ESU's Lohmann Not Slowed by Injuries

By David Boyce
Niles Media Group

Football players battle back from injuries all the time. It is the nature of the game. Coming back from a couple of injuries and still making an impact is harder to do.

Emporia State junior defensive back Derek Lohmann is in that rare category of succeeding after battling through two injuries.

Lohmann heads into Saturday's home game against Truman with five interceptions after picking off two passes last week in Emporia State's 52-23 victory over Lincoln.

"Really," Lohmann said, "it was the coaching. Coaches put us in good position. It was just being in the right place at the right time."

"One of those was a tip ball. Basically, being lucky is what it comes down to."

Lohmann will probably get a few opportunities on Saturday in the MIAA Game of the Week, which will be televised. Truman is one of many teams in the MIAA that likes to put the ball in the air.

"This league puts the ball in the air so much that you got to have those guys like Derek back in the secondary," Emporia State coach Garin Higgins said.

Lohmann is 6-foot-1, 215-pounds. He's long and strong. And just as importantly, he will not allow a couple of injuries to keep him down.

The talent was obvious for Higgins. Lohmann arrived from Alva (Okla.) High School and started as a true freshman in 2008. He recorded 28 tackles and one interception.

Higgins had a good idea the type of player and person he had in Lohmann.

"His father gave me my first fulltime coaching job at Northwestern Oklahoma State," Higgins said. "When I first moved there in 1994, he was a 6-year-old running up and down the stairs at my apartment.

"He was a good football player coming out of high school. He did many good things. Physically, he was ready to play as a true freshman."

In 2009, Lohmann was ready to build on what he accomplished in his first season. Early during training camp, Lohmann suffered a hernia and redshirted.

"It does cost you when you miss a year," Lohmann said. "I could tell when I started my sophomore year, just getting back into the swing of things and game speed.

"It was something that happened. I had to deal with it and it ended up working out for the best."

Lohmann returned last year and flourished. He had five interceptions and returned them for 66 yards. He recorded four tackles for losses and finished with 40 total tackles.

The MIAA recognized him for his fine season. He earned second-team All-MIAA.

"Even last year, after he came back from the hernia, he hurt his shoulder probably the fifth or sixth game and he was never 100 percent healthy going into the end of the year," Higgins said. "He had surgery on his shoulder at the end of last season.

"He didn't go through spring ball last season, either. It tells you how good of a player he is. He is having a great year and he is getting better each week."

In the two interceptions Lohmann had last week against Lincoln, he returned them for 55 yards. In all, Lohmann has 128 return yards off interceptions. In addition, he has a career-best 45 tackles with still three games left.

"I think early on he was a little bit unsure playing on that shoulder," Higgins said. "He started getting some confidence midway through the season and now he's playing at the high level that he played for us last year at the beginning of the season.

"He has got a nose for the football. He does a great job of getting the ball at its highest point. He has the natural ability to do that."

Lohmann wants to do his part to help the Hornets finish above .500.

At 3-5 overall and 2-5 in the MIAA, Emporia State is seeking a strong finish.

The Hornets are trying to break the win-one-lose-one mode they have been in the last five weeks. Truman has struggled lately and is 2-6 overall and 1-6 in the MIAA.

"We have always had tough games against Truman," Lohmann said. "We do not take them lightly at all. It is a real big game for us.

"We are looking forward to it. We expect a real tough game from Truman."

A year ago, Truman beat Emporia State 37-34 in an offensive shootout.

"Last year's game was really tough on us because it kept us out of a bowl game," Higgins said. "Unfortunately, we were not able to get the job done and it was at our place. We've been looking forward to this game."

Higgins wants to see his team play well for four quarters. With the exception of the Pittsburg State game, Higgins said his team has been competitive in all the losses and was a just a possession away from winning.

"The biggest thing for us is to play four quarters," Higgins said. "I think we are a good football team. I think we can be even better if we play for four quarters.

"We got off to fast starts at the beginning of the year. Last half of the year, we have gotten off to slow starts. It has really been a struggle for this football team to play four quarters. That's what I look for us to do."