AUSTIN, Texas -- Jamie Carey plays basketball with fearless
abandon, diving for loose balls and crashing to the floor after
banging into defenders on drives to the basket.
Despite a string of concussions that nearly ended her career,
the Texas point guard knows how to play only one way -- hard.
Carey's style helped the Longhorns reach the Final Four last
year and earn a No. 1 seed in the West Regional this season.
"I think that when you have a strong passion for something to
begin with, and you have it taken away like I did for a couple of
years,'' she said, "getting back even strengthens that passion.''
Injuries took the game from Carey for two years as she recovered
from too many hits to the head. Now every minute on the court is a
chance to make up for lost time.
Carey's first concussion came when she was in seventh grade. A
few more in high school didn't stop her from becoming an
All-American. At Stanford, she was the Pac-10 freshman of the year
in 2000.
Then came another concussion at the start of her sophomore
season. That's when the dizziness, memory loss and other
post-concussion symptoms took over.
Stanford doctors wouldn't clear her to play.
"Those were the hardest words to hear. My heart went straight
into my stomach,'' Carey said. "As soon as I got into the elevator
I cried.''
Just when Carey thought she had hit bottom, she had to deal with
an even bigger loss: her brother Josh, her only sibling, committed
suicide a month after she was benched.
"It took me four or five months just to find a reason to smile
again,'' Carey said.
Her drive to return to the court fueled her recovery. She
coached a girls team of sixth- and seventh-graders and played
pickup games even if Stanford officials wouldn't let her play for
the Cardinal.
"That was probably one of the best experiences I've had,'' she
said. "It took me a long time to get healthy. Not only did I have
the physical injury, I had to stop the bleeding of an emotional
love. Those kids were happy every day and really helped me.''
When her mind eventually cleared and the cloud of depression
lifted, Carey went in search of a medical second opinion.
Independent medical tests showed that despite her previous injuries
and symptoms she was not at a greater risk of chronic brain
problems.
Stanford agreed to give Carey her release. Texas officials
reviewed her records and agreed she could play in Austin.
Carey was a perfect fit for the Longhorns. She needed a place to
play and coach Jody Conradt's resurgent program needed a point
guard to run the offense.
Once Carey was in the starting lineup, the Longhorns stormed out
of the Big 12 last season to win the conference title. They got
within two points of knocking off eventual national champion
Connecticut in the Final Four.
This season, Texas reached No. 1 in the AP poll for the first
time in 16 years. The Longhorns won a share of the Big 12
regular-season title and ran their home winning streak to 34,
longest in the nation.
Carey has provided big shots along the way.
She hit two 3-pointers in the second overtime of a 73-72 win
over Baylor. Four days later, she hit the game winner with nine
seconds left to beat Kansas State.
"I don't care if Jamie is 0-for-February,'' Conradt said. "I'm
still wanting her to take the last shot.''
Although she still considers herself a physical player, Carey
said she doesn't do everything she used to. Defensively, she's not
as willing to take a charge from a bigger player and she has learned
how to keep her head up when she falls.
Last week, Carey was named one of 10 finalists for the national
"Jimmy V Comeback Award'' by the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
Last November, the NCAA granted Carey a sixth season of
eligibility. She has already earned a degree in sociology -- she's
the first member of her family to graduate college -- and enrolled
in a master's program in sports management.
Nicknamed "Grandma'' and "Elderly'' by her teammates, she'll
be nearly six years older than the incoming freshman class. Last
Friday, the team gave her a 23rd birthday card made out to the
"oldest junior in America.''
"It's only going to get worse,'' Carey said.