Colin Kellogg relishes every snap after long road back from ACL injury and looks forward to sharing senior day with 26 classmates tonight vs. Hammond Morton

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

After his big freshman year, everyone in the football program was excited to see what defensive lineman Colin Kellogg could do on opening day of the JV season vs. Hobart.
Then on a play in the final minute, Kellogg collapsed to the ground without being hit and three letters danced in his head: ACL.
“It was right there on the Trojan head, actually,” he said, pointing to midfield after a recent practice. “The last 20 seconds. We were up 20, and my knee buckled in. No contact. While I was rushing the passer, nothing was touching my knee, and I fell. When Mr. (Bernie) Stento was checking it out, I just knew. I couldn’t get up or anything. I couldn’t really move it that well. ACL was my first thought.”
Even with what coach Mark Peterson called “a clean tear” of the ACL as in Kellogg’s case, athletes tend to perform better the second year back than the first.
“The surgery went great with Dr. (Neel) Jain, shout out to him,” Kellogg said. “And the recovery went well.”
Even so, Kellogg agreed that he is more prepared physically now than a year ago.
“I’d say I’m the healthiest now than I’ve been in my four years here,” Kellogg said. “That first year back, it was tough because my other knee started hurting, so there was perhaps a little discrepancy in which knee was stronger.”
The five defensive lineman who rotated last season were all seniors, so for the second year in a row, Kellogg watched and learned and gained a little varsity experience as a backup junior year.
“Watching our guys on defensive line, through that time helped me to get better,” Kellogg said. “When I was injured, I got to see the game through an entirely different point of view. When we had Owen (Edlen), watching him, and when we had Mike Zielinsky, watching him, watching what they do so wel,l I was thinking when I get back those are things I need to do well myself.”
Trojans head coach Mark Peterson praised Kellogg for his attention to detail during his rehabilitation year and beyond.
“He was a solid backup and this year he’s stepped in and been a great leader in the offseason in the weight room and has really worked hard,” Peterson said.
Kellogg, who bulked up his upper body before his knee was well enough to fully workout, made sure his time on the sideline wasn’t wasted.
“Watching our guys on defensive line, through that time helped me to get better. When I was injured, I got to see the game through an entirely different point of view,” Kellogg said. “When we had Owen (Edlen), watching him, and when we had Mike Zielinsky, watching him, watching what they do so well, I was thinking when I get back those are things I need to do well myself.”
This season’s defense has just three returning starters: linebackers Lucas Anderson and Roberto Stabolito and safety Logan Chestovich.
So, given the inexperience, it’s not surprising that the first half was a rough one for the defense as Chesterton fell behind by what turned out to be the final score, a 20-3 loss to Hobart, which scored one of its touchdowns on an errant snap exchange.
Two 15-yard face-masking penalties were low points for the defense, but overall things improved after intermission, when the Trojans forced three turnovers and pitched a shutout.
Kellogg was in on one of the turnovers, punching the ball out of a Hobart ballcarrier’s hands on a play that ended with Chestovich recovering it.
Hammond Morton’s speed in tonight’s home opener presents an even greater challenge than a week ago for the Chesterton defense.
“We had a lot of unforced errors,” Kellogg said. “Facemask penalties, not turning on the ball on a deep pass. I’d say there were a lot of things that are in our control, where if we just don’t have those penalties, it’s a completely different game. Special teams touchdown, same story. If we get that snap down, that’s a touchdown off the board for them.”
It's been a long road back for Kellogg. Tonight will be just his third start since freshman season. He never doubted for a second that he wanted to do all that he could to return from injury and is grateful he didn’t do it alone.
“I knew I loved football and to get injured in the way I did is tough, but on the journey back, I had so many guys helping me that there was no way I could quit,” he said. “I’ve got all my friends here, past seniors that went here, Mr. Stento, all these guys pushing me along the way, so I had lots of motivation.”
Kellogg will share senior day honors tonight with: Drew Pacilio, Gus Wisch, Kenneth Callaway IV, Luke Kisala, Chestovich, Anderson, Caden Koedyker, Stabolito, Alex Zairis, Andrew Goveia, Louis Raffin, Turner Enderle, Eddie Melton, Bobby Spencer, Joey DeMeo, Patrick Mochen, Sam Blewett, Noah Burke, Carlos Leon, Jack Gearhart, Braxton Ozug, Tyler Nevious, Mike Rone, Evan Linzy, Dylan Bradford and Hunter McKee.