Ralph Pokorny/Herald-Tribune-- "I tell people I got the scar from a shark bite. A lot of people believe me, too," Highley said about the scars on his leg.

The sun beats down through cloudless blue skies and the hot, dry wind blowing across the dry brown prairie offers little relief from the 100 degree temperatures, other than to evaporate the sweat dripping from the young and not-so-young bodies toiling on the green field preparing to do battle with other armored opponents in the coming weeks.

While some of his comrades may complain about the conditions, Jordan Highley revels in the sweat pouring off his body and his muscles sliding over each other while he trains for the upcoming battles.

Because he's back where he loves to be -- on a football field. This time, he was on the field at Friends University in Wichita, Kan.

Two-a-day practices are a joy to Highley, who played for Nevada and Fort Scott high schools and Coffeyville Community College, because a couple of years ago doctors told him that he might never walk again, let alone don his pads, spikes and helmet and walk onto the football field to test his and his team's mettle against another school.

During the summer of 2005, Highley and some friends were riding four-wheelers near Fort Scott when a mishap pitched him off the vehicle, catching his leg on one of the pegs, ripping it open and tearing his calf muscles loose as well as seriously damaging other muscles and tissues. Miraculously, there were no broken bones.

Nevertheless, Highley's dream of playing football at Missouri Southern State University in the fall of 2005 like his brother Josh was ended.

"When I saw the bones in my leg I knew it was bad," Highley said on a visit to see his parents over Christmas.

Highley's father, Kenny, said that Jordan's doctor told him that if he were able to walk again, he would walk with a limp.

"It was a pretty low point in my life," Highley said.

Highley, who has always been physically active said that the three months he spent in bed in the hospital was the hardest part of his recovery.

Being unable to do anything for himself was worse than the three surgeries he had to undergo; an initial one to repair his injuries, another to clean up an infection and finally a skin graft with skin from his thigh.

"I think that (the skin graft) hurt more than the surgery for the injuries," he said.

When the injuries had healed and he started rehab, Highley's determination and unwillingness to accept the doctor's prediction that he would never play football again pushed him to work hard.

"Being told I would never walk again made me work harder," he said.

Still, it was a long road back.

"It's taken two and a half years," Highley's father said.

"I remember the first time he tried to run and he came in and said, 'I can't run, Dad,'" Kenny Highley said.

But in the long run, all his hard work has paid off.

"I'm stronger and faster than ever because of all the rehab," Highley, now a defensive tackle at Friends University and a criminal justice major, said.

"Last semester was the first time I played since Coffeyville," he said.

Highley played for Coffeyville Community College in 2003 and 2004 and transferred to Missouri Southern in the spring of 2005.

Highley's father said that when Jordan decided to try and play again, they contacted the coach at Friends University, which had sought to recruit Jordan out of high school and they were still interested. Since he had a couple years of playing experience, there was more scholarship money available making the private school affordable.

"He has found a home there," Highley's father said.

In the fall of 2007, Highley did not become a starter until another player was injured. When that player was able to play again, Highley was kept in the starting line-up.

"I only played half of the season and next year my statistics will be better," he said.

During his half season Highley was credited with 23 unassisted tackles, 22 assisted tackles and nine sacks.

Those numbers were enough to have him ranked number 5 in NAIA Division 1 in sacks per game, number 7 in fumbles forced per game and number 22 in tackles for loss per game and was recognized as NAIA Defensive Player of the Week for his performance Friends Univer-sity's game with Bethel College.

During that game Highley had eight tackles, 2.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a blocked punt in their 18-13 win over the No. 10 ranked and undefeated Bethel. Highley, who was red-shirted one season at Coffeyville, said that he still has two years of eligibility left.

"I'll be an old-old man when I finish football," Highley said, adding that there was only one player on Friends team older than him, a 25-year-old true freshman player, who had served in the military.

However, when Highley graduates from Friends University, his football career may not be over. He is looking at possibly playing arena football.

"I would play for free," he said.