After the 2008 season, Texas A&M's Lee Grimes had to make a tough decision that, in his heart, turned out to be not so tough.
With Grimes having already gone through five operations in the previous two seasons, Aggie head coach Mike Sherman had a heart-to-heart with his starting right tackle about retiring from football.
"We sat down and talked with the team doctor," Grimes said. "I'm the first player they've let [play] after anything close to this [many operations]. I'm grateful to them for that. It was my choice, and I told Coach Sherman there was no way I'm not playing my senior year, and he graciously let me play. I hope I've paid him back for that."
Neither Grimes nor Sherman truly had the last word.
Sherman included Grimes' mother, Gisele, in the meeting because the main subject had to do with her son's health.
"She raised me from when I was 2 by herself, and anybody who knows me knows that if you are going to get to me, you've got to get to my mom because she is the top priority of my life," Grimes said. "[Sherman] just wanted to make sure she was OK with everything, and if she's OK with it, I'm OK with it."
Sherman had individual meetings with every member of the team, but the tone of his meeting with Grimes was atypical.
"We talked about his health and his future and the sacrifices he's made for this program. He's given up some body parts," Sherman said. "At the end of last season, I didn't know where he was going to be. I wasn't 100 percent confident that he'd be able to play this year when we talked back in late December or early January."
Grimes, his mother, Sherman and the medical staff believe they've made the correct decision as the Aggies head into the final third of the season.
Grimes has been an integral part of the Aggies' turnaround season. A&M (5-3, 2-2 Big 12) has eclipsed last year's win total of four, and in his mind, the victories have reinforced Grimes' decision.
"It's probably the most fun I've had playing football, period, including high school and junior high," Grimes said. "It's a blast whenever you are winning. This atmosphere around here whenever we're winning ... all the support we get on campus ... it's just a great feeling."
Grimes is also pleased with the offensive line's improvement. A&M has rushed for 321 and 267 yards in consecutive weeks against Texas Tech and Iowa State. And quarterback Jerrod Johnson has done very little scrambling or picking himself off the ground.
"Our running backs and Jerrod have been doing great, making us look good these past two games, and it's just been great not seeing everyone bash us, the papers and everything," Grimes said.
No one saw the sudden turnaround after A&M rushed for a season-low 13 yards in an embarrassing 62-14 loss to Kansas State. Sherman and the linemen had a different type of heart-to-heart after that effort.
"After that Kansas State game, Coach Sherman sat us down and it really hit my heart that this is my last year, that it might be my last year to play football," Grimes said. "I sat down with [Michael] Shumard, and we had a talk, and we both expect each other to step up."
Grimes admits being a vocal leader is not his strength, but it would be hard to argue that he hasn't saved his best for the latter part of his Aggie career.
"It's good to see him out there and doing what he's doing," Sherman said. "He's slowly but surely becoming more healthy, which for him has really never been the case since we've been here. I thought he just played his best ball game the other day. He really looked as healthy as I've seen him."
After two off-season shoulder surgeries, Grimes benefited from sitting out spring camp. He now says he feels as healthy as he has since becoming a starter at the beginning of the 2008 season.
That doesn't mean Grimes has been injury-free this season. He cracked a rib in the second game and was forced to miss the third game.
"I thought, 'Oh, no, this is the start of another snowball.' Give credit to [head trainer Dave Weir and his staff]. They kept me in the training room and [Coach Dave Kennedy] has been trying to keep me healthy in the weight room. It's just the grace of God I'm still able to walk."
Grimes knows the line's success will be tested in future weeks, especially against Oklahoma and Texas. That likely will bring out the critics again. For now, though, he's enjoying the buzz around campus as Aggies close in on qualifying for a bowl game after missing out last season.
"It's everything," Grimes said of becoming bowl-eligible. "That is one more game for me, one more game for me to get this team on the right track for next year and have them send me on my way and send them on their way as we depart."
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