Jacob Rowan completed a degree in chemistry as he was taking his first steps into senior rugby – now he faces his acid test after undergoing knee surgery in September.
The summer recruit from Yorkshire Carnegie suffered the serious injury just eight minutes into the Cherry and Whites' second game of the season, a 34-27 victory over Sale Sharks.
It was hardly the perfect start to the latest chapter in the 25-year-old's career. When joining a new club the first objective of any player is to earn your teammates' respect – Rowan barely had that chance.
But after completing a painstaking recovery, making his competitive comeback in Gloucester United's 10-10 draw with Sale Jets, he will start this afternoon's LV=Cup clash with the Ospreys.
"It's a great feeling to be back," said Rowan.
"It was unfortunate to get injured at the start of the season and I've come a long way but to be back on the field training and then getting a shirt today is fantastic.
"The injury was tough to take but it's part and parcel of the game. These things happen and its how you adapt to it, you have to get in the gym and work hard on the rehab and physio to come back stronger and better for it.
"It hasn't been too bad, we have quite a social bunch and we go out after training. The boys have been very welcoming and I had pre-season training as well which was a good few weeks to get to know each other.
"It was a shame but I will just go out there and play my part in the team and hopefully I can do the best possible job.
"Everything feels back to 100 per cent, the body feels good and I'm fighting fit and ready to go although the lung might be an issue!
"But to get a run out in the A-League against Sale and some solid training sessions has made it a good transition going into the Ospreys.
"The lungs were okay, I blew off the cobwebs and I'm looking forward to the Ospreys now."
It is refreshing to see a player with such academic credentials off the pitch and while Rowan has hung up his white lab coach for the time being it remains an option for life after rugby.
That said, hours spent watching his housemate toil with the books has been ever so slightly off putting.
"The academy coach at Leeds Carnegie was happy for us to go from school to university to do a degree and chemistry was something I enjoyed so I had a crack," said Rowan.
"I got a 2:1, I'm not sure what I will do with it after rugby but I'm sure doors will open.
"It covers such a wide variation of things and something I enjoyed in school, the teachers thought it would be a good idea to go for it so that's what I did.
"But my housemate is doing a degree at the moment and watching him writing all these essays has put me off doing it again! Rugby is the focus at the moment and hopefully I can push on as much as possible in it."
In truth rugby was not Rowan's first sporting passion and as a keen footballer he appeared destined for greater things with a round ball.
The open-side flanker is the grandson of former England right winger Mike Hellawell, who enjoyed top-flight stints with QPR, Birmingham City and Sunderland.
Hellawell amassed 178 appearances for the Blues, scoring 30 goals, winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1961 and the League Cup and his two Three Lion caps in 1963.
He was also useful with a cricket bat, playing one first-class match for Warkwickshire, as was grandson Jacob before rugby took over.
Matt Kvesic is firmly in possession of the number seven jersey but is away on international duty and has set a fine example so far this season.
And Rowan hopes to follow suit in a formidable forward challenge against the Ospreys. Saracens are firmly in control of the LV=Cup pool but Gloucester can push them all the way with a pair of victories over the Ospreys and then Harlequins.
He added: "Matt's been fantastic, he's a highly-rated back-row forward and got his reward with the Saxons. You can watch him from the stands and on video and pick up things but I'm like any player and just want to be on the pitch,
"We've done our analysis and they have a good pack, they are a strong mauling and scrummaging team so we will have our work cut out but we can't wait.
"We were both on the same program so whether we were in the gym or outside, we were doing the same upper body conditioning. If you have a training partner it makes things that little bit easier.
"We have two home games and with two big, solid performances we can go through. We have to concentrate on our own performance , we've worked a lot and we will continue to do that to give ourselves the best chance of progressing."
