MADISON, Wis. – For a time, Maema Njongmeta thought his football career was over before it really got started.
One of four linebackers in Wisconsin’s 2019 class, Njongmeta came off his redshirt season feeling he could find a role for himself in the inside linebacker rotation behind Jack Sanborn and fellow 2019 commit Leo Chenal. Not only did COVID cancel those plans, but the ensuing test results also sent him into panic mode.
“Is this an end of the season, end of my career type situation?” Njongmeta thought.
An offseason that started with a hernia going undiagnosed because of the COVID lockdown continued with the redshirt sophomore contracting the virus. The tests that followed uncovered a heart (pericardial) effusion, a rare condition where fluid collects around the heart. That led to more tests and more uncertainty of what COVID was doing to his body.
“The doctors didn’t have any answers at that point other than, hey, you can’t practice or play until further notice,” he recalled. “That was definitely a rough stretch.”
It turned out to be a mild overreaction, and not only is Njongmeta healthy, he’s having a solid camp in the middle of Wisconsin’s defense.
Njongmeta met with reporters over Zoom and discussed his 2020 health scares and his optimism heading into the fall.
What struggles did he preserve through during the 2020 season?
Njongmeta: Last season, I injured myself at the very beginning (of lockdown while weightlifting). I didn’t know what it was because I couldn’t get evaluated at the time. I was just out for that entire period until we got to campus in June. I found out that I had a hernia, so I needed to be operated on in July. Got through surgery, came back in time for the beginning of the season and then the season got canceled.
Over the break that we had, I ended up contracting COVID, so I went through that. They told me that the COVID affected my heart, so I was out for a month as they were conducting more tests and all that. I finally came back from all that, and then about three, four days into practice I tore my groin. I was out for basically the rest of the season, ended up coming back around Indiana week. I was lucky enough to play in the bowl game.
Just a lot of ups and downs. That’s life sometimes. That was kind of the up and down roller coaster story of last year. I’m healthy now, and back in action. It’s been good.
How did he react when COVID affected his heart?
Njongmeta: It was probably one of the less good days I’ve had on campus. Just panicking, especially at the time. We don’t know a lot about COVID. Is this an end of the season, end of my career type situation? The doctors didn’t have any answers at that point other than, hey, you can’t practice or play until further notice. That was definitely a rough stretch, and just being able to lean on my family during that time was crucial.
Where’s the progress with your health now?
Njongmeta: I’m great now. It was sort of, I don’t want to say false alarm because my EKGs did change, but it was not as drastic as they thought. There was some naturally occurring things in my heart, certain structures looked a certain way that either you have that because you were born like that or because of COVID. There was no prior scans of my heart, so they assumed it was COVID. I’m good now, healthy, but boy, a situation like that really makes you grateful to be able to practice every day because you realize how close you were to not practicing or keep playing.
Jack Sanborn and Leo Chenal are the starters, but he’s been on the verge of the rotation. What does he do well to place him in the inside linebacker rotation this fall?
Njongmeta: Between last year and this year, the biggest question has been durability, and I’ve proven thus far that I can be durable. Last year was a fluke and knowledge, how quickly can I learn everything. I think I am a quit processor. I think when I know what I want to do, I’m explosive and quick to the point of attack. Right now, it’s just been trying to learn from guys like Leo and Jack who have done it, done it more than just in spring ball, who have done in a Big Ten championship, who have done it in a bowl game. Guys who have a lot of playing experience. Just watching them (and) starting to pick up practice habits from them. Honestly just trusting the process. I know it’s cliché but realizing at the end of the day, coach is going to put the guy in who’s ready, who knows his stuff, and that’s Jack and Leo. Just trying to get to that point where coach can trust me.
Can you give us a timeline on your diagnosis, and do you feel the doctors were being cautious with you because they didn’t know everything?
Njongmeta: Probably September third or fourth (I) contracted COVID. Ten days later it was, all right, go get tested. Very same day test results came back. I got tested with my roommate Tate (Grass). He was cleared, I was not cleared, and the only conversation I had with the trainer is, hey, something’s off. (Doctors) were just going to run more tests. That was about four or five days, up to a week maybe, of more tests being ran. Basically, the doctors came back, and they were like, yeah, you have a heart effusion. Basically, I have a sac of liquid around my heart, which some people have just naturally. I just happen to have that naturally, but they thought that was because of COVID.
There’s definitely a point of let’s be cautious because this is new, and we don’t want to send our athletes into a dangerous situation. There was definitely a bit of that, but there was also some genuine concern what the virus had done. Like I said, all clear now.
(I was cleared) end of September, and then there was like a seven day back-to-play protocol. I was able to practice one of those early days of October.
