Note: This is the first of several Icon profiles of Ada High School 2012 graduates. Profiles are by Kenzie Fell.

Growing up, Cole Simon, a 2012 Ada graduate, couldn’t wait to become a Bulldog varsity football player. His senior year he got the chance to play on both offense and defense.

However, his dream was interrupted during game six, Homecoming week, against the Paulding Panthers. He suffered a devastating knee injury that was especially painful during his senior year at Ada High School. The highlight of Cole Simon’s high school career was his tremendous determination and hopeful comeback to play one more time on the football field with his best friends.

Cole participated in football and basketball all four years at Ada High School. He says what he will miss most about high school is “being able to play in Friday night football games.”

Clearly, this young man’s life was revolved around athletics and his favorite sport, football. Cole was voted captain by his fellow teammates and was having an extremely successful season as a wide receiver and defensive back.

Six weeks into the season, Cole was having the game of his life. He had already scored three touchdowns in the first quarter and a half and was on pace to set a record. On a typical defensive play late in the second quarter, Cole backpedaled and his knee locked up and he collapsed in pain. Cole was carried off the field by his two best friends and was unable to finish the game.

The next morning, he received an MRI at the Orthopedic Institute of Ohio and heard the verdict. He had torn his meniscus. Instantly, the options were displayed; either they could perform a quick, painless surgery to remove the entire meniscus and Cole would be back in three works or have a surgery to repair the meniscus, where Cole would be back after a five month recovery. The answer was simple and Cole had the surgery to remove the meniscus the following day.

Cole returned to the football field on week 10 against our rivals, the LCC Thunderbirds. After three weeks of tough therapy and an even tougher time watching his teammates play games without him, he had a full recovery. He remembers Coach Fell asking him if “he was ready to go” and Cole knew he was “100% ready.” This traumatic event taught Cole many life lessons and he believes this comeback was his greatest achievement in his high school career.

Cole plans to attend the University of Toledo in the fall to major in nursing. He spends his summers as a cashier at the Ada Pool. His advice to underclassmen at Ada High School is to “Live it up because when it’s all over you realize how fast it went and how fun it was!”