Oct. 23, 2009

First PublishedSunday, October 18 - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Jim Mandelaro, Staff writer

Cory Magee had prepared for the news all summer. But when his doctor made it official on Aug. 31, telling the Siena College forward that his basketball playing career was over, reality set in.

"It hit me hard," the Fairport graduate said. "Basketball has been a huge, huge part of my life."

Thanks to Siena coach Fran McCaffery, Magee is still a major part of the Division I Saints, based near Albany. Magee suffered his third documented concussion last January, just two months after a concussion put him on the sidelines. This past summer, doctors ruled out his playing for at least another year, citing post-concussion syndrome and effectively ending the senior's career. McCaffery immediately took action by asking Magee to be a student assistant coach.

"In all my years coaching, I don't know if I've had a player I've cared more about or had more respect for than Cory Magee," said McCaffery, entering his 14th season as a Division I head coach and his fifth at Siena. "This seemed like the least I could do for him. We want him around us." Magee remains on full scholarship and will travel with and live with the team. His roommate is former Fairport star Kyle Downey, now a sophomore guard for the Saints. Magee, 22, is on track to graduate next summer. His injury, combined with a switch in majors from psychology to English, set him back slightly.

"Coach and his staff went to the extreme for me," Magee said. "He could have said 'Listen, we don't want you living with the guys.' But I'm still living with the guys, and they are still my best friends."

"I went down a road last year that changed my life," he said. "It's still changing my life. When winter break comes, and there's no one on campus and the coaches are yelling at you, you want to be anywhere but on campus. I can be there to help."

Magee played in 65 games his first two seasons with the program, averaging more than 11 minutes per game. He started 10 games as a sophomore and played key minutes for the Saints' MAAC championship team, which advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after beating Vanderbilt in the opening round.

Magee led Fairport to its first Section V title in 31 years in 2006, recording double-doubles in 23 of the Red Raiders' first 24 games. The All-Greater Rochester selection averaged 16 points and 15 rebounds and became the school's second all-time leading scorer (1,007 points) and top rebounder (860) when he graduated.

He suffered his first concussion during an AAU tournament in high school, when he caught an elbow on the top of his head. But his problems began in earnest last Nov. 6. A Siena teammate hit him in the upper temple during practice, sidelining Magee for two months.

He returned to practice after Christmas. Days later, he was practicing at Holy Cross in anticipation of his return to the lineup the next night when the unthinkable happened: Another elbow to the head, another concussion. Three strikes, and this time he was out.

"I knew immediately," he said. "I went down, dizzy, and the migraines started."

Magee was sent to an ear, nose and throat specialist, who discovered he had fractured his left ear after suffering his concussion two months earlier. "Fracturing my ear messed up my balance," he said. "I couldn't pass any normal balance tests."

It was so bad that Magee would memorize school work, then forget what he had learned. He was having daily headaches and began taking a high dosage of headache preventers.

"He went through stuff that most people don't have to endure, let alone someone in college," McCaffery said.

The medication helped Magee's balance return, but playing basketball was still far away. It seemed even further when his doctor said in June that Magee probably wouldn't play for Siena again.

"I was kind of left on an island," he said, "because we were all in wait-and-see mode. It's been that way since last November, really."

Slowly, gradually, his condition has improved. Since school started in September, the only symptoms he has felt are ringing in his ears at night, an occasional sharp pain in his head (as opposed to a sustained headache) and a few bouts of nausea.

These are conditions that most people would dread, but when you've felt like a hammer has been banging on your head for months, it's cause for joy.

"I've been feeling awesome the past couple of months," Magee said.

He doesn't know what the future holds, or if he'll decide to become a coach. He's taking five classes this fall, more than ever before. School work has been much more manageable than last winter.

He's going to enjoy the ride this year, cheering and advising from the bench. Being part of the team.

Magee will document his year on the bench with a weekly blog in the Albany Times-Union cleverly titled "Tuesdays With Cory.'' The blog will debut next month.

Siena's season begins Nov. 13 at Tennessee State. Magee will be wearing a suit and tie instead of his No. 24 jersey. But the important thing is, he will be there -- in spirit and in person.

"He's going to be great for this team to have back,'' McCaffery said. "He needed this, and we needed him.''