NCAA math: 30 plays does not equal one season

In May, Ian Childress was in West Virginia, but Morgantown couldn’t have been farther away from his thoughts. The former Liberty High and Liberty University standout was working for Log Home Medics, trying to figure out what to do with his life. Football had been a constant for so long. In an instant, it was gone.

It was frustrating, he thought. Thirty snaps. That was the duration of his freshman season. The Flames were getting “dismembered,” as he put it, by Connecticut in 2005, and one linebacker after another succumbed to injury. Former coach Ken Karcher really had no choice but to play Childress in the second half, for 30 snaps. Then Childress hurt his thumb, and he didn’t play again that year.

Childress thought about that as he embarked on his job with the home-building company. Shouldn’t he have received some sort of redshirt for that year? He played less than one game, and only as an emergency substitution. From the moment the 2008 season ended, Childress badgered the Flames’ coaching staff, pleading for them to appeal the NCAA for another year.

“He was constantly harassing us,” Liberty coach Danny Rocco said.

“He was always around. He badgered me.”

But once spring practice passed, Childress’ window on earning a fifth season had seemingly closed. So he took a job and left football behind.

Then the call came.

“Preseason workouts have just started,” Rocco told Childress over the phone. “Where are you at?”

Childress and the football staff spent much of the offseason gathering information to present Childress’ case. Pete Sundheim was on Karcher’s staff in 2005. So was head athletics trainer Chris Casola. Former coaches Steve Carson and Robert Wimberly provided the NCAA with testimonials on Childress’ behalf. In the end, the governing body elected to give Childress a retroactive redshirt for 2005, giving him one more year of eligibility, a move that benefited both the athlete and the team.

“He’s a kid who should get a look (from NFL scouts),” LU defensive coordinator Tom Clark said. “He’s 6-4 and he can run. He played well last year. I think he can play even better.”

The boon for the team is obvious. Childress was Liberty’s fourth-leading tackler last year and was second on the team with 3½ sacks. His three forced fumbles led the team. And he adds a wealth of experience to the outside, a fact made even more important with the sudden departure of Jamal Giddens early in training camp.

“As long as he fought for that final year, he’s coming back with a sense of eagerness and urgency,” Liberty outside linebacker Wes Cheek said. “He’s getting an extra chance that no one else gets. I think that will give him that much more passion to play on defense.”

Childress quit his summer job immediately and broke the news of his return on his Facebook page. Before he could worry about joining summer workouts, he needed to have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to remove some bothersome fluid.

Childress had put on some weight after spending time away from the program, but he quickly shed the extra pounds once he rejoined strength coach Bill Gillespie’s conditioning program. Childress met with Cheek, a defensive captain, and the other linebackers to see what new wrinkles Clark had put into the defense during spring ball.

By the time practice officially began, it was like Childress had never left.

“I give him a lot of credit for his desire, his interest and his commitment to our program,” Rocco said. “And for putting himself in a position to having a major impact on our season.”

Childress is on track to graduate in May, and if he plays well enough this year, he may get a chance to extend his playing career. One thing is for sure: Playing football beats building log cabins.

“I hear it from the coaches all of the time; it’s your second chance. Show ‘em what you’ve got,” Childress said. “Me and my mom talk about it all the time. It’s just a gift from God. Now it’s just a matter of me doing something with it.”