For three months, Gerry McNamara traded a basketball for a fishing pole. And take it from McNamara – it wasn’t a very hard compromise. Not when his leg hurt so badly he felt like he could cut it off.

On Jan. 20, McNamara hobbled up and down the court against Seton Hall. At first he thought it was a groin pull. An MRI after last season revealed it was a stress fracture in his pelvic bone.

And he played on, leading Syracuse to the Sweet 16 last season. Through the pain, he struggled (scoring eight points against Pittsburgh in the first game after the injury) and excelled (scoring 43 in SU’s tournament game against BYU). So the doctors prescribed rest, three months devoid of the game he loved.

‘If I started to play I wouldn’t be able to stop,’ McNamara said, ‘so I had to stay away from it completely. You have to look long term, and long term was just staying healthy.

‘But relaxing isn’t as hard as it seems in the summer time.’

So he went fishing, often from 7 a.m. to 7 at night. Twelve hours on Stone Pond in Mount Rose, Pa., does a lot to clear a man’s mind. And now, with Syracuse ranked No. 6 in the country, a refreshed McNamara is a big reason why the Orange is a preseason favorite to reach the Final Four.

Friends, family, teammates and onlookers knew McNamara was hurt last year. Only they didn’t know the severity. After the Seton Hall game last year, McNamara said it was the worst pain he had ever felt. As the season lingered, he often ducked out of postgame interviews so others wouldn’t see the hurt in his eyes.

‘When he plays, he wears the Superman suit,’ SU assistant coach Mike Hopkins said. ‘And when he takes it off, I’m sure there are a bunch of bruises. But nothing’s going to keep him out of the game.’

It became much easier after the season, when McNamara could fish, golf and lift weights at his leisure. There were no scheduled workouts, just lazy days on the pond with his father Chiz or his buddies. When no one was around, he’d go by himself. But he still couldn’t kick his basketball habit, sometimes – against doctor’s orders – showing up to the gym with a basketball and shooting in place, making sure to not aggravate the injury.

‘My mind was telling me to (play), but the body was saying no,’ McNamara said. ‘I knew that if I did go out and pick up the ball, I would just injure myself more. I think I did the smart thing by taking a lot of time off.’

And who could blame him? Especially when his respite was more like a three-month vacation.

‘His first love may be fishing,’ Chiz said, ‘and his second love may be basketball. If he couldn’t do one, he’s pretty happy with the other.’

This summer McNamara pulled a 7-pound bass. He also consistently nailed 300-yard drives during his free time on the golf course. The time away from basketball allowed him to participate in a couple golf tournaments with Chiz. On the 18th hole in one of the tournaments, McNamara crushed his tee shot. One of Chiz’s friends, who also worked at the golf course, witnessed the drive and stood in awe.

‘I’ve been up here a lot of years,’ the man said, ‘and I’ve never seen anybody hit it that far off the tee.’

‘He really got that baby,’ Chiz said.

Of course, McNamara won the long-drive competition, besting the previous mark by 40 yards.

McNamara’s three-month prohibition ended in late July. He’d go to his old high school, Bishop Hannan in Scranton, Pa., and lift weights and play in the pickup games with his high school teammates.

Chiz was worried that his son would come back too soon, that Gerry’s stoic mentality would mask common sense and, even worse, the pain in his leg. But Chiz’s fear was alleviated when his son came home after that first night of playing pickup.

‘How do you feel?’ Chiz asked.

‘Good,’ McNamara said.

‘How were you moving out there?’

‘Good,’ he said.

‘How was your shot dropping?’

‘It was dropping from everywhere.’

‘All right then,’ Chiz said. ‘We’re on our way to healing up.’

‘I could just tell by the way he walked in the door,’ Chiz said. ‘I could tell he did well.’

Now, McNamara says he’s completely healthy. He’s ready to tackle the almost absurd expectations levied on a Syracuse team that’s returning all five starters and eight of the players from the 2003 championship team. Anything other than a championship, McNamara says, is a disappointment.

He’ll take that task on his shoulders and on his now healthy leg. McNamara’s hoping the summer off pays dividends, that the three months away from the gym now helps him in one.

‘It’s tough going away from the game you love so much for a long period of time,’ McNamara said. ‘I was forced to do that. But I had a fun summer because of the friends I made and the fish I caught.’

Published on November 9, 2004 at 12:00 pm