By Richard Immel USA Wrestling
05/25/2013

Andrew Howe during the finals of the 2012 Olympic Team Trials. Photo by Tony Rotundo.

The finals of the 2012 Olympic Team Trials mark a day Andrew Howe will never forget.

Howe faced the reigning World Champion, Jordan Burroughs, in a best of three series with a spot on the Olympic team on the line. After sending the first match into a third period Howe tore his anterior cruciate ligament during an awkward scramble with Burroughs, preventing him from continuing on in the tournament, and erasing his hopes of obtaining the Olympic dream.

Howe, a three-time NCAA All-American and 2010 NCAA Champion, immediately marched down a long road to recovery that sees him back on the mat just over a year later.

“After that injury I just needed to get it fixed, so I got it fixed,” Howe said. “I focused on the rehab, rehabbing hard, trying to get back on the mat and get as healthy as possible.”

The rehab process would prove challenging for Howe as he re-tore the same ACL in September of 2012, nearly five months after the initial tear. Howe also had minor shoulder surgery to clean up damage done to it over the years.

Howe’s longtime coach Jared Frayer said Howe had to take a step back when facing this monumental challenge.

“He thought he was invincible for a long time, he could fight through anything and come out the other side and be just fine,” Frayer said. “He really did take a step back and look at where he was going as far as his athletic career and his academic and professional career and I think he sees that he needs something to fall back on.”