How a Byron family faced multiple injuries in one year

"It was definitely nice to have people to be on the sidelines with and cheer with," Carson said. "They were going through the same thing as me. ... It sucks I'll never be able to get to play with those exact teammates again, but I'm just thankful that I do have the opportunity to continue playing."

The entire situation was quite difficult and bittersweet for Lisa and Corey, as one might imagine. Senior night was particularly tough.

"From a parent perspective, it was nice to have Jordan out there playing rather than both of them on the sideline with injuries, and it was an opportunity for other kids on the team to kind of step up and have an impact as well," Corey said. "They both have had a good perspective and understand that things like that are going to happen in life. ... But again I think they would have liked to play together a little bit more this year."

It put Jordan in a unique position, too. The youngest Heimer thrives on defense. In fact, he prefers it. He knew he'd step into the RB1 role as a senior after his brother graduates, but Carson's injury pushed Jordan into that position earlier than anticipated.

"I definitely wanted him to be back so I didn't have to play as much on the offensive side, because I still had, honestly, some elbow problems, and I was just a little out of shape, so that made it tough," said Jordan, who is using the spring season to take college visits and see where he might want to play at the next level.

The experience gave Jordan hope for next football season, too.

"It was definitely tough to see the seniors that were out knowing that they wouldn't play with us again, but seeing some of the kids step up that we needed to step up, and they did their job, it's reassuring for next year," Jordan said.

It was challenging for the brothers to see the KoMets and Orono face off in the Class 4A state title game, knowing the Bears beat both of those teams during the regular season. Corey said he hopes his sons can look back and feel proud to have played on this Byron football team, which, he thought, was one of the best in the state when healthy.

The Heimers emphasized the importance of checking in with their sons on their physical and mental health.

"You kind of just worry about, after multiple injuries in a row, of course, always worried about their physical health, but also their mental health, too," Lisa said. "They've both been pretty good about seeing the big picture, kind of realizing there's a master plan. And you might not always understand why, but there's a purpose for the pain, maybe. A lot of times when you feel the most broken, I feel like that's when you're being rebuilt stronger, in a way."

Carson transitioned from a boot to a scooter, which he used for six weeks. At home, he moved around on crutches, making his way from his bedroom upstairs to the basement, where there was a shower with a seat.

"I covered my eyes watching him navigate the stairs," Lisa said.

While it's important to check in with the boys mentally, Corey said it's also key to help them think about other things.

"I try not to ask them every day, 'how are you doing' because they're hearing that at school, from friends," Corey said. "It's definitely important to talk to them about how they're doing, but also focus on some of the other things like school ... or the recovery plan, those goals ... and ... staying active with the team."

Carson's PT appointments have been reduced to once a week as he hopes to return to the track for the end of the season in late May or early June.

Carson and his parents opted to do his physical therapy at Training Haus in Eagan, Minn., which means driving 70 minutes to appointments. The trips north and the extra time at home have given Lisa time to bond with her third-oldest son before he heads off to college in a few months.

"That kind of stuff you wouldn't have had the chance to do and just to make the most of that time," Lisa said.

The winter gave Carson time to recover and think about his future, which includes training at ETS Performance in Rochester in preparation to play football for the Mavericks next fall. He's even working to earn his private pilot's license as he plans to study aviation in college.

Carson and Jordan have been going to ETS for over five years, even while they were recovering from injury. One of their biggest mentors is Jake Kirsch, ETS Performance Senior Director of Operations.

"The Heimers are a great example of something negative happened, they took that as an opportunity to again face adversity and do the things necessary to get back on the field as fast as possible," Kirsch said. "When we work with return to sport kids, we modify their program so we're collaborating with their physical therapists, their doctors, their athletic trainers, to make sure that we're all on the same page. ... With Carson having surgery and not being very mobile, there's not a ton you can do. And so when he would come in on his crutches and in the boot, we're bringing the weights to him, or making sure that he's not walking on that foot."

From the moment they found out the severity of Carson's injury, the Heimer family has stayed positive, but that doesn't mean there weren't any frustrations and tears (most of which Lisa admitted were hers).

"The good thing is, he knew that his football career wasn't over because he was going to play in college. That helped," Corey said. "Over time, going through injuries and dealing with the highs and lows, I think in some way, prepares you for life as well. Like I've always preached to the boys, 'life's not fair.' That's one of my favorite sayings. And when you look back at their football season this year, that's exactly what it was."

His injury reminded Carson not to take anything for granted and gave him a new perspective.

"Anything can happen at any moment," Carson said. "I didn't think I would have gotten injured, and I didn't feel like I was going to get injured. It's just a freak thing that happens. Wrong place, wrong time. So the perspective of just you're not invincible. ... And so you really have to take the moments when you can compete and can play. You can't take them for granted."