GILROY—Nothing was going to stop Mikey Pirnik from playing his sophomore season at Gavilan College—not even a broken arm.
Pirnik broke his arm in the third game of the season against Yuba College. In an instant, his plans of finishing his final year at Gavilan and playing at a four-year institution came to a screeching halt.
Pirnik’s mind began to race.
Per National Junior College Athletic Association rules, an athlete who has competed in three contests couldn’t medical redshirt. With his recovery time bumping right up against the season finale, he saw his hope of returning slipping away.
“I knew I was kind of screwed. It took a lot going through physical therapy and I was pushing my doctors to the edge,” Pirnik said.
But all hope wasn’t lost.
The defensive back pushed himself to the limit in physical therapy and sped up his recovery time. Just five weeks after his injury, Pirnik was back on the field for Gavilan’s game against Merced. The Christopher High alum was able to finish the season and his perseverance paid off in the form of a scholarship to Montana Tech of the University of Montana, which he signed Monday in the Gavilan College gym.
“We’re incredibly proud of him and happy to get another local guy out,” Rams coach Mike Dovenberg said. “That’s what we’re about here, helping guys move on to reach their dreams.”
Pirnik was reinvigorated in his return, scoring three touchdowns on special teams in his final four games. He also racked up 34 tackles and two interceptions in his sophomore season.
Pirnik’s talents will be valuable in Butte, Mont. and Dovenberg is confident he’ll be a difference maker. He’s joining an Orediggers team that went just 1-9 in 2014 and a defense that gave up an average 35.8 points a game.
“Mikey is one of the guys that was the heart and soul for our team,” Dovenberg said. “He was great to everybody and he deserves everything he’s going to get right now.”
Pirnik is the 11th Ram to sign with a four-year institution this season. He will major in Communications at Montana Tech and said he’s grateful to his Gavilan coaches for helping make all his hard work pay off.
“I’m really excited and I’m really happy to keep on playing two more years of football,” he said. “I’m looking forward to playing at that next level and (playing) that kind of football.”
