By Aaron Wilson
When veteran loosehead prop Valdemar Lee-Lo tore his triceps at the start of the year against the Utah Warriors, he was informed his season was over.
Now, Lee-Lo is back and qualifies as something of a medical marvel.
He made a healthy return from the major injury Saturday night in a 28-25 victory over the Seattle Seawolves that clinched home-field advantage in the playoffs as the top seed for the 13-1 SaberCats.
“They said I was out for the whole season, but I came back two months early,” Lee-Lo said. “It was good to be out there. I try to do my best for the team. My arm feels great. I can’t wait to keep playing.”
Lee-Lo, called Val by his teammates and coaches, played 112 minutes in four matches with one start last season for the SaberCats after initially playing for their Academy team.
He was injured in 2022, returning to play for Rugby HTX.
The Dixon, Calif., native previously played rugby in the USA U19 national championship, junior rugby for the Sierra Beach Rugby Club, the USA U20s in the junior world rugby trophy competition in Hong Kong and Canada and for the Seattle Saracens.
The comeback is remarkable.
“That’s what they’re saying,” Lee-Lo said. “I’m blessed to be back. It was a lot of rehab and a lot of strength and conditioning. After two months, I was able to bench press 225 pounds again. That’s when they found out I was cleared. I was killing my rehab and doing everything right. I knew the boys needed me, so I did my best to come back.”
Lee-Lo is a proud part of a playoff squad for the third consecutive year that has set a franchise record for wins.
“That’s a credit to the boys and coaches and medical staff,” Lee-Lo said. “For us to get to this point, it’s special
