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Basketball forward from Indiana college wears helmet to avoid his sixth concussion.
IPFW forward John Peckinpaugh drives against Purdue guard D.J. Byrd during a college basketball game. After enduring five concussions last season, Peckinpaugh wears protective head gear.
AP photo
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana-Purdue/Fort Wayne forward John Peckinpaugh heard the catcalls again last week.
“U-F-C, U-F-C,” the IUPUI students chanted at Conseco Fieldhouse.
This is what Peckinpaugh goes through in his new, protective world. When he stepped onto the court at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in November, wearing the distinctive boxing headgear for the first time, he was just hoping to prevent concussions.
Four months later, he’s still standing, still chuckling over the taunts that seem to come on every road trip.
“Tonight was the funniest student section,” Peckinpaugh said after an 86-77 loss at Conseco, a game in which he had eight points and six rebounds. “I don’t like (the headgear), but I’ve gotten used to it.”
The junior forward didn’t have a choice.
Last season, Peckinpaugh wore a protective plastic helmet and still wound up with five diagnosed concussions, enough to make his parents and coaches worry about long-term damage.
So coach Dane Fife and the Mastodons trainers spent the offseason searching for a solution, settling on the helmet that looks better suited for an Olympic boxing match than basketball. Fife won’t let him play without it.
So far, so good.
Through the first 23 games, Peckinpaugh has missed just three and has not sustained another concussion.
Yes, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound junior still takes his shots. Two weeks ago, Fife held him out after he took a blow to the jaw without his mouthpiece. Last week, an IUPUI player ran into Peckinpaugh, knocking him to the floor and his headgear completely off.
Everybody, including Peckinpaugh, understands that the next hard hit, the next dive for a loose ball, the next elbow that catches him in the temple could end his basketball career.
If anything, the headgear has allowed Peckinpaugh to play his usual style. He doesn’t back down from contact, is willing to mix it up in the paint and shows no hesitation when sliding over to take a charge. The headgear has forced Peckinpaugh to make some adjustments.
The protruding sides limit his peripheral vision. He also had to change his shot and get accustomed to the awkward questions and continual taunts. The soft-spoken native of Muncie, Ind., never wanted his college career to turn out this way.
But it’s the only way he can help the Mastodons.
The NCAA rules, Fife and Peckinpaugh said, played no role in their decision-making.
How much more can Peckinpaugh’s body and mind take?
Nobody knows.
In Fort Wayne, where IPFW is located, the constant battle to keep Peckinpaugh healthy has taken on a life of its own.
“Any time John gets hit in our gym and there’s any question about it, the gym goes silent,” Fife said. “Once you see him move, you know he’s OK because when he got hit last year, he was out.”
Opponents aren’t so forgiving. Crowds on the road are doing their part, too, and they’re hitting closer to home than they think.
“John doesn’t fear pain. I hated pain,” Fife said. “Actually, I think he enjoys pain. You know if he wasn’t playing basketball, he’d probably be one of those ultimate fighters.”