McKain Hammond
Life can be ironic sometimes — McKain Hammond knows that all too well.
Hammond enjoyed the thrill of racing dirt bikes and four wheelers for most of childhood. He even placed in some local races by the age of 12.
"I raced in Rush Springs and Norman, and it was fun and good competition," Hammond said. "I got to the point where I was getting second and third and got first a couple of times."
Despite his success on the track, Hammond ultimately decided to give up the individual glory to focus on his improving football career. The risk of injury simply presented too much of a liability.
However, the very thing he left in order to avoid injuries during football season gave him the worst injury of his athletic career earlier this year, and therein lies the irony.
Although Hammond left the competitive racing life, he continued riding ATVs recreationally. Then one day the unthinkable happened.
While riding off-road vehicles with his dad on Easter Sunday, Hammond's foot slipped, and his four wheeler unforgivingly ran over his foot, severely damaging his big toe.
Hammond couldn't believe what happened.
"A freak accident happened," Hammond said. "The back tire caught it and totally destroyed that joint. It kind of hurt me personally," Hammond said. "It wasn't that big, but it was a shocker, though."
The diagnosis reflected just how gruesome the damage was.
Hammond suffered a Grade 3 turf toe, the worst of its kind. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, an injury of this sort occurs when the tissue that prevents the big toe from bending too far (plantar complex) is completely torn, causing severe tenderness, severe swelling and bruising.
People with this sprain often find it difficult and painful to move the big toe, a description fitting Hammond's situation perfectly.
"I couldn't even walk on it," Hammond said. "I couldn't walk around my house or do anything. I took it upon myself to go to a doctor in Norman, and they did an amazing job. They hooked me up and got me in within two days and put me on a speedy recovery."
Soon he was in surgery getting it repaired.
"They took the ligament from the top of my toe and brought it through the joint and back under to keep my toe straight," he said. "My toe is never going to bend again the way it used to."
In addition to having to miss five months thanks to the accident, Hammond was forced to wear a walking boot for the duration of his recovery period, earning him the nickname "Boot" from his teammates.
The senior returned to action against Amarillo Tascosa on Sept. 14, playing three drives at tackle.
"He started all of last year and was one of our best offensive linemen," MacArthur coach Brett Manning said. "We're glad to have him back after missing those first two and a half games, and I know it's been a long and frustrating process for him. It's good to see that he's back and getting to play his senior year and have a good senior year."
That isn't the only crazy incident Hammond has experienced in the last year, though.
Hammond is an avid duck hunter, spending most of his time at the hunting grounds in Frederick when he isn't in school or practicing football.
"I've been going hunting since I was 6 years old," Hammond said. "I don't have plans of stopping, ever. That's what I like to do. Besides football, that's the only thing I make time for.
"To sum up my life — it's school, football and hunting."
Last season after the Highlanders' thrilling 28-27 win over Ardmore on Nov. 4, Hammond and the team returned to Lawton at about 1 a.m., but that didn't stop him and his good friend Sam Harris from going out on an adventure.
Harris introduced Hammond to duck hunting, and the two planned to scout for prey once home. As soon as the teammates returned to the city, they packed their stuff and hit the road for what was expected to be a fun outing.
After two sessions of shooting and a quick nap, Hammond and Harris decided to head back home, but what was supposed to be about an hour drive took much longer.
"When we left, we were driving down somewhere and it was really foggy out, and a deer ran out in front of me," Hammond said. "I ended up driving off into a ditch and getting stuck — we were stuck for about seven hours."
Although luckily uninjured, Hammond was stuck in the middle of nowhere with no idea of where he was.
A prideful young man, Hammond did everything he could to get his vehicle out of the mud before calling for assistance. He finally gave up after five hours of unsuccessful attempts.
"I had to call my dad," Hammond said. "He basically saved me. "We were trying to get it unstuck for about three hours, and we sat there for about two hours before I finally called him."