Southern Miss head coach Will Hall and several of his staff members were brought to tears last week after learning the good news that linebacker Averie Habas would be able to play to the season despite a heart condition scare.
Now, just a week after the miraculous turn of events, Habas came up with two pivotal sacks in Southern Miss' 17-13 loss to Old Dominion.
"Making a play for the team is always the goal," Habas said. "It was pretty special after not playing five, six games. I didn't expect myself to play this game even or the rest of the year. It felt good to help the team in anyway possible."
But after having heart surgery over the summer, Habas was initially told before fall camp that a heart condition wouldn't allow him to play this season or possibly ever again. Then, after 46 days, which happens to be the same number as his jersey, Habas' heart monitor showed that he was fully recovered.
"It a humongous blessing from God," said Hall last week. "He's a special human being. He's one of the most special leaders I have ever been a part of.
"I love him like he is my own. He's one of my heroes. All of a sudden, he got his dream back, and it came out of nowhere."
Habas didn't know if he was going to practice last week before the Texas State game, but being the optimist he was, he had hoped for a positive doctor's visit, which was indeed the case. It prompted a phone call between Habas' doctor and Southern Miss' head trainer, Todd McCall.
"He said, 'It's a miracle. I don't see anything hindering him from not playing anymore. He can suit up if he wants. It's up to him,'" said Habas on the news his doctor shared. "Of course, I love this game. I love this university. I love my coaches and my teammates, so I'm going to go back out there."
Despite missing the season's first four games and sparingly playing against Texas State, Habas made his presence felt on the field.
"I love him," said Hall after the Old Dominion game. "He's a great player. He's a true Golden Eagle. He's just a great human being. It's great to see him make those plays. I thought he played extremely hard and passionate."
Habas' first sack came in the second with Old Dominion facing third and eight on USM's 34-yard line. The senior ran down ODU's elusive quarterback, taking him down on the 46-yard line, which forced the Monarchs to punt and preserved Southern Miss' 10-7 lead.
"Last week in practice, I felt like I was back to normal, which is really weird because I hadn't played football for around three months," Habas said. "I had surgery, and I didn't know how my body was going to react to it. I think tonight, after getting that first sack that I chilled out and was just playing at that point.
"A lot of my family members are here today. To be able to play in front of them is special for me. That's the reason I play this game is for them, for my family, my wife and my brothers next to me."
Midway through the third quarter, Old Dominion faced fourth and two on USM's 18-yard line. Habas again preserved USM's lead as he delivered another timely sack to force the Monarchs to turn the ball over on downs.
"The best thing about the situation is the coaches," Habas said. "They put my health first. They weren't thinking about me playing. When they heard the news (at the office) that I was playing, they thought it was a miracle. I was up there (with them), and it was a pretty special moment for me."
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