Hawaiian Islanders offensive specialist Gabe Amey caught six passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns last week in his first game since tearing a meniscus in April. The injury was a repeat of one he suffered last year.
Hanging on
to a dreamGabe Amey battled back from
injury to prolong his career
A scar on his right knee reminds Gabe Amey of the importance of preparing for life without football. But he's not ready to turn his back on the game just yet.
Bakersfield at Islanders
When: Tomorrow, 6:30 p.m.Where: Blaisdell Arena
TV: None
Radio: Live, KUMU2 1500-AM
Tickets: Lower Bowl reserved $25, upper bowl sideline (reserved) $15, upper bowl end zone (general admission) $10;Ê Youth (17 and below) $7, Handicap $10. Parking, $5
Promotions: All general admission tickets are half price at the Blaisdell box office ... the first 1,000 fans receive a free hot dog and soda ... the first 500 fans receive $10 Dave and Busters Power Cards and discount coupons to Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park.
While he builds his professional portfolio by handling mortgages by day, Amey is extending his football career in his night job as an offensive specialist for the Hawaiian Islanders.
"I still want to play football, but I'm not putting my eggs in one basket now," Amey said. "I realize that football's a funny sport and I can get injured at any time."
After missing nine games this season -- his first with the Islanders -- due to a torn meniscus in his right knee, Amey returned to action last week and helped spark the Islanders' 40-37 road win over the San Diego Riptide.
He is now looking forward to playing his first home game with the club when the Islanders (7-5) face the Bakersfield Blitz (8-4) tomorrow at Blaisdell Arena in an arenafootball2 West Division battle.
Amey hasn't played in front of the home crowd since his senior season at Saint Louis.
"When you get hurt and have to have surgery you can do two things: You can pack it up and call it a season, or you can rehab it, work hard and get back out there," Amey said. "I knew I didn't want to end my season like that."
Amey had his stint with the Carolina Cobras of the Arena Football League cut short last year due to a torn meniscus, and suffered the same injury in the second quarter of the Islanders' 37-35 loss at Louisville on April 10.
He came away unscathed after tumbling over the barrier that surrounds the field twice early in the game, but hurt his knee while hauling in a touchdown pass.
"It was one of those freak injuries where (the defensive back) tried to tackle me in the end zone and something caught in my knee and I knew something was wrong with it right there," Amey said.
Hawaiian Islanders offensive specialist Gabe Amey caught six passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns last week in his first game since tearing a meniscus in April. The injury was a repeat of one he suffered last year.
An MRI the following week revealed the tear, leaving Amey with thoughts of "here we go again."
Amey channeled the frustration into his efforts to rehabilitate the knee and eventually worked his way onto the roster for last week's game.
He made an immediate impact with six receptions for 99 yards and two touchdowns. His snag of a 16-yard scoring pass from quarterback Shawn Withy-Allen with 20 seconds left gave the Islanders the lead for good.
"The biggest thing is he made big plays," Islanders coach Cal Lee said. "He made some catches where he could be on the highlight tape."
San Diego managed a 37-34 lead with 55 seconds left when the Islanders took possession at their 16. Withy-Allen drove the Islanders into Riptide territory and found Amey open in the end zone for the deciding score.
"That's the position we want to be in; we want to have that pressure on us," Amey said. "All the receivers want to make that game-winning touchdown, the line was pumped and it was a good feeling for Shawn. I know he was really savoring that chance to lead us to victory."
At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Amey is a big target for the Islanders quarterbacks and he has the speed to get behind the secondary. Although the injuries have limited his playing time lately, he is one of the Islanders' more-experienced members.
He ended his Menlo College career in 2001 and played two seasons with the Macon Knights of af2 before hooking on with Carolina last year. When he wasn't picked up by an AFL team this season, Amey decided to return home.
"I've been traveling the country, I experienced a lot of fun things up there, but it was time for me to come back home," he said.
His first injury prompted Amey to embark on a career outside of football and he is putting his degree in business management to use as a residential loan officer with American Bancorp.
Along with giving Amey a chance to continue playing football, the Islanders' front office has also boosted his profile in the business community by providing advertising space in the game programs.
"They do a good job of not just promoting us as football players, but also helping us outside the game," Amey said. "They're very supportive of not just you as a football player but you as a person and what you want to do with your career."
Hawaiian Islanders
www.hawaiianislanders.com
