Offensive lineman Adam Ploudre overcomes long odds to contribute at Mizzou

If Adam Ploudre ever needs a reminder of the sacrifices and dedication he’s put into football, he only needs to glance down at the 8-inch surgical scar on the inside of his left calf.

When Ploudre — a junior offensive lineman who walked on at Missouri in 2013, was put on scholarship in July and made his second career start Saturday against Middle Tennessee — woke up on July 29, 2011, he was a promising football prospect, emerging on the radar of some major-college programs as he prepared to enter his junior season at Marquette High in suburban St. Louis.

Before the day was finished, Ploudre was hospitalized after breaking both bones in his lower left leg on the final play of a high school football scrimmage.

“There was a fumble between my legs and two people at opposite directions dove at my leg,” he said. “It snapped completely in half.”

Originally, doctors inserted a rod in Ploudre’s leg, “but it was too skinny and too long,” he said. “They had to take that out. Then, they decided to put an external fixator on, which is like this halo thing with prongs.”

The device requires pins or screws to be inserted into the broken bone from both sides then affixed to clamps and rods secured to the halo outside the skin.

“I had to wear that for I think about three months,” Ploudre said.

Every day, he’d tighten a knob on the device, which helped slowly twist his bone into place.

“I remember when I got that and woke up from the surgery, I was like, ‘Whoa, that’s new,’ ” Ploudre said.

Ploudre — who was starting to get courted by Mizzou, Arkansas and Indiana among others before the injury — missed the entire football season and colleges quit calling.

Doctors even expressed skepticism Ploudre would be able to return to the gridiron after undergoing seven surgeries to repair the fractures.

As hard as the physical recovery was, Ploudre said the mental anguish was even tougher most days.

During the long, cold winter, Ploudre would go to school and rehab then head home and straight to bed — not necessarily because he was tired, but because he was depressed.

“I just kind of wanted to get myself away from everyone and, for a good minute, I couldn’t even look at football, because it made me so sad,” Ploudre said. “I just couldn’t be around any of that stuff.”

He credits his parents, Tony and Kim, for pushing him throughout the arduous recovery and vividly remembers classmates cheering him when he was able to resume jogging.

“I just knew from that point, I’d have a great senior year,” Ploudre said.

None of his Tigers teammates are surprised at the fortitude Ploudre showed to fight back from the injury.

“He’s one of the hardest working dudes I know, whether it’s in the weight room or on the practice field,” sophomore left guard Kevin Pendleton said. “He knew that as long as he had that mentality and he stuck to it, then his opportunities would come.”

Working his way back onto the field didn’t translate into a bounty of scholarship offers, so Ploudre — now 6-feet-4 and 315 pounds — settled for a preferred walk-on spot at Mizzou.

“At that point, I knew deep down that I was probably good enough to walk on anywhere, but I just decided to stay home,” Ploudre said. “You’re chancing a lot of things walking on to a D-I football program, and there’s always a little doubt before you do that.”

After he was put on scholarship in July — a moment he celebrated with a steak at Tucker’s Place in Ballwin, Mo. — and cracked the starting lineup at right guard against Delaware State when Alec Abeln slid to center for an injured Sam Bailey, there was no doubt in Ploudre’s mind he’s taken the right path.

“I knew deep down I could play with the best and I wanted to play with the best,” Ploudre said. “That’s why I chose this route. I kind of felt like this entire time has been a redemption thing for me because of my leg. I just really wanted to prove everyone that doubted me with my injury and everything. I really felt like I’ve come out on top now.”

This story was originally published October 25, 2016 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Offensive lineman Adam Ploudre overcomes long odds to contribute at Mizzou."