Wes Brown will play through pain

Tennessee defensive lineman Wes Brown leaned against a desk in the lobby of the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center on Tuesday afternoon, ice wrapped around his right knee.

For Brown, one bag of ice is much better than two.

In December, doctors repaired a torn meniscus suffered early last season in his right knee. In April, he had arthroscopic surgery after participating in just five spring practices. On both knees. At the same time.

But despite the toll of three surgeries in a four-month span, Brown is working out with the Vols as they continue to prepare for fall practice.

Quarterback Jonathan Crompton knows just how long the road back has been.

"It's tough. It really is," said Crompton, Brown's roommate. "Especially when I come home from class one day and I see him laying on his bed one day with both knees wrapped up from double knee surgery. That's tough on him. But he did a great job handling it, getting back from it and all that. I don't think there's too many guys on this team that could work harder than Wes at staying healthy or rehabbing or working out or anything like that."

That's been the bulk of Tennessee's offseason for Brown, who likely will move from defensive end to defensive tackle this fall. In an effort to be ready when fall camp begins Aug. 4, Brown has tried to find alternative workouts when his teammates go through agility drills that his knees aren't quite up to yet.

Sometimes it's boxing. Other times it's swimming or doing extra time on the stationary bike. Weights haven't been a problem, though. Brown said Tuesday he's added about 15 pounds this offseason.

"I'm busting my tail trying to get in there and get ready for the fall," Brown said. "My last year, I want to make the best of it."

Of course Brown seems to treat every chance to play like it could be his last.

Like some of his teammates - including safety Eric Berry, who played much of the season with a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery - Brown postponed knee surgery and toughed it out last fall despite the Vols' on-field struggles. For Brown at least, playing through pain wasn't nearly as tough as UT's 5-7 record and the eventual dismissal of the entire coaching staff.

"I wouldn't say it's as tough as the whole season was to go through," Brown said. "It was tough playing on it, but just to see how bad we were struggling as a whole team hurt me more than any injury could."

Not that Brown allowed himself to be slowed by injuries.

He started all 12 games last season at defensive end and recorded 37 tackles. Even as Tennessee's season spiraled, Brown kept himself in the lineup and kept playing at a high level.

"I'm not saying Wes is the toughest guy in the world and some guys are softer," said center Josh McNeil, who has played through a variety of injuries over the course of his 35-game starting streak. "It's just the way it is. Some guys can play through some injuries that others can't."

Those who do, though, pay a price.

"Sometimes you get out of bed on a Sunday morning, and the first thing you do is hit the floor because your knee just collapses," McNeil says. "You definitely pay for it Sunday. Not only Sunday, because you've got to go through practice all week. You pay for it every day. People really don't realize sometimes ... how beat up (certain players') bodies are and what they go through during the course of the year and to get through the season."

For Brown, the costs of playing are those sore Sunday mornings and hours in the training room. And, if not a bargain, it's at least a good deal, he says.

"It's worth every bit of it when you've got 107,000 people wearing orange in Neyland Stadium," he said. "It doesn't get any better than that. Whatever injury you have you can overcome, because it doesn't get any better than that."

Drew Edwards covers University of Tennessee football. He may be reached at 865-342-6274.