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Two concussions in less than a month ended guard Dan Wenger's playing days at Notre Dame. Another one could end his football career.
Wenger knows the risks. To him, they don't outweigh the rewards of helping No. 15 Florida vie for a championship.
The 6-foot-3, 294-pound guard from Coral Springs transferred to Florida this summer and has become an integral part of the offense and a leader on the line.
The Gators rank 31st in the country in total offense, averaging nearly 450 yards a game. Wenger has started every game, opening holes for running back Chris Rainey and keeping quarterback John Brantley mostly upright.
''This couldn't be a better situation for me right now,'' Wenger said. ''With everything that I've dealt with in the past, especially the situation that I had last year, being able to be part of Florida, it's just been amazing.''
Considering Wenger thought he might never play football again, his recovery and his return to the field have become a feel-good story for the Gators (3-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference), who play at Kentucky on Saturday.
Wenger sustained his first concussion on Aug. 13, 2010. He recalls little about the day other than going to practice. What he was doing, how he got hit, what happened immediately after, those are all lost memories.
''Just remember going to the hospital and getting some tests done and feeling some residual effects,'' he said.
The Fighting Irish held Wenger out of contact and he sat out the season opener. At practice the following week, Wenger sustained another concussion - his second in 25 days.
Multiple concussions in that short of time suggest serious brain trauma, and Notre Dame spent the next several weeks deciding whether to allow Wenger to play again.
Wenger, meanwhile, had all the typical, post-concussion symptoms. Headaches, trouble sleeping, sensitivity to bright light, exhaustion, Wenger dealt with them all.
''When you go through a concussion the emotions run wild,'' Wenger said. ''That's one thing: It's a roller-coaster ride. One day it's great, one day it's bad and you contemplate is it worth it? Is it not?''
Wenger traveled to the University of Michigan in early October to be evaluated by a specialist in hopes of getting clearance to play again, but he was denied. The following day, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly ruled Wenger out for the season.
''It was heartbreaking,'' Wenger said. ''It was devastating to get that news, and I wasn't sure what I was going to do.''
He sat out all of last season, contemplating whether to take his sociology degree and enter the job market or risk another concussion by chasing his football dreams.
For Wenger, who started 19 games in three seasons in South Bend, Ind., the choice was easy. The NCAA had granted him a sixth year of eligibility, and with his concussion symptoms long gone, he wanted to give football another shot.
Notre Dame had other thoughts, though. Kelly and the team's medical staff denied Wenger clearance, saying they couldn't ''in good conscience'' let him play again.
Wenger got his release and reached out to Notre Dame's former offensive line coach, Frank Verducci. Wenger wanted to play for Verducci and his former head coach at Notre Dame, Florida offensive coordinator Charlie Weis.
Verducci, Weis and first-year head coach Will Muschamp agreed it would be a beneficial move for the Gators, who were trying to place first-round draft pick Mike Pouncey and two other starters on the offensive line. But Wenger had to get medical clearance for it to work.
Wenger went through seven hours of medical and cognitive tests to check for any lingering effects, then underwent another round of tests before Florida cleared him.
''If he couldn't play a down, he would have still helped us tremendously because he knows the offense better than the rest of them,'' Weis said. ''Even if he couldn't physically hold up, his intangibles are through the roof.''
The real test came on the practice fields in August. Could Wenger handle full-contact drills? Could his body withstand the rigors of two-a-days after taking a year off? Would he be susceptible for a third, potentially career-ending, concussion?
He passed ''with flying colors,'' he said.
Wenger used his vast knowledge of Weis' offense and Verducci's blocking schemes to earn a starting job. He also has earned high praise from coaches and teammates after three games.
''He's the wise man of the offensive line,'' fellow guard Jon Halapio said. ''He knows every call there is. We felt really comfortable with him out there calling all the calls, and just running to the ball and being the leader out there.''
The rewards, so far, have outweighed the risks.
''It's one of those things that's in the past,'' Wenger said. ''It'll always be there, that memory of when it happened last year. But when it's out there on the field, it's strictly football.''
