Gazette-Times Reporter

Lyle Moevao went under the knife and thought he was going to have a minor procedure to fix his sore throwing shoulder.

When the Oregon State senior quarterback woke up he found out his entire rotator cuff was rebuilt and his biceps tendon repaired.

That was a shocking revelation since he played three football games with the injury and started offseason training.

"It was pretty bad from what I was told," Moevao said. "I didn't know it was that bad. I just knew it was hurting at the same time I was trying to fight through the pain.

"The doctor was even surprised I was able to throw a ball."

Moevao was hurt Nov. 1 in the second quarter against Arizona State. He was hit on a blitz by defensive end Dexter Davis and driven to the ground.

His strength never returned but still led the Beavers to wins over California and Pittsburgh, and a loss in the Civil War. He just hoped he would heal in time after the season.

Coach Mike Riley suggested Moevao see a doctor when there was no improvement. After a second opinion surgery was the best option.

The MRI didn't show the whole picture. It looked bad, but was worse when Moevao was opened up for surgery.

"I'm just focused to be back at full strength right now," Moevao said. "That's what's important. I don't want to rush anything and then make it worse."

The surgery was March 2 and it won't be until early July that Moevao can attempt to throw again. He's still in a sling so not to do too much and aggravate the wound.

Moevao only recently began a light conditioning program. He wasn't allowed to work hard so his sweat wouldn't infect the surgery cuts.

"It's just the range of motion that's the problem now," Moevao said. "I'm not all there yet. I can't get my arm up over my head, yet."

So he's watching spring practice, rooting for his fellow quarterbacks to be ready to play if he can't.

Moevao knows the system, so the break isn't a big issue. He just has to keep up with the evolution of the offense.

"It's important to stay engaged and pay attention," Riley said. "As practices goes on he can interact with the quarterbacks and the coaches."

Fellow senior Sean Canfield runs the team in his absence. The irony isn't lost on anyone that Canfield was the starter two seasons ago before a shoulder injury the first week of November.

He came back to guide the team to a bowl game victory before having surgery, just like Moevao. Canfield didn't regain the top spot until now, but played well in relief.

"That's unfortunate in itself for Lyle," Canfield said of his injury. "I can empathize more than anyone else. I was there last year."

The Beavers are relieved that Moevao and Canfield are interchangeable. It's what kept them going the last two years while other Pacific-10 Conference teams have dropped off at the end of the season when their No. 1 quarterback went down.

"I'm just happy there are two of us," Moevao said. "If there was only one of us and nobody behind, it would be a tough thing for our team to go through."

For more than two years Moevao and Canfield have been battling for playing time, but at the same time they've stayed friends. A major reason there's no jealousy is that one relieved the other after major injuries, ending the competition.

Their bond has been vital to OSU's team unity. There's never been a hint of taking sides by the players, which is a common in these situations.

And whatever happens in Moevao's recovery, if there is one or not, he'll be rooting for Canfield to lead to Beavers to victory. Canfield says he wants to compete with Moevao when he attempts to return in the fall so both can improve.

It took Canfield a full year before he was back to his old self after his surgery. This may be a situation where Moevao is trying to be a viable backup, just in case Canfield goes down.

"We know if one of us is out there taking the snaps, we have to support him," Moevao said. "This is not for us. One of us getting the starting spot won't win games. It's us supporting the other one who's out there that win games. That's the main thing. That's something coach has been happy about that we are supporting each other because the rest of the team is looking at us."