How Carson Bruener overcame shoulder injury to star in win over Northwestern

'I’ll be honest — for myself, I didn’t know if I was going to play or not.'

Photo courtesy of UW Football.

SEATTLE — Such is the nature of football that if all goes according to plan for Carson Bruener and his left shoulder, you’ll remember the linebacker’s Apple Cup injury as a mere footnote.

It began to feel that way on Saturday, when Bruener suited up, started, played 32 snaps, grabbed an interception and tied for the team lead with six tackles in a 24-5 victory over Northwestern. 

UW coach Jedd Fisch had suggested early in the week that Bruener would play, so it was no surprise when he did, even if the pregame availability report listed him as questionable.

In the days prior, the senior captain wasn’t so sure, evidence of the unseen work sometimes required just to get these guys ready to play.

“I’ll be honest — for myself, I didn’t know if I was going to play or not,” Bruener said Tuesday, seated beside tailback Jonah Coleman at UW’s weekly player press conference. “The shoulder felt pretty banged up. Obviously, I wasn’t able to practice much going into that game. For me, I kind of looked at it — this program means a lot to me. I’ve been here a long time. This is my last year, so I need to take every opportunity I can to go out there and play and help this team win.”

Sporting a large brace around his left shoulder, Bruener didn’t appear any worse for wear once the game started. He might not have played quite as many snaps as he typically does, but he affected the game all the same. After ending Northwestern’s final possession of the first half by intercepting quarterback Jack Lausch — and returning it 24 yards to at least give UW a chance to score before halftime — Bruener followed by stuffing a run for no gain, combining on a tackle for a 1-yard gain, and combining on another tackle for a 2-yard gain on three of Northwestern’s first four plays of the third quarter.

His effort earned “Dawg of the Week” recognition from Fisch.

It would have been hard to see that coming as Bruener writhed in pain on the turf at Lumen Field.

With 10:38 left in the fourth quarter of UW’s Apple Cup loss to Washington State, Bruener tracked down quarterback John Mateer, tackling him after a five-yard gain on first down. Bruener landed hard on his left shoulder and stayed down, rolling onto his back and then onto his knees with his helmet in the turf. He required attention from two members of the Huskies’ training staff before rising and jogging to the sideline. Bruener stood there a while, in obvious pain, before retreating to the locker room.

He had images taken of his injury and was ruled out for the rest of the game. “It was hard,” Bruener said, “because I know this is my last Apple Cup, and I wanted to do everything I could to go out there and help our team win.” 

Based on the pictures, though, doctors told him “you banged it up,” but that it didn’t appear to be long-term or season ending.

It still took some doing to get back for Northwestern. Bruener said he didn’t have much range of motion in his shoulder immediately following the Apple Cup — or in the following days — so that became a focus of his rehabilitation. He said he used Hivamat deep oscillation therapy to help reduce swelling.

“I wasn’t sure really how it was going to feel, how it was going to recover,” Bruener said of his shoulder. He couldn’t strike at practice throughout the week, and checked in daily with team doctors. He credited assistant athletic trainer Jaqui Carrell for leading his rehab, and said “our trainers, I feel like, are the best in the country.”

Now, he leads a defense that has held three of its first four opponents without a touchdown into Friday’s game at Rutgers, the Huskies’ first true road game since visiting Oregon State last season.

“I’ve been able to play in a lot of stadiums, NFL, college as well, throughout my career here,” Bruener said. “This is a stadium I haven’t played in, so it’s something I kind of get to check off — almost like a football bucket list, in a way, just being able to see all these new sites and play these new teams.”

— Christian Caple, On Montlake