NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
After missing 11 straight games in Utah’s 2023 season due to injury, Ute running back Micah Bernard returned to the field for the Las Vegas Bowl.
“I wanted to play in that game strictly to show everybody I’m back. I’m going to be able to do this,” Bernard said.
Bernard scored Utah’s only touchdown in a 14-7 loss to Northwestern, and as he crossed the goal line for the first time in 386 days, the emotion poured out of him, as tears started pouring out when he hugged fellow running back Charlie Vincent.
“I just felt everything release off my shoulders,” Bernard said.
That 2023 season came on the heels of a 2022 campaign that was also hampered by injuries for Bernard, who played through them and rushed for 533 yards and four touchdowns while adding 314 receiving yards and a score through the air.
Bernard said that prior to being on the sidelines for the majority of the 2023 season, he was “falling out of love” with football.
“I fell out of love with it. Just things not going your way. Things don’t always go your way, but I think I was just falling out of love with it on my body. My body’s getting beat up and that’s a big thing. Just so many injuries and knick-knacks, like, do I really want to continue?” Bernard said.
Running backs coach Quinton Ganther, who played two seasons at Utah from 2004-2005 and had a five-season NFL career, understands what life is like for a running back as well as anyone.
“I kind of study these kids’ behaviors,” Ganther said, “so when I see something off, then I try to kind of dig a little deeper and he’ll share things. I knew he was getting close to walking away from football at one point.”
As Ganther has said previously, once fall camp begins, pretty much no player is at 100% health until the season is over.
“One thing I try to encourage these guys to do…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/sitting-sidelines-reinvigorated-micah-bernard-044852949.html
Author : Deseret News
Publish date : 2024-03-14 04:48:52
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
