The Key West Citizen

Ironman On and Off Court

AP Newsfeatures

MOSCOW, Idaho.-The University of Idaho Vandals, Northern Division Pacific Coast Conference basketball champions for the first time in 23 years, have been called the Ironmen-but not entirely because their five starters frequently go the distance.

They've got another Ironman on their bench who is one of the few substitutes to crash the big five.

He's Bob Ryan, son of Mike Ryan, Idaho's track coach and athletic trainer.

A month after D-Day, during the St. Lo breakthrough, young Bob stopped a German bullet.

Then followed 15 months in hospitals in France, England and both coasts of the United States.

The ulna nerve of his right arm had been severed. He went through long months of operations and muscle and nerve grafting. The arm shriveled.

When he came home last September the arm was half its normal size, bent 25 percent at the elbow and completely paralyzed.

So Dad Ryan took a hand. He laid out a program of recovery and got the boy to playing golf.

By the time the basketball season rolled around the arm still was partly paralyzed and the fingers were stiff and curled

They taped the fingers back so it wouldn't interfere with ball-handling, and young Ryan took to the floor. He still has a 30 percent disability, but he made his letter with the championship Vandals in a gritty exhibition of courage which no doubt had more than a little to do with the success of his team.