The Game Of His Life

Plenty of obstacles remain. "You can judge a man by how he responds to a challenge," says Schwan. "Coach has always said that. Now he's living it." Once the amputation wound closes, Meyer will be fitted for a prosthetic leg and, in time, ditch the wheelchair. Then he'll start treatment for his cancer, a slow-growing carcinoid that his oncologist says shouldn't be an imminent threat to his life. The struggles of coaching a basketball team may seem minor in comparison, and yet the chance to face them means everything. "The thing that keeps you going is the idea that you can come back and coach," Meyer says, his voice catching in his throat. "You don't realize how much you enjoy teaching until you lose your team."

Now the old coach has his team back. Northern State is consistently near the top of Division II in attendance, and on Nov. 18 an adoring crowd of 4,454 saluted Meyer as he wheeled onto the court for the Wolves' home opener against Mount Marty College. Northern rolled 98--57, bringing Meyer one win closer to breaking Knight's record. It was a reminder that Meyer may well be the antithesis of the title character created by another Aberdeen resident, L. Frank Baum, in The Wizard of Oz. In that story the figure behind the spectacular facade turns out to be just an ordinary man. Don Meyer's lesson: You never know when the man behind the ordinary facade turns out to be a giant.