Stephen Tsai: Former UH receiver John Ursua still upbeat after third major knee injury

John Ursua’s avatar should be a smiley emoji.

Half empty? Half full? Ursua, an NFL free agent and former University of Hawaii receiver, believes he can always refill the glass.

But his Disneyesque optimism was tested in May when his right knee tightened during training in Utah, then the discomfort progressed to retainer-biting pain.

An MRI showed he suffered a third ACL tear — and second in his right leg — in five years. Only it was not exactly the ACL. A patella graft was used to replace the right ACL he tore in 2017. “That’s why it felt different,” Ursua said. “I tore the graft.”

Once again, Ursua, who suffered a torn ACL in his left leg in 2020, faced another surgery and another six months of rehabilitation.

“The first two times, I felt very confident, very relaxed,” he said. “This third time, I’m not going to lie, it shook me up pretty early.”

With no patella tendon available to graft, Ursua was told a replacement could come from his right hamstring or a cadaver’s tendon. After he consulted with Dr. Nick Crawford’s medical team, the hamstring option was selected because it offered better long-term stability.

“I just try to stay positive with it all,” Ursua said. “It’s not the easiest thing to overcome. I believe strongly everything will work out the way it’s supposed to work out. I don’t let my emotions get too far ahead of me.”

Ursua underwent surgery to repair the ACL area, as well as a torn right meniscus. A month into his rehab, Ursua has regained his upbeat outlook.

He has been living with his brother Jared Ursua, UH’s receivers coach. UH head coach Timmy Chang extended an open invitation for Ursua to attend practices and meetings. “Be around the game,” Chang repeatedly tells him. Ursua and former UH head coach Nick Rolovich speak daily.

He also opened a restaurant, Aunty’s Hawaiian Kitchen, in Herriman, Utah. His sister and father operate the restaurant, which offers Hawaii staples, such as chicken katsu, loco moco, Korean chicken. The plate lunches, of course, come with rice and mac salad. While business is prospering, Ursua said, “we’re taking it step by step.”

Ursua, who owns two properties on the mainland, also is hopeful of getting into the “real-estate game.”

But those are side projects to his goal of returning to the NFL. His contract with the Seattle Seahawks has expired. He was set to sign with the Green Bay Packers or Tennessee Titans when he suffered the injury.

Ursua said he embraces yet another challenge. He recalled attending three high schools, including two in his senior year, and then earning a UH scholarship as an under-sized receiver.

He also remembered when he was assigned to serve a two-year church mission in Paris.

“I didn’t know a lick of French, yet I went out there and learned the language, the culture,” Ursua said. “Now I can speak it, read it, write it.”

He rebounded from the first ACL injury as a third-year sophomore for the Warriors in 2017. The next season, he led the nation with 16 touchdown receptions.

He also returned to full health after suffering the ACL injury during last year’s NFL preseason.

“I’ve been thrown some challenges,” Ursua said. “Those have helped me throughout my college career. Helped me in my professional life. Now it’s helping me in my day-to-day life. I’m always trying to stay as positive as I can.”