Cooper Wage wanted to make an impact on the UW-La Crosse football team as a junior.

He might have been on his way to doing that until a knee injury in the closing minutes of the first game.

"I had a guy thrown into my leg," the guard said while pointing to his right knee, which was covered by a brace. "I tore my meniscus, but we didn't know that until I started rehabbing."

The rehabilitation after that 24-23 loss to Hardin-Simmons (Texas) went well, and Wage was back on the field before the season ended without the aid of surgery.

But the lineup without Wage was already established, and he only saw spot duty the rest of the way.

"There's only so much you can do at that point," said Wage, a 5-foot-11, 285-pound Holmen High School graduate.

But there's plenty for Wage to do this season as a right guard. He thinks the offensive line can be a strength for the team as it attempts to improve on a 3-7 season.

"He's enthusiastic and fun," UW-L coach Larry Terry said of Wage. "He's a huge asset to the team, and he hasn't even played that much.

"I hope he gets the chance to show what he can do."

Wage has earned that chance with a power game that makes him easy to run behind. He was a nationally ranked powerlifter in high school, and he could end up as a good fit next to center and veteran starter Andrew Gebel.

After playing on the defensive line early in his UW-L career and at left guard last season, Wage is ready to go back to the more familiar right side.

"Playing on the left side was a whole different ball game," Wage said. "Everything, from the left-handed stance on, was backwards.

"I definitely appreciate being back on the right side."