Campus Commuter

   I went down to the field in the fourth quarter of the Wofford football game Saturday night and waited for a chance to join the viewing line for running back Eric Breitenstein, who was stretched out on a table with a bag of ice on his knee.
   Breitenstein suffered a torn PCL against Charleston Southern and will be sidelined at least a month until a decision is made about whether he needs season-ending surgery.
   I’ve seen grown men, tough football players, come to tears just thinking about the possibility. When I got to Breitenstein, I didn’t know what to say. Luckily, he went first.
   “So,” he said with a grin, “how’s your day going?”
   Well, actually, I’ve been limping around on a hurt ankle, but thought I’d better not mention it.
   There was no sign of angst from Breitenstein. He was still smiling and occasionally joking. The doctors knew the ligament was torn. He was holding out hope that it was only hyper-extended.
   “That’s Eric,” Wofford head coach Mike Ayers said Monday. “He’s always the glass-is-half-full guy.”
   The Terriers are going to need a strong dose of that Breitenstein optimism. The fullback is the key to the Wofford offense and the sophomore has already shown he belongs in the long line of greats that includes Dane Romero from last year.
   Not to be a glass-half-empty guy, but this is a huge loss.