Bball: ABJ: Hemophilia has ended Mark Howard's basketball career

[jcant...@us.ibm.com]

Former East Canton star has pain, but no gain

Hemophilia has ended Mark Howard's basketball career at OSU, leaving him
to wonder what if...?

BY RALPH PAULK

Beacon Journal staff writer

February 4, 1997

COLUMBUS: The swollen ankles and bruised arms have healed. But
psychologically, Mark Howard is still hurting.

It's been a year since the East Canton High graduate was informed by
doctors at Ohio State that he could no longer play basketball, that his
hemophilia was too much to overcome. So the 6-foot-10 Howard is trying
to cope with the sudden end to his once-promising college career.

At times, he thinks of making a comeback. But most of the time, he goes
the other direction, shying away from basketball completely.

Howard has made it to St. John Arena only twice this season to watch his
former teammates play.

The rugged nature of college basketball revealed the severity of
Howard's hemophilia, a hereditary blood disorder that doesn't generate
enough clotting agents to prevent persistent bleeding or swelling.

At 250 pounds, Howard couldn't tolerate the constant banging in
practice. His body was dotted with bruises, and his

ankles and feet were often puffy, causing sometimes unbearable pain.

"It was very painful," he said, "and it seemed to never go away. I
thought once I got into it, my body would start to heal."

Instead, the bruises became even more severe -- even with light contact.
The swelling persisted even after he soaked his ankles in buckets of
ice.

Mike Bordner, who has been the athletic trainer at Ohio State for 33
years, said he knew almost immediately that Howard's condition was very
serious.

Howard had been first diagnosed with hemophilia as a fourth-grader.

"It was impossible for him to play," Bordner said. "He would sprain an
ankle, and you could watch it swell before your eyes."

Howard, 20, was a four-year starter with the East Canton Hornets. He
missed only three games -- all because of sprained ankles.

"When he played for me, there was no problem," said East Canton coach

Joe Pangrazio. "He was classified as a slight hemophiliac at the time.

"Mark commented to me that when he got to Columbus, it was much more
physical. I'm sure it's more physical than it was when he was in high
school, but I thought he could handle it."

Ohio State coach Randy Ayers also was confident that Howard could handle
the competition in the Big Ten. He was impressed with Howard's shooting
touch and his ability to run the floor.

In an exhibition game last season against the Russian National team,
Howard sprinted breathlessly up and down the court. Then, he injured his
ankle early in the first half.

It ended up being his last game.

Ayers and Ohio State's team physicians said they were unaware of
Howard's problem when he was offered a full scholarship in 1994, partly
because the university doesn't perform complete blood tests during its
physical examinations of its more than 900 student-athletes.

"If we had drawn blood, we would have caught it," Bordner said. "Mark is
kind of an extreme example, but this won't prevent him from living a
normal life."

"I thought we did our homework," Ayers said. "I wasn't aware of the
situation at the time, but we thought he could participate anyway.

"There comes a time when you must decide if a player can handle the
situation. Mark could probably practice with us, but the pounding takes
away from his stamina."

Howard was given a medical redshirt, which enabled him to maintain his
athletic scholarship. Ohio State can revoke his scholarship only if he
fails academically.

Howard, whose major is business administration, says the scholarship is
some consolation. But without basketball, he says, "My life is anything
but normal."

Nowadays, he plays occasional pick-up games at Larkin Hall, an on-campus
recreational center. But most of his time is spent as a regular student.

As a result, his circle of friends has grown larger.

"It's been a difficult adjustment," Howard said. "But I've made a lot of
new friends because I'm not playing basketball.

"I have a lot in my hands and a lot on my mind. But that's good because
when I start thinking about not playing basketball, it just brings me
down."

Still, Howard said, he considers himself fortunate to still be in
school. "I've had a lot of support, especially from Coach Ayers, who is
behind me 100 percent," said.

His loss and the absence of a junior-college transfer, 6-9 center Ed
Jenkins who is academically ineligible, has created a void for the
Buckeyes in the post. Howard and Jenkins were the wide bodies Ayers
hoped would give his team some toughness inside.

Ayers, whose Buckeyes play at Purdue tomorrow night, admits Ohio State
misses Howard. Yet, he doesn't ponder the unrealistic notion of Howard
returning.

"The important thing is for Mark to get his degree," Ayers said. "He
comes in to see me every two weeks, and I think he understands what's
really important to him.

"He made the right decision. I've always been one to support my kids.
Sure, his absence hurts us inside, but I'm concerned about Mark as a
person."

Only now, says Howard, is he beginning to feel whole again.

"I still miss basketball," he said softly. "But I'm coping now because I
realize -- and I don't think I did before -- that there's more to life
than basketball."

Jerry Canterbury, Buckeye Consulting
Internet: jcant...@us.ibm.com or jcan...@worldweb.net
Franchise Free Agency: Where Does Your Team Want to Go Today?

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