If he wants to lift weights, go right ahead. If there's a pickup game down at the basketball court, he's in.
He just can't do the one thing he loves more than anything - play football for Georgia Tech.
``I went and ran the other day. I'm in shape. I feel good,'' Brezina said. ``My body feels perfectly fine to go out there and practice. It's tougher when I think about it in that regard.''
With a heavy heart, he's had to walk from the sport that took his father all the way to the NFL. Brezina, a sophomore who started the first four games of the season at offensive guard, had little choice after experts on both coasts diagnosed a genetic condition that causes a narrowing of the spinal cord.
If he continued to play, one good lick in the right spot could have left him paralyzed from the neck down. Brezina didn't want to wind up like actor Christopher Reeve, who died this month after spending nearly a decade as a quadriplegic.
``I'm not going to be stupid about this,'' Brezina said. ``I had to look at all my angles, but when you get reports from two experts in the field, you're not going to overlook it by any means. There's no doubt this is the right decision.''
Not that it's easy to accept.
Football runs in the family, most notably with his father. Greg Brezina was a linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons in the 1960s and '70s. His son yearned to follow the same career path.
``It's been real tough,'' Brad said, struggling to hold back the tears. ``This is something I've had a passion for since I was a kid. It's just one of those things you grow up wanting to do.''
After starting his college career on the defensive line, Brezina shifted to offense this season. He earned a starting job and seemed to have a bright future.
One jarring hit against Miami changed all that.
Brezina has watched the play on film. He was doing all the right things as he prepared to block a Hurricanes linebacker head up, shoulders back but he knew right away that something was wrong. Crumpling to the turf at Bobby Dodd Stadium, Brezina couldn't move his arms or legs for a few frightening seconds.
``It's something I would not want to do again,'' he said somberly.
Still, reality didn't set in immediately. Brezina regained the feeling in his limbs and wanted to go back in the game. He thought it was merely a ``stinger'' a jarring of the spine that is common in football, causing temporary paralysis in extreme cases.
Wisely, the trainers recognized that his condition was more serious.
``There was a tingling in my shoulders,'' Brezina said. ``I felt like needles were being stuck in me. That's a sign of the nerves getting bruised in the spinal cord. It's a pretty serious deal. You don't mess around with that.''
It's called spinal stenosis. Doctors found that Brezina's spinal column narrows from 15 millimeters at the base of his neck to 11 millimeters at the top - a tiny but significant difference.
He talked with his parents, prayed about what he should do and finally broke the inevitable decision to coach Chan Gailey.
``Nobody loves to play more than Brad Brezina,'' Gailey said. ``This hurts him tremendously.''
The coach knew it was the right move. He didn't ask Brezina to think it over or get another opinion.
``There's so much medical information out there, it supersedes and overrides anything the coach might say,'' Gailey said. ``Besides, I don't know of any coach who would ask a guy to go out on the field and risk a debilitating injury.''
Brezina is eager to remain part of the program. He'll be on the sideline for Thursday night's game against No. 22 Virginia Tech, offering encouragement to his now ex-teammates. He'll continue to travel with the Yellow Jackets on the road. He'll do whatever he can to help offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris.
``Brad is just as enthusiastic as ever,'' center Andy Tidwell-Neal said. ``He's been walking around with coach D in practice, helping spot things on the field. I hope he'll find a way to stay involved. I know everyone would like to have him around as much as possible.''
Brezina knows it's going to take a while to get football out of his system. At least he can relish the memory of starting four games at Georgia Tech.
``That means the world to me,'' Brezina said. ``I got to play against some of the best teams in the nation.''
Nothing can take that away.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2004/10/148685