Havili given the OK to play with Weber

OGDEN — The Weber State football team received some very uplifting news earlier this week when doctors cleared one of its injured seniors to play.

Wildcats' running back Sione Havili returned to practice on Monday and will play in Saturday's game at North Dakota State. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound transfer from Texas Tech missed the first two games of the season after suffering a rare form of stroke during practice on Aug. 29.

The stroke resulted in Havili losing the majority of vision in his left eye.

Havili's eyesight hasn't fully returned, but he said he feels good and can see well enough to play.

"My vision is about 50 percent, but going from 10 percent and them saying it would improve to 50 percent a few days later, you got to be grateful for that," Havili said. "It's been good, but it's been an adjustment though."

The senior running back has spent the last two weeks on bed rest. His priorities since being cleared to play are getting his legs back and reacquainting himself with the playbook.

"I'm just trying to get my wind, my legs and my mind back," he said. "We'll see how it goes, but it's been going well these last few days."

Havili will continue to meet with doctors and specialists, who have performed every possible test and tell him it is very unlikely that he will suffer another stroke. Medical personnel still believe the stroke was caused by a blockage in the artery between Havili's eye and brain.

Once he was cleared to play, he said the decision to return and play was a family decision.

"After facing the prospect of maybe never playing football again, and more importantly, never being able to see again, it's an exciting feeling (to be back)," Havili said.

"My family and I talked about it and we felt like it would be a good opportunity for me to come back on the field and see how I feel. (Tuesday) it felt great so I'm going to continue on and hopefully things will work out."

Coach Ron McBride was also excited when Havili received permission to return to the team. He welcomed him with open arms and a playbook.

"It's great to have (Sione) back," McBride said. "He just needs to know what we're doing again with the offense."

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