on to lose 30-24.

“It felt like someone had hacked me with a machete or something. I pretty much knew right away what had happened. I knew that for me it would probably be the end of the season. The doctor told me what it was and that I wouldn’t be playing for a while, and that’s when it kind of hit me,” McCaffrey said.

“It was a pretty sad moment, and that’s when I realized that I’m not going to be a key contributor to the team anymore, and that was tough,” McCaffrey added. “It was definitely an emotional moment for me and my family.”

Despite the injury McCaffrey became an inspirational force for the team. The injured running back could be seen on the sideline of every game sporting crutches and a smile, doing whatever he could to contribute in any way possible.

“For me it was just, ‘What can I still do to help my teammates and support my teammates, keep the team motivated and keep them going in the right direction?’” McCaffrey said. “That was all kind of my job, just being supportive—that’s really the only thing I could do, so I kind of embraced that role and just went with it.”

Injuries in football are common, but it’s not always easy to deal with the pain of a season that could have been. McCaffrey has avoided dwelling on the past by staying busy and concentrating on the future.

“Really the worst part about it all is the physical aspect, not being able to walk or run around, but I know that will come in time,” McCaffrey said. “I have had a lot of time to reflect on what I want to do down the road and I haven’t really had that time before. It makes things a little easier having all the extra time.”

Last season, McCaffrey finished as the number two running back in the country behind Eastern Washington’s Taiwan Jones. After the Eagles won the National Championship, Jones entered the NFL draft and is currently playing for the Oakland Raiders.

McCaffrey looked to be the next Big Sky back to make the jump to the NFL, but the injury may have rerouted his decision. The injured achilles will take time to heal; however, McCaffrey has retained his sense of optimism about a professional career while also keeping other options in mind.

“As of now I don’t really know what to say,” McCaffrey said about his future in football. “It kind of depends on how all this heals up, if it goes right then there’s a chance that I might go and try to play professionally…it’s a long road to recovery, so for me at this point, I’m just looking down the road and seeing what’s next.”

McCaffrey said football will always hold a special place in his heart, but he is planning on getting a masters degree in exercise sports science in case the professional football route doesn’t work out. The injury didn’t take away his connection to the team either, as McCaffrey has high hopes for the Vikings’ future prospects.

“I think 7-4 is a big turnaround from 2-9, so I don’t think anyone has anything to be sad or down about. I think it was a great season and we improved a lot. The program is headed in the right direction, and it’s only going to be a matter of time before they have a Big Sky Championship.”

Despite the shortened season, McCaffrey was selected as the Vikings top offensive back of the year at the Football Award Banquet and was named to the All-Big Sky Conference first team. McCaffrey reflects fondly about his football career at Portland State.

“It would have been nice to have finished the season; I might have some records here,” McCaffrey said. “But I’m happy with how everything turned out, and it was definitely a memorable time in my life.”