Ryan Tetro, a captain on the BYU men’s soccer team, has returned to the field for his senior year after tearing his ACL in 2024.
An ACL tear is known to be one of the worst injuries a soccer player could endure. Recovery is demanding with grueling physical therapy and surgery.
“We were practicing in February on the (Richards Building) turf. Our game was on that Friday and we were in the Wednesday practice," Tetro said. "We were playing 11’s and it was like the last play of the game. The ball was going out of bounds, I was trying to chase it and just keep it in, and just planted wrong and basically hyperextended my knee and tore it right there.”
Initially, Tetro was able to walk off the field despite the pain. He was checked by the athletic trainer who felt his knee was stable. He participated in practice and warm ups for the game that week, feeling okay. The following week, he went to the doctor’s office where he was told again that it was not an ACL tear, leading him to continue to participate in practices until an MRI confirmed the tear.
Surgery did not come quickly, which further delayed the recovery timeline.
“I actually wasn’t able to get surgery so that happened in February and then I wasn’t able to get surgery until the end of April,” said Tetro. “That whole time basically I was just trying to keep my knee as strong as possible … I was just trying to keep my quad strong and I was still practicing and just messing around and kept playing. I got surgery like April 30th.”
The months that followed were intense, with each stage of recovery bringing new challenges.
“It’s a nine-month recovery," he said. "The first six weeks you can’t really do much. The first week and a half your non-weight bearing then you learn to walk and try to get your range of motion back which takes a couple months and then at three months you can start jogging a little bit and start getting back into that stuff and getting on the ball and then once you hit six months you’re technically cleared to play but they don’t recommend really getting into it, they recommend nine months. It’s just a risk you have to take.”
For Tetro, the hardest part of recovery wasn’t physical — it was mental.
“You feel like you’re strong enough to play but you know that you’re not so just getting back into it and feeling confident in your knee even though you done the work I think that was definitely the hardest part, just getting over the mental block,” said Tetro.
During his recovery, Tetro stayed close to the team, attending every practice and game. His teammates’ support meant everything to him, especially the day he finally stepped back on to the field for his first practice.
“They were great," he said. "Everyone was hyping me up so it was a good day to get back but it was definitely hard, definitely hard to be on the sideline.”
"He's come off arguably one of the biggest injuries a soccer player could suffer and his doctors have cleared him, he had a great recovery, a great rehab, worked hard," said assistant coach Casey Waldron. "As coaches to continue to give him confidence to say hey you have completely healed — go out and play. Be courageous, trust your body, trust your doctors that you are one hundred percent back and ready to go."
Despite the injury, Tetro hasn’t changed his mindset this season.
“This is my last chance anyways so if something happens it happens but I am just gonna trust in the work that I did and go for it — leave it all out there,” he said.
Looking back, he believes the injury made him a smarter player, better leader, and a more empathetic teammate.
“I was able to watch the game for so long and understand tactics better and where I should be and all that kind of stuff,” he said. “They always say like you're a different player when you come back and I feel like I am a different player but also in a good way and be able to read the game more and be a better leader on the field.”
The experience gave him a new way he can support his teammates off the field as well.
“It was one of the hardest things I’ve definitely been through but because of that, I think I’m just a better teammate and a better supporter,” said Tetro. “I feel like I can understand people more when hard things do happen, I can kind of lift them up and tell them I’ve been there.”
Now with his senior season underway, Tetro has been a strong asset to the team, contributing to the seasons goal count. As BYU prepares to compete at nationals on Nov. 20-22 in Kansas, he remains focused on helping the team reach its full potential.