Freshman Ryan Condon is a huge hockey fan. He also plays as a midfielder for the Marquette men’s lacrosse team.

But last August, he traded in his lacrosse stick and any thoughts of picking up a hockey stick for a pair of crutches after tearing his ACL and meniscus in a summer lacrosse camp. Months later, with the help of head athletic trainer Jeremy Johnson and the coaching staff, he’s ready to make a difference on the field.

Hailing from Wausau, Wis., Condon grew up in a family with strong hockey bloodlines. He played for four years in high school alongside his two brothers, Nick and Nate. Both play still: Nick as a senior defenseman at Notre Dame and Nate as a sophomore forward at Minnesota who brought the family together in Florida this year for a Frozen Four run.

Condon said he enjoyed the warm weather, but soon found himself back at work in Milwaukee’s bipolar climate. He spent the fall and most of the winter doing upper body work and now participates in early morning lifts and practice at Valley Fields.

“Every day I would go in and do every sort of bench press for my upper body,” Condon said. “I pretty much have an upper body that weighs 160 pounds, while my legs weigh like 10.”

Johnson worked closely with Condon during the recovery process to ensure there were very few setbacks, so Condon could be ready to practice by spring break. The recovery period for ACL tears is usually six to nine months, but Condon also needed repairs on his meniscus, extending his time on crutches.

“We worked on strength and overall range of motion back to full go in terms of competition,” Johnson said. “Now what I stay on him is about his quickness.”

Coach Joe Amplo believes Condon’s athleticism has a high ceiling, and he has the skill set to be a successful player as a freshman. His only question is whether or not those two factors can get on the same level once he recovers.

“(Condon’s) got great hands. He’s got a knack for scoring and a nose for the goal. His hand-eye coordination is like that of our top three or four players,” Amplo said. “His ability to catch and shoot the ball is right there with anybody.”

Those sound like hockey player qualities, but Amplo says otherwise.

“(Condon) has more skills in hockey than he does in lacrosse, but athletically he’s more suited to be a lacrosse player,” Amplo said. “If his lacrosse skills ever catch up to that athleticism, then it’s lights out for him.”

Condon’s spending his recovery time wisely, developing his hand-eye coordination in his free time by bouncing a ball against the wall and catching it. That brace around his knee slows him down, but once it comes off, he believes he’ll be ready to go.

“The recovery process just takes time,” Condon said. “Once the brace comes off, I’ll be more confident and be able to go at one hundred percent.”

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What makes the Midwest better than the East Coast? : We know how to talk normal. We’ve got the Packers. This is Title Town. 

Favorite Athlete: Aaron Rodgers

Funniest Movie: Wedding Crashers

Celebrity Crush: Katie Perry

If you won the Mega Millions, what would’ve been your first move? : Build my own hockey stadium in my hometown and name it after myself.

Bucket List: 1. Skydive 2. Own a home in Hawaii 3. Watch the entire Twilight saga in one day.