For Curtis Brinkley, it was such a tease.

Even though his Muslim religion dictated he couldn’t eat or drink anything between sunrise and sunset during the holy month of Ramadan, he was still allowed to gargle or rinse his mouth out with water-as long as he spit it out.

‘It’s like a teaser because you’re not allowed to swallow,’ Brinkley said Wednesday, one day after Ramadan ended. ‘My throat was still dry and so tight so I just stayed away from the water.’

And so Brinkley did just that in the holiest month of his religion. Oh yeah, that and still try to keep in enough physical shape to hold his starting job as Syracuse’s running back.

Brinkley, a Muslim all his life, finally returned to normal Tuesday, the day Syracuse students had off from classes because of Eid al-Fitr-the final day of Ramadan.

So while you were busy getting over that no-school-Tuesday hangover, Brinkley observed the celebration of what for him was the most sacred month of the year.

Ramadan-which says that, among other things, you must fast from food and drink while the sun’s up-sounds like a tough obligation as it is. Then you look at Brinkley and wonder how a guy who’s already only 5-foot-9 and 197 pounds can afford to lose the 16 pounds he did last month and still manage to start for the Orange in every game this season.

‘I just had to keep on going, I’m used to losing weight around this time when I’m fasting,’ Brinkley said. ‘It doesn’t have an effect on the way I play.’

Still, the numbers might make you think otherwise.

In the four games SU played during Ramadan, Brinkley averaged 31yards a game. Even if two of the games were against West Virginia and Louisville, Brinkley still failed to rush for more than 35 yards in any of the four contests.

Considering Brinkley practiced during the week without food or water and played on Saturdays under those same conditions, it makes sense to put one and one together and blame the fasting for his drop in performance.

But Brinkley asserted that if anything, it was just normal football fatigue setting in, something that comes primarily from all the running and weight lifting he does no matter his religion.

He’s used to it, too, the daily routine of waking up at 5:30 every drab Syracuse morning to make sure he gets some kind of nutrition before he starts the day.

Think missing lunch one day because of that three-hour bio lab in the middle of the afternoon is tough?

Try going the 12 hours Brinkley did for 30 days with nary a drop of Gatorade as he tried to keep his foothold on a Big East football starting job.

‘I’ve been doing it for years, so I’m kind of used to it,’ Brinkley said, noting that Ramadan started conflicting with sports in high school. ‘But this year I’ve been getting a lot more reps so my mouth’d be dry, but I just had to keep working.’

The idea of Ramadan is a noble one, asking its practitioners to abide from all moral vices and take the month to get back in touch with God and their spiritual selves.

But the practicality of such a heavy religious obligation had to make things pretty tough on Brinkley. After all, it’s rare to see a football player that doesn’t eat.

Well, that’s what he did for a month, making his mental and emotional self a little stronger at his physical expense.

So how did Brinkley celebrate on Tuesday, when he finally had the chance to roll out of bed whenever he wanted and eat whatever he felt like?

Sticking to custom, he did the first thing a Muslim is supposed to do after a fast-just enjoy a simple drink of water.

‘It felt really good,’ Brinkley said with an excited chuckle. ‘I could wake up at whatever time I want, I don’t have to wake up before the sunrise and eat. I could just eat whenever I wake up and throughout the day.’

A month-long tease finally satisfied.

Mike Janela is a staff writer at The Daily Orange, where his columns appear every Thursday. You can reach him at [email protected].

Published on October 24, 2006 at 12:00 pm