After two years wrestling with injuries, local athlete ready to get back on the mat

For Sam Davidson, the past two wrestling seasons have been defined not by victories and medals, but by resilience.

The State College Area High School wrestler had two significant injuries in less than a year, each capable of ending his young career. Instead, with persistence, expert care and a commitment to rehabilitation, he fought his way back from the injuries and is preparing for his senior year on the mat.

It began in February 2025 during his sophomore season, when Davidson overextended his right arm during practice and felt a pop near his elbow.

“The trainers thought I had pulled or sprained a muscle and helped me manage it before our first match a week later,” Davidson said.

But during his first match at the Keystone Qualifiers a week later, the injury resurfaced.

While wrestling in the bottom position, his opponent chopped his arm, causing another painful pop. Davidson finished the match, but his right arm was virtually useless.

“You could see from the stands that he was basically wrestling with one arm,” said his mother, Michele Brown. “I knew something wasn't right.”

The next day, Brown took her son to Geisinger’s orthopaedic urgent care in Port Matilda, where sports medicine physician assistant Adam Norfolk quickly suspected the injury was more serious than a strain. An MRI confirmed his concerns, showing that Davidson had torn his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).

For many athletes, a UCL tear means Tommy John surgery and a recovery measured in months — not weeks. Davidson, however, was eager to return to competition as quickly as possible.

A referral to Geisinger sports medicine physician Hannah Fanelli, M.D., offered an alternative to Tommy John surgery and its lengthy recovery.

“Surgery to repair the ligament is typically about a yearlong recovery,” Dr. Fanelli said. “Sam wanted to return to wrestling as soon as possible, so we discussed platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, injections as a treatment option.”

PRP therapy uses a patient's own blood to promote healing. After drawing a small sample of Davidson's blood, Dr. Fanelli concentrated the platelets and injected them directly into the injured ligament. Those platelets release growth factors that stimulate the body's natural repair mechanisms.

After the procedure, Davidson's elbow was immobilized for several weeks. The plan called for a second PRP injection six weeks later, but by that time Dr. Fanelli was already seeing encouraging results.

“The remodeling of the tendon had already begun,” she said. “At 12 weeks, his tendon had completely grown back and was as good as new.”

What often requires surgery and up to a year of rehabilitation had healed in just three months.

“The tendon regrew as if it had never been torn,” Davidson said. “That allowed me to not miss the start of the next wrestling season. Once I got the strength back, it was good as new.”

By July, Davidson was back competing in preseason tournaments and looking forward to a fresh start.

Unfortunately, his comeback was short-lived.

Last December, just three matches into the new season, Davidson was competing at the Powerade Junior Wrestling Tournament when disaster struck again.

His opponent slammed him to the mat, trapping his left arm underneath him.

“I knew immediately I was injured significantly,” Davidson said. “I finished the match and won in overtime, but I was done for the tournament.”

The following day his mother took him back to orthopaedic urgent care at Geisinger Healthplex State College, where he again saw Adam Norfolk, who ordered an MRI test immediately to see the extent of the injury.

“I wasn’t so lucky this time, and it was not something that would heal on its own. It was a SLAP tear and would require surgery,” Davidson said.

The labrum is a ring of soft tissue that sits on the bony socket of the shoulder (the glenoid) and a SLAP (superior labrum anterior to posterior) tear is damage to the labrum where the biceps tendon attaches. Davidson met with Morgan Nickerson, D.O., a Geisinger orthopaedic sports medicine surgeon.

“Sam had a pretty classic labrum tear that typically happens when patients fall onto an outstretched arm, tearing the labrum from the bone itself,” Dr. Nickerson explained. “I recommended arthroscopic surgery to repair the labrum with hopes of getting him back on the mat for his senior season of wrestling.”

Dr. Nickerson scheduled Davidson for surgery in January. The surgery involved using a traction device to pull the shoulder joint slightly out of socket to allow for more space to arthroscopically reattach the torn labrum to the glenoid with small suture anchors. The surgery went well, but Dr. Nickerson’s concern was keeping Davidson less active so his shoulder could heal properly.

“I had to slow him down, because he is a real go-getter,” Dr. Nickerson said. “The mental aspect of the recovery is the hardest part because it is a slow process.”

In July, Davidson was cleared to return to practice while still working on some exterior rotation with physical therapy.

“Exterior rotation is the last plane of motion to come back, and that is by design to keep the shoulder joint tight while the surgical repair heals,” Dr. Nickerson said. “He did everything he was told to do and followed the postoperative protocol for the slow recovery. He remained focused and did his rehabilitation perfectly.  He should have no limitations going into his senior year of wrestling, thanks to the hard work he did.”

Davidson demonstrated his strength had returned by working his way around the monkey bars in a park near his backyard in Pine Grove Mills. He easily navigated around with no signs of weakness. With wrestling season approaching, Davidson is eager to get back to doing what he loves.

“I feel like I'll be ready,” he said. “The strength is back, and it feels better every day.”

Looking back on two difficult seasons, Davidson says the biggest lesson wasn't about wrestling, but about proper recovery.

“The hardest part was learning to slow down,” he said. “I don't like taking things slow when I'm recovering, but if I could give other athletes advice, it would be to listen to your doctors and therapists, follow the plan and be patient. It pays off in the end.”

After overcoming two major injuries and months of rehabilitation, Davidson is finally ready for what he hopes will be the healthiest season of his wrestling career.