UMaine All-American excited to return to lineup after 18-month absence
Mar. 6—Deshawn Stevens acknowledged that it has been a long journey back to the lineup for the University of Maine football team.
The fifth-year senior linebacker suffered a torn Achilles tendon on Aug. 30, 2019, in the Black Bears' opener against Sacred Heart.
The wait ends Saturday for the UMaine co-captain as UMaine opens the abbreviated spring season with a noon game at 25th-ranked Delaware.
"A lot has happened to me and the program since I last played. I've got a lot of high expectations for this season," said the 2020 preseason All-American.
In 2018, he made a team-high 120 tackles to help the Black Bears make the program's first appearance in the Football Championship Subdivision national semifinals.
Stevens said he is completely healthy but expects to have some butterflies before the game.
"But once I hit someone, the nerves will go away real quickly," Stevens said.
"I have been a linebacker so I've always been physical. I've always been the aggressor, someone who sets the mood and the tone for the defense."
Stevens' journey back to health after surgery involved some soul searching.
"When I got hurt, there were a lot of things going on in my life. I lost some family members and a close friend. And I had never suffered an injury like this."
He believes his time of reflection in handling adversity provided some new perspective.
"I learned more about who I am as a person. I read books, I had more conversations. I became more considerate," Stevens said.
He worked tirelessly to rehabilitate the injury and was supported by his family, friends, teammates and coaches.
"I have been humbled. But this is life. This happens to everybody," Stevens said.
The 6-foot-2, 255-pound Toronto native likes what he has seen from the defense, even though there are a lot of new faces.
"The more confident we are on our side of the ball, the more confident our offense and special-teams play," Stevens said."
UMaine expects to get a huge lift from the return of Stevens, who has been a force on defense, earning All-CAA second-team honors in 2018.
"He is obviously a very talented player but his leadership and presence is extremely important. There is no one with a larger presence on the team than him," head coach Nick Charlton said.
Senior co-captain Andre Miller of Old Town said Stevens is someone the team rallies around.
"He brings the excitement around. Everyone amps up when he's around," Miller said.
Charlton said the Black Bears expect a tough, physical battle against Delaware.
Quarterback Nolan Henderson completed 56.3 percent of his passes for 933 yards and nine touchdowns in 2019 and is a running threat. DeJoun Lee is their top returning rusher (107 carries, 463 yds.) and Thyrick Pitts is the Blue Hens' leading receiver (41 catches, 647 yds.).
Defensive back Kedrick Whitehead is an All-American.
