Giant Mayle a three-year anchor for Ross offensive line after devastating leg injury

Doctors told Kaden Mayle he wouldn't play football again when he was a freshman.

Mayle broke his femur in a practice mishap with a fellow lineman.

Now a senior, Mayle didn't buy the prognosis for a second. The offensive lineman started every game since Week 1 as a sophomore, and he's a verbal commit to Kent State.

"Immediately in my head, I knew I was going to come back to play the sport I love," he said. "I had surgery with two screws and two pins in my leg. I couldn't bend my knee. That was the hardest part. I was in bed for three months, the whole summer.

High school football Mr. Reliable helps prevent last-minute touchdown as Ross football ends three-game skid

"I was out for the season, I was distraught. My brothers were there every step of the process, so were my parents."

He had physical therapy three hours each day. Eventually he started to run, which still looks like a bit of a challenge after whistles, but less so between them.

He's glad he didn't listen to the doctors.

"He does such a good job sealing the end, the line of scrimmage," Little Giants coach Chad Long said. "He's a giant, you can't miss him. He's the biggest kid on the field. He has passion and heart. You don't find many athletic kids like him at 6-foot-6, 305 pounds running and blocking downfield."

Mayle's teammates know he has experience when he has something to say. He can be a bully and a mismatch to help Ross sustain drives.

"Even if we're backed up, I try to get the guys together and get the ball moving," Mayle said. "Lead the guys. Try to make plays, whatever I can do."

Since late last season, Mayle occasionally works in on defense.

"I've always loved the defensive line, both of my brothers were defensive linemen," he said. "I love hitting people."

Mayle has no problem playing physical. If anything, he had to learn to harness his intensity.

"The mental side, I have more composure," he said. "Not getting too angry. I'm content, but I want more every play. I like to hit things, it's just in me. There's a process to keep under control."

Older brothers Nate and Nick Mayle helped shape little brother's thinking.

"Nick is a psychology major," Mayle said. "No matter what it is, it's going to be all right."

Nate graduated from Ross in 2017 and Nick in 2020, before playing at Akron for three years.

"My oldest brother took the first steps and made the path easier," Mayle said. "They made sure I was always on my A-game and improving."

Mayle wants to help Ross (2-4, 1-0) make a push in the Northern Lakes League Cardinal Division, after opening Friday with a 26-20 victory over Napoleon. He's also excited about Kent State, even as others continue to pay attention.

"At the MAC level, the new coaching staff has a lot of experience," he said. "Things are looking on the upside, and I'm excited to get there and be a part of that."

mhorn@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Giant Mayle a three-year anchor for Ross offensive line after devastating leg injury