Mark Orszula wants the NIU campus to know exactly what he’s going through.

A few minutes after conducting an interview at Huskie Stadium Tuesday evening, the 6-foot-7, 323-pound Orszula wanted to clarify something.

“I’ve had six surgeries, not four,” said Orszula.

The surgeries are a result of an unfortunate forklift accident over the summer that will force the junior guard to at least miss a healthy portion of the 2002 season.

Orszula was slated to start at right guard on the offensive line this season after starting eight games last year. To Orszula and his coaching staff’s chagrin, a stand-up forklift the athlete operated over the summer had other ideas.

After losing control of the forklift and jumping off, Orszula’s left calf found its way between the forklift and an I-beam.

Understandably, the results were not pretty. His left calf swelled up to 21 inches, four more than his right calf. The tendons connecting his fibia totally ripped off.

“When I got to the hospital, they said in order to save my leg they were going to have to cut it open,” Orszula said.

Orszula obliged, and the operation resulted in 17 inches of stitches on the outside of his calf and 12 on the inside. A four-inch screw was inserted, reconnecting the tibia to the fibia.

The rehabilitation process has been successful thus far for Orszula. He can put full body weight on his leg and the screw will be removed in the near future.

That can’t come soon enough for Orszula, who is forced to watch his teammates from afar.

“It’s good to see them out there,” said Orszula of his teammates, “but it’s horrible having to sit on the side knowing you can’t do too much.”

Orszula did his share in 2001, earning comparisons to former Huskie Ryan Diem with his play. Diem currently is starting on the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive protecting Peyton Manning’s backside.

“It’s just a comparison,” said Orszula. “You have to earn stuff. I haven’t really earned anything yet. We’ll see what happens.”