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It feels like ancient history now, but there was a point early in Ricky Person’s NC State career where he looked like a star in the making: he ran for 108 yards on 17 carries against Virginia in 2018, then ran for 92 yards on Boston College the next week.
But even then, he had injuries nagging him, and those would only get worse over the following year-and-a-half. Person missed the majority of the 2019 season after suffering an injury against Florida State in September, logging just 11 carries the rest of the way.
After a long offseason, though, Person says he finally feels healthy again.
Ricky Person: "I feel great, I feel 100%. I take the time off as a blessing in disguise. Everyone needed the time off. Everyone knows the injuries I had last year."
— Andrew Schnittker (@aschnitt53) September 15, 2020
He also says there was a time when he thought about giving up football altogether.
Ricky Person says at one point, he questioned whether football "was still for him" following injuries in his first two seasons. He credits his faith and the support from the team as motivation to keep pushing.
— The Wolfpacker (@TheWolfpacker) September 15, 2020
No doubt it’s demoralizing—and probably a little frightening—when injuries stack up on you like that. He’s been through a lot in just two years at NC State, and he’s one of the guys I’ll be rooting for the hardest to find success this season. He’s earned a good year, and he’s more than capable of delivering one if he can stay healthy.