After many months of physical therapy to regain strength in his leg, Jalen Cooley was devastated to hear that all the time he put in to get well was gone to waste after finding out he re-tore his ACL. So Cooley decided to take his efforts to the sidelines to take action and not waste any more time. Cooley had surgery once again on November 10^th, 2011.

Cooley’s surgery should hopefully fix the floating screw inside his knee.  “I am really hoping my recovery goes smoothly to prevent a third surgery,” Cooley said. The extra surgery will cause him to miss his senior year of basketball.

After returning from his surgery, Cooley was looking forward to returning to his team. This time, he returns not as a player, but instead as a coach. This will allow Cooley to still contribute to the team without having to risk another failed recovery. Cooley appeared sad for missing his Senior season as a player, but tried to be upbeat about the situation. “I’d much rather be playing, but I will do what I can to help. I’m still not giving up on basketball. The plan is to get fully recovered, then try to walk on in at college.”

Fortunately, Cooley’s surgery went well. “Everything in the surgery went according to plan, now I just gotta concentrate on making sure I have a smooth recovery. I plan to take it slow this year and not take any chances of reinjuring my knee.” said Cooley. Doctors recommend a seven month recovery plan to ensure the health of his leg, whereas the normal recovery time is five months. 

The season Boy’s Basketball Season begins on November 22, 2011 at Currituck County High School. Cooley predicts the Bruins will be on top on the leader board. “I still expect us to be successful and have a good year even without me on the court. I think it’s safe to say we are all excited to see how this season will turn out,” Cooley said.