There was no way that Wheeler’s Braden Olson was going to miss his senior season.
Even after the 6-foot, 250-pound lineman had surgery for a torn MCL in his right knee in January.
Even after he had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in April.
Olson’s recovery has been arduous, and he wears a bulky brace on each joint.
“This surgery was horrible,” he said, pointing to his knee.
“This surgery was horrible,” he said, pointing to his elbow.
But Olson has emerged uplifted.
“Living it now, I’m in a great mood, a great mental space,” he said. “These guys helped me all the way through my process of getting back. I just wanted to get back out here as fast as possible.”
Olson, who also plays baseball, has started on the offensive line for the Bearcats since his freshman season. He’s slated to play full time on the defensive line as well after splitting reps on that side of the ball last season.
Wheeler coach Nick Testa described how Olson continued to lift weights for his upper body after knee surgery and continued to lift weights for his lower body after elbow surgery.
“He’s a kid who was going to do whatever he could do to play and help us out,” Testa said. “He worked his butt off to get back for both (baseball and football), and now here he is.”
The preliminary returns have been favorable, including in a scrimmage against North Judson last week.
“If you would’ve told me six months ago I’d be out here going against North Judson, dominating people, I would’ve told you different,” Olson said.
Olson suffered the knee injury late in the Bearcats’ loss to Andrean in a Class 2A sectional semifinal last season. It took an extended period of time to nail down a diagnosis.
Olson said his elbow had been “messed up” since American Legion baseball after his sophomore season with the Bearcats. He initially was told it was a sprain and that he should rest and then begin a rehabilitation program.
When Olson eventually threw a bullpen session before his junior season, he said, “I went to my catcher afterwards and was like, ‘That last pitch, I think I just tore my UCL.’”
Wheeler senior linebacker CJ Chaffer has watched Olson’s efforts on the comeback trail.
“That’s my gym partner,” Chaffer said. “We spent the whole offseason trying to get him back in shape. So far, so good. He’s coming back strong and happy.
“He’s our everything on the line, both ways. He’s our strongest lineman by far, physically and mentally. He studies up. He’s my best friend. He’s the one who’s there for me. He’s just a great player. He’s strong everywhere.”
Olson gained starting experience at guard as a freshman. He was entrenched at right tackle the past two seasons and has shifted to center this season.
“He gives us a lot of options because of his athletic ability,” Testa said. “But he’s been a staple of our offensive line for my three years. He’s everything you’d want in a lineman. He has the fundamentals, smart, physical. He has that mean attitude where he wants to bury guys every play.”
Olson has embraced his move to center.
“I just switched over, and I’m feeling 10 times more comfortable than I was at tackle,” he said. “Being my size — I’m about 6-foot — it’s a little tough going against those long guys at defensive end. I’m just very comfortable at center.”
Olson, who is also the Bearcats’ long snapper, has embraced taking on a dramatically expanded role on defense, likely at end. He had 36 tackles last season, when he played about half of the snaps.
“He does everything for us,” Testa said. “He’s not going to be coming off the field much this year.”
When he was off the field recovering, Olson still contributed for the Bearcats.
“Most of the summer, with him being out, he was my lineman coach,” Testa said. “I would talk to him about how we’re going to block things. He knows our system. He knows football. I listened to what he said. Even personnel issues, I was like, ‘How’s this kid?’ And he would tell me, ‘This kid’s good at this, this kid’s good at this.’ We put a line together together.
“It’s funny because when he was our line coach for the summer, he’d come in the coaches’ office and hang out with us. I was like, ‘You know at some point you’re going to get back on the field and lead our offense, right?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, I know, I know.’ And that’s what he’s done.”
Olson has become a leader for the Bearcats.
“We’re going to go in with at least one freshman, maybe two, on the O-line, and he’s taken them under his wing and showed them how we do things and how to do things to be successful,” Testa said. “He’s a great leader for us.”
Indeed, Olson was voted a team captain.
“It’s great, but I don’t really care about the title,” he said. “These guys respect me, and they know I respect them. I want what’s best for them. These are my guys. It’s like, ‘If you need anything, let me know.’ And if I ask them to do something, I expect them to do it. It’s mutual respect.
“Everything I’ve learned, everything I know, I can pass on to these guys. I’m old. I have one year left. These guys, these freshmen, have four more years. Not to say I’m washed. But these guys are the future of the team.”
Olson can envision a future that includes playing football in college. But he’s more focused on playing baseball at that level.
“Division I baseball in college, that’s the goal, that’s the dream,” he said. “If it doesn’t happen right away, I have four years to do it.
“Football is tough. Being smaller than most football linemen, it would be a little tough.”
As a sophomore, mostly as a catcher, Olson hit .357 with 18 RBIs. He also posted a 2.74 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings.
Three months removed from knee surgery, with his elbow ailing, Olson had one hit in 14 at-bats this past season. He shut it down after seven games and had surgery.
“I’ve been wanting to play baseball for the last year and a half, and I haven’t been able to,” he said. “It’s been killing me.
“Missing football was killing me too. But I’m balling out. This is my last year.”