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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Whitworth

Blair fix project: Former Mead quarterback Ryan Blair overcomes gruesome injury to lead Whitworth to 7-0 start

Whitworth quarterback Ryan Blair has completed 66.2% of his passes for 1,862 yards, 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions.  (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)

Whitworth quarterback Ryan Blair is still reminded of the season-ending injury he suffered two years ago.

“It could have been career ending. It was really bad,” Whitworth coach Rod Sandberg said.

Blair hasn’t recovered full mobility from the injury, and he probably never will after tearing ligaments in his right ankle, dislocating the ankle and having a plate and nine screws placed in his fibula while in the first series of Whitworth’s sixth game in 2022.

Blair was in his fifth start after taking over as the starter in the second game when he was scrambling near the Whitworth sideline and the injury occurred.

“I was told I’d keep the screws and plate in my leg the rest of my life,” Blair said. “It gets really stiff when it’s cold.”

He had to tweak his throwing motion to account for not being able to load up on his power leg.

The recovery from surgery was difficult.

“I was living on painkillers,” Blair said. “Just getting up to go to the bathroom I had excruciating pain.”

Blair was homebound for six weeks and had to use a mobile scooter for eight weeks before he could begin rehabilitation.

“My mom would have to help me get up and help me brace myself because it felt like my leg was just dangling,” the Mead High graduate said.

It wasn’t the way he wanted to spend his first season at Whitworth.

A two-year starter and Greater Spokane League offensive most valuable player in 2019, Blair opted for a scholarship offer to Western Oregon.

His first year there was when COVID-19 broke out. The school canceled football that season.

The following fall he redshirted. He didn’t see a future there so he entered the transfer portal.

He ended up at Whitworth. His neighborhood university had offered him out of high school.

“It wasn’t in the cards for me financially right out of high school,” Blair said.

When he arrived at Whitworth, he found himself in a battle for the starting job. Returning starter Jaedyn Prewitt won the spot. But Blair didn’t have to wait long. He played the final series in Whitworth’s season-opening 35-17 loss at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was promoted to starter the next game.

Blair was putting up respectable numbers before the horrific injury. He completed 115 of 156 attempts (74.2%) for 1,191 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions.

During the following spring, Blair was declared the starter for 2023 and elected as a captain by his teammates.

That was before Austin Ewing, a transfer from NCAA Division I Southern Utah, moved to Spokane.

A competitive battle in fall camp ensued before Ewing won the job.

“We thought we could win with either one of them, but Austin had a little different dimension with his legs and scrambling ability,” Sandberg said. “Ryan dealt with it unbelievably well. We had a championship season last year for many reasons, but partly because of how Austin and Ryan had a very close relationship and were each other’s biggest supporter. Austin got dinged up it seemed every other game and Ryan would have to go in.”

Ewing was named the Northwest Conference MVP. He finished with 2,957 yards passing, completing 72.1% including 26 touchdowns and five rushing TDs.

In nine games of backup duty, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Blair completed 60% for 356 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.

“It was an unbelievable lesson for our whole team,” Sandberg said of how Blair handled being the backup. “What we kept telling Ryan was he was good enough to win in this league … and it took a player of the year (Ewing) to come in and beat him out.”

Blair didn’t sugarcoat his disappointment in being unseated as the starter last year.

“It was definitely tough for sure, but I knew he was a genuine guy and I wanted what was best for the team,” Blair said. “Seeing in camp what he could do versus what I had, I knew he deserved to start. He made plays that I hadn’t even seen at the Division II level. He had a lot of experience and a lot of talent.”

Blair could have graduated after last year, and he considered leaving Whitworth. But he had some unfinished business.

And is he ever glad he returned. He’s playing at a player of the year level. He’s completed 66.2% for 1,862 yards with 27 TDs and just two interceptions. He can break the career season record for TDs (29).

Whitworth hasn’t officially kept a record for most consecutive pass attempts without an interception, but it’s believed Blair would hold it. He went 181 straight passes between interceptions until Saturday at Pacific. The previous best was 132.

For his career, he’s thrown for 3,409 yards and 40 TDs and just seven interceptions.

“Being in the offense my third year has helped tremendously,” Blair said.

Whitworth is 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the NWC. The Pirates are ranked 10th in the nation in the coaches’ poll and 14th in the D3football.com rankings.

“I knew he would have a really good year and I knew he could lead us to a championship,” Sandberg said. “He’s exceeded expectations, and the expectations were high. He’s been elite every week.”

Blair says Whitworth still has room for much growth. The talented offensive line, which has allowed just six sacks, had its best game of the season Saturday at Pacific, paving the way for running back Luis Salgado to go for a school-record 365 yards.

“The line is playing great,” Blair said. “The next stretch of games we have to play the best ball. We’re on our way to where we want to be but we’re certainly not there yet. We’re looking to play our best football now.”

Blair is listed as a senior on the roster but has another year of eligibility. He wants to continue playing but hasn’t decided if he’ll return or go elsewhere.

Finishing the season the right way and taking care of business is Blair’s sole focus at the moment.