Corvallis Gazette-Times

Joel Cohen has spent so much time on the operating table during his college years that he’s only a few terms away from a medical degree.

Well, OK that’s a stretch for the history major.

The senior long snapper for the Oregon State football team, however, is more familiar with the doctor’s office than many people. He’s needed extensive reconstructive surgery on a shoulder and a knee, followed by the long process of rehab and recovery each time.

Cohen keeps coming back because of his drive to play football. He can only snap the ball on punts and kicks, but it’s enough for him.

“I have a great opportunity to throw a football between my legs and get my education paid for,” Cohen said. “If I have to lose a couple limbs, well that happens.”

His dry sense of humor comes across when talking about his ordeals. It’s one of his ways to deal with the pain he’s felt.

Cohen’s latest setback was a left-knee injury that occurred last season in Louisville. He was blindsided after the punt while running down field to make a tackle.

The hit left him laying in agony with his kneecap nearly detached and on the side of his leg. Surgery was two weeks later, a long process reattaching a kneecap that was described as hanging on by a thread.

“He went through excruciating pain, and didn’t give up,” said Cohen’s father, Steven. “He worked so hard because he wants to do something to help this team. He’s not the best player in the world, but he’s dedicated. I was hoping he would give up, but he loves the game too much.”

Cohen considers being a coach one day, and wants to finish his college career strong. He understands that it’s dangerous, so there are no complaints.

“That’s how it works,” Cohen said. “You don’t play football because it’s a safe sport. People get hurt, so you roll with the punches. You are never full speed after they redo your knee. I have to wear that big honking brace. I feel that everything is OK. I can move fast enough. As long as I snap the ball, I don’t really care.”

He spent a night in the hospital after the operation and couldn’t put pressure on his leg for two months. He was on crutches to get around during that time.

Making his recovery worse was that he lived on the third floor of an apartment building and had to climb the steps every day.

“It’s not very fun, but you got to do it,” Cohen said. “I was in bed for a while. It’s not fun to be on crutches for a long time. I think it made my arms and upper body bigger. It was a minor plus.”

Rehab was slow because he needed to rebuild the muscles around the knee, but said it was like riding a bike. And he did plenty of that, along with pool exercises.

Most of his free time was spent working in the training room. Cohen’s been home to Bartlett, Ill., only once, in January, because doctors told him it would be a full year before he returns. He pushed hard to prove them wrong.

“They had to kick him out of the Valley Football Center (training room) because he wanted to work so hard,” Steven Cohen said.

The recovery went better than predicted, and Cohen returned to the field in the spring with a limp. He eased his way in, but aggravated the knee. A second surgery was done May 2 to clean up scar tissue.

Fall camp has been smooth as he’s reclaimed his starting spot. A true freshman at the time, Aaron Carlson, helped fill in for him last year and is back to keep him on his toes.

“He’s doing fine,” special teams coordinator Bruce Read said of Cohen. “He’s snapping well, and strong. He’s a natural snapper. It’s easy for him and he’s accurate. Joel is more consistent, so it’s his job to lose. But it’s a comforting thing that you have a couple guys who can do the job.”

This experience was worse than the first with the shoulder, when Cohen tore most of the ligaments in a football injury his senior year in high school. His arm was in a sling for more than a year after surgery, but at least it wasn’t difficult to get around.

His playing days as an every-down lineman were over, so he tried long snapping. He refined his technique to play a season at the College of DuPage in Illinois before transferring into OSU with two seasons of eligibility.

Cohen applied for a medical redshirt to able to play next season, his sixth year in college. He didn’t compete his first two years at DuPage because of the shoulder injury, so he’s lost three seasons because of medical problems.

If Cohen isn’t granted the extra year, he graduates in the spring and is ready to move on to the next phase of his life.

“Everybody has their bumps and bruises,” Cohen said. “I just don’t want to have any more surgeries. But I want to play a few more games here.”

JOEL COHEN

• WHO: Starting long snapper

• CLASS: Senior

• MAJOR: History

• HOBBIES: Watching HBO TV shows.

• BEST FRIEND ON TEAM: Special teams players Jon Strowbridge and Alexis Serna.

• FAMILY: Father Steven Cohen, mother Pamm Kesselring, a brother and a sister.

• ECT: Born in Chicago. ... Enjoys college basketball and weightlifting. ... Minoring in athletic administration.