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Provo • There was a time when BYU linebacker Jordan Pendleton took football for granted.

Throughout his youth football career, his days at Bingham High School, and the first half of his college career, Pendleton says he never took the time to step back and realize how much he loved the sport because, well, he never had to. He was rarely injured, never not in the game.

But that all changed for Pendleton on the first night of October. That's when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in a 31-16 loss to Utah State, and after surgery on his knee (and another surgery to repair a nagging shoulder injury), he was forced to miss spring ball as well.

The injuries "taught me to never take this sport for granted again," Pendleton said. " When I go out there now, I want to make the most of everything, every minute, every opportunity."

The senior who figures to be a part of one of the best and deepest linebacking units ever at BYU says he is fully healthy now, and ready to play up to the "potential" tag that has been saddled on him ever since he signed with the Cougars after an all-state and MVP prep career at Bingham.

"I feel fine now," he said. "I feel like I can bring it every play."

That's music to the ears of head coach Bronco Mendenhall, who has sung Pendleton's praises for years, promising an aggressive, playmaking defensive star whenever he's been asked when the son of former BYU receiver Kirk Pendleton will return to the playing field.

"He loves football and he's passionate about improving," Mendenhall said. "We're anxious to get him back."

At preseason camp, trainers and coaches have managed Pendleton's practice time and contact work with extra effort, careful to not let him go too hard, or too much, and suffer another injury.

"Yeah, he's fine," linebackers coach Kelly Poppinga said the other day after Pendleton was held out of practice. "He had that offseason surgery, so we are just making sure none of that flares back up. He will be ready to go, come the Ole Miss game."

Pendleton raised a few eyebrows around Provo during the summer when he opted to go to California and train with his brother-in-law, former BYU receiver Austin Collie of the Indianapolis Colts, for a few weeks.

But Poppinga said it was done with the blessing of his BYU coaches because it was done during times when the Cougars had breaks from their own training sessions. Nobody holds it against him, the coach said.

"He was here the majority of the time," Poppinga said. "He was able to work out with Austin and learn some things that he found beneficial. We are fine with that. When it was time to train with the team, he was here training with the team. He was here building that camaraderie with his teammates."

Already blessed with a bodybuilder's physique, Pendleton said he changed his workout routine to emphasize building flexibility and endurance, rather than just brute strength and muscle mass. He now gets deep tissue massages two or three times a week, and does some yoga to increase flexibility and improve his recovery times after hard workouts or practices.

"I don't get tired as easily," he said. "But I won't know how I am going to feel after a game now until I play in one."

Playing in a football game again. That notion brings a smile to his face. It's something he will never take for granted again. —

The Pendleton file

• Made 38 tackles and two sacks in 2010 before injury in fifth game forced season-ending surgery

• Made 10 starts at outside linebacker as a sophomore, recording 52 tackles, three sacks

• 5A football MVP at Bingham High (2006)

• Brother-in-law of Indianapolis Colts receiver Austin Collie, a former Cougar

• Father, Kirk Pendleton, played receiver for BYU from 1980-83