— NORMAN – Getting “banged up” is part of being an offensive lineman. Dealing with constant aches and pains is a fact of life. Those who can’t handle it usually find something else to do. Oklahoma center Ben Habern knows this better than most.

The 2011 season and the offseason that followed were like going through a car wreck. There were the five games he missed due to a broken right arm. An injury like that is just part of the game. Play long enough and every football player will deal with a broken bone somewhere. The broken arm was the second fracture of Habern’s a career. A broken ankle ended his season in 2009.

It was the neck surgery Habern was forced to have in January that really put things in perspective.

“When you’re thinking about neck surgery, you’re like, Wow, that’s a big deal,” Habern said. “But according to my doctors and the training staff at Oklahoma, it’s a pretty routine surgery. Everything went well. It’s good to know I got through that. It was scary throughout the process, but I feel fine now.”

The odd part for Habern was the surgery, in which two vertebrae were fused together with metal to alleviate pressure on his spinal cord, was from an injury that dated all the way back to high school.

But that’s the life of an offensive lineman.

Most weigh more than 300 pounds, and they’re constantly shoving, grabbing and colliding with defensive linemen who are just as big. It’s not for everybody and the able to handle the pain that goes along with it becomes evident very early at the college level.

The slightest hesitation usually means getting beat. It’s the one thing Habern hasn’t had to face since the neck surgery. He missed all of spring practice while rehabbing the injury.

The first time he’ll really go head-to-head with another defensive lineman will come this week as preseason practice begins.

 “You’re never sure,” OU coach Bob Stoops said. “… I just go by what our doctor says. Other than that, I don’t worry. Because what can I do? Hopefully, he’s fine. He’s a great, young kid. Hopefully everything’s OK.”

The Sooners need Habern to be healthy. One of the reasons most people expect them to be in the national championship race is their offensive line. The group returns four of five starters, but Habern is the focal point. He is the one who’s made 30 career starts and could very well be OU’s next All-American offensive lineman.