Surgery sidelines Althoff two-sport standout Edwyn Brown

Althoff High junior football and basketball standout Edwyn Brown is expected to be sidelined for up to four months while recovering from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right foot.

Brown, a first-team Belleville News-Democrat All-Area pick as a defensive back, suffered the injury on the sixth play of Althoff’s state football championship game loss to Chicago Phillips in DeKalb. Further testing revealed a tear of the Lisfranc ligament in his foot that required surgery last Tuesday at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

“I was backpedaling, nobody was around me,” said Brown, a 6-foot-5, 180-pound football cornerback and basketball guard. “I took a step and it just popped.”

Brown was initially hopeful the injury was just a strain or sprain. Especially since he’s also one of the top guards for Althoff’s top-ranked boys basketball team that finished second in the state last season and is off to a 7-1 start.

“I thought it was a minor injury,” he said. “I knew there was nothing I could do about it, so I just have to keep my head up. My guys have been visiting me every day so it’s been cool; I got a chance to go to the game (last Friday).”

Brown said his foot is in a soft cast now, then will be switched to a hard cast and eventually to a walking boot. He had a team-leading six interceptions for Althoff’s 13-1 football team, several of which either saved wins or provided momentum toward victories.

Brown also had the game-winning touchdown reception in the season opener against Collinsville.

“I might be able to play in the (basketball) playoffs, but that’s not 100 percent,” Brown said. “I’ve still got my senior year and the summer.”

Althoff coach Greg Leib said many people may not realize how valuable Brown is to the basketball team. As a sophomore last season for the Class 3A state runner-up team he averaged 2.4 points and had 40 assists and 36 steals, providing depth at guard along with fellow sophomore C.J. Coldon.

“The way his game was progressing he was a guy to contend for being possibly even a starter,” Leib said of Brown. “It’s the kind of squad we’ve got, it could be a different group every night. This is a tough situation for him because of the fact that he’s not allowed to get out there and compete.

“It affects us tremendously. Ed’s a great competitor and great athlete and an even better teammate.”

Leib said the main focus now is Brown’s health and getting the injury rehabbed properly.

“You’ve got to get it right, you can’t limp through it,” Leib said. “He’s going to be missed.”

This story was originally published December 21, 2015 at 8:22 AM with the headline "Surgery sidelines Althoff two-sport standout Edwyn Brown."