PENN TWP — A township teen is still feeling the effects of a 3,000-pound concrete block that he was trapped beneath two weeks ago, both in terms of the notoriety and the physical pain.

Robert Maust, 14, said his back remains sore.

"I try not to show anybody," he said. "I try to suck it up."

His pain isn't surprising considering how badly Robert's body was contorted.

The block came loose from a wall bordering a culvert along Old Route 8, the road that runs behind Holy Sepulcher Church in Middlesex Township. The falling block knocked Robert through the air.

"I was off my feet big time," he said.

After being thrown into the bank on the other side of the culvert face down, the block rolled over him.

"I couldn't breathe. I had to turn my legs," he said.

The block had pinned him, leaving his pelvis immobile with his face pushed into the ground and his feet pointing up.

Although Robert didn't feel pain when the block initially hit him, he did feel it when the block rolled over him. Eventually the pressure of the block left his body numb.

Sensation returned once rescuers used a crane and other equipment to lift the block enough to pull Robert out.

Robert's mother, Stephanie Maust, said her son, at times, experiences dizziness and blurred vision. They expect to know the full extent of his injuries and his future ability to play sports after a doctor's appointment on Monday.

When the accident occurred on March 20, Holy Sepulcher School students were playing with three balls outside the school when the balls rolled across the street and into the culvert. With a total of nine balls in the water flowing along the culvert, Robert thought it was time to retrieve them.

Trying to avoid getting his new shoes wet, Robert carefully lowered himself down the wall from a sitting position. Upon entering the culvert, he heard a noise behind him and was sent flying into the air.

Quickly realizing his predicament, Robert knew it was pointless to call for help, being too far from the road.

"I didn't even bother," he said.

Fortunately his friend, Jacob Smith, came down to see what was taking Robert so long.

"My friend checked on me. He said, 'Robert!' I said, 'Get me out of here.'"

Help was quickly found. Emergency crews arrived in 15 minutes. Later, Robert said he was amazed at how many people were at the scene just to lend support to his family.

His mother is grateful for the outpouring that continues today.

"It brought meaning to the words: parish family," she said.

Despite the pain returning to his body as rescuers pulled him out, Robert managed to give a thumbs-up. What looked like a smile was more akin to a grimace, he said.

He did enjoy his ride in the helicopter to Children's Hospital, describing it as "fun."

While in the hospital, Robert feared he would be paralyzed because he could not move his feet.

"We thought he had a spinal fracture," Stephanie said. Fortunately, he did regain the use of his feet.

Without any food restrictions, Robert received more than a few treats from the hospital staff.

"Lots of brownies," he said.

Along with brownies, Robert received numerous telephone calls, wracking up a substantial cell phone bill. The Mausts could not keep up with the number of calls and text messages from friends, family and teammates from his hockey squad.

Initially, the family was unaware of the national attention the rescue received. They later discovered the day's events were reported on MSNBC. The ABC-TV show "Good Morning America" requested an interview, but the family deferred the offer, waiting for Robert's blood levels to normalize.

But after coming home March 22, life did not return to normal. The nationally syndicated TV program "Inside Edition" taped a segment interviewing the family. The show has not been scheduled for an airing date.

Robert said he's surprised by the attention he's received.

"After a week, I thought they would forget me and move on to another kid," he said.

His rambunctious brother, Paul, 8, is a little green with envy.

"It's not fair," he said about the attention Robert has received.

While Robert's classmates at Holy Sepulcher, where he is an eighth grader, treat him the same, he is getting more recognition from students in South Butler School District, where he plays hockey.

"It's a good way to get girls," he joked.

Robert said more girls are calling him since the accident.

His mother isn't impressed.

"He's beefing it up," she said about his recounting of his experience to the girls.

"I was on the phone with one last night," he countered.

Having survived the ordeal of being nearly crushed to death by a large concrete block, the resilient teen isn't satisfied with playing hockey. He's ready to go out for football in the fall.

"I'm not sure," Stephanie said of her son's athletic ambitions, saying she is waiting for the doctor's report.

But Robert already has a plan to regain the few pounds he's lost since the accident — eating lots of sloppy joes.

Robert still possesses his athleticism, even with the lingering pain. After telling his mother to watch, he flips his cell phone off his foot into the air, catching it with his hand.

"I still got it," he proudly exclaimed.