Delic will return to Kentucky

Published 11:42 pm Friday, July 8, 2011

As it turns out, Nermin Delic isn’t quite ready to walk away from football — and the University of Kentucky appears quite ready to welcome him back.

A little more than three weeks ago, reeling from the effects of a series of injuries and surgeries that made him question the stakes of playing college football, Delic gave up his scholarship and a roster spot at the University of Kentucky. The 2010 Northwest Whitfield graduate, who had also played basketball in high school, returned home and said that he would pursue life as a student-athlete in that sport instead.

Delic said he was serious about that change, and he even talked to a few schools about accepting a basketball scholarship. But a week into his post-football days, doubt crept into his mind.

“With all the injuries I went through, I just needed some time for myself, to think things over,” said Delic, who lettered as a freshman last fall while lining up at defensive end for the Wildcats.

“I made a decision without thinking through things.”

While Delic’s parents were supportive of his decision to give up football after he endured three surgeries in three months (for a torn groin, to remove a blood clot and to remove a rib), his dad also asked him to continue thinking about the opportunity he was giving up by leaving a Southeastern Conference football program. Back at home, as he talked with friends, former coaches and teammates and others in the community, he heard the same message.

“My parents were about as great as any parents could be, and my mom was real supportive of my decision of going to basketball,” Delic said.

“But I think my dad played the biggest impact. He looked at it like a business decision, and he tried to point me in the direction of doing what was right, which was to go back to Kentucky and get my degree.”

Delic said he and his father, Edin, went to Lexington about a week ago and met with Wildcats head coach Joker Phillips and defensive line coach David Turner for about 30 minutes. Delic said he believes having had a good attitude and staying out of trouble while at Kentucky helped Phillips in his decision to accept him back.

Although he won’t play, practice or even attend classes this fall, Delic said he’ll return for the spring semester and spring practice, with the understanding that he will have a chance to earn a scholarship spot on the team once again for the 2012 season.

In the meantime, his focus will be squarely on returning to football shape. Delic had been taking blood-thinning medication for three months, and wasn’t cleared by his doctor to return to lifting weights until Friday. He had already been running for about a week to try and regain some of his fitness, but said he needs to rebuild his 6-foot-5-inch frame with quality bulk, even though he currently weighs 265 pounds, his listed weight on last year’s roster.

“I just have to get my strength back, you know, and put weight back on the right way,” he said. “I don’t like not going back (to football) right now, but I’ll have six good months to put weight back on and get in really good cardio shape. Getting healthy, that’s what I’m really worried about. I want to be ready to go for them in the spring.”

Delic said he sensed confidence from Phillips, who reminded him that in playing SEC football as a freshman — he recorded five tackles, 1 1/2 sacks and forced a fumble — he was in select company.

Still, it’s been an interesting few weeks for Delic.

“What I should have done was told (Kentucky coaches) to give me a couple of weeks and let me relax,” he said. “I’m the type of guy that rushes everything I do. But I’ll learn from this. It will only make me better.”