THE LATEST LINE: MIRGAUX IS BACK ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD

He doesn't know where the Indoor Football League will take him, but Britt Mirgaux is just happy to once again be playing the sport he loves.

Less than two years ago, it looked like the career of the former Scott City High phenom -- he rushed for 2,357 yards as a Rams' senior -- was over when he tore up a knee for the second time while playing fullback for Southeast Missouri State University.

But Mirgaux, who led SEMO in rushing two straight seasons before suffering his second serious knee injury during the opening game of the 1998 campaign, was not about to throw in the towel.

And now Mirgaux is playing for the Black Hills Machine of the IFL -- and loving his first fling at professional football as he sets his sights even higher.

"It feels good to play football again," he said during a telephone interview from Rapid City, S.D., the excited tone in his voice indicating just how much it means for him to be on the field again. "I just want to do this for one year and then see if maybe I can hook up with the CFL or even get a shot at the NFL.

"I just want to give it my best. I don't want to look back some day and think what might have happened if I had given it a shot."

Living in a Rapid City motel and playing in the IFL might not seem glamorous, but Mirgaux certainly can't complain, particularly not after all the rehabilitation work he did to get to this point.

"At one time, I doubted I'd play again, so I feel really good about this," he said.

The 24-year-old Mirgaux, after leaving SEMO and figuring his playing days were over, settled into a job as a teacher and coach in the St. Louis suburb of Pattonville.

But the football itch never left him. And, when Mirgaux learned of a tryout camp the Rapid City team was having in Peoria, Ill., early last month, he sent the squad some film and was invited to attend, along with about 50 or 60 other hopefuls.

The 6-foot, 240-pound Mirgaux -- who area grid fans will recall as a bruising runner with nifty moves and exceptional balance -- opened eyes by running a 4.6 40-yard dash, which he said is even a bit faster than what he ran before his two surgeries.

Mirgaux was one of two players signed by the Black Hills Machine during that camp. He reported to Rapid City late last month for training camp and has started all three of the Machine's games so far, rushing for more than 60 yards in one.

Said Mirgaux of the IFL, which is played on a field roughly 50 yards long and 28 yards wide, "It's a lot more fast-paced than outdoors. It's so much more intense. It's crazy."

Mirgaux has no illusions of getting rich in the relatively new IFL, which is in its second season of existence and consists of 21 teams, with squads pretty much spread out all over the country.

But he figures his salary of $300 per week is not bad, especially considering all of his expenses during the season are taken care of by the team.

And anyway, money was not Mirgaux's main goal when he decided to try and revive his once-sparkling football career. He simply missed the game too much and figured he still had plenty to offer.

Mirgaux hopes he'll have even more to offer in the future as he takes a shot at climbing the pro football ladder. But even if that doesn't work out, he said he'll be satisfied knowing he made it all the way back.

~Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian