The Road Back For Tyjae Spears

NEW ORLEANS – Tulane University running back Tyjae Spears had everything rolling at the start of 2020.

He could cut, he could run past defenses, he could catch the ball out of the backfield and if he needed to, he could run people over.

Spears opened 2020 by rushing for over 100 yards in back-to-back games and became just the fourth Tulane freshman to rush for 100-plus yards in consecutive games. He also ranked 13th in the nation in yards per carry, averaging a staggering 7.72 yards carry through two games.

Eight months after putting up these eye-popping numbers in 2020, Spears actually thought about walking away from the game of football.

"I'm not going to lie, I wanted to quit," Spears said following Saturday morning's practice inside Yulman Stadium.

In just his third game of the season, Spears suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Green Wave's matchup at Southern Miss. After suffering the injury, Spears began the long road of getting back to the form he showed at the start of the 2020 campaign.

"He's worked extremely hard to get back," head coach Willie Fritz said. "Our training staff, our doctors, rehab people, our strength and conditioning people have done a great job helping him get back."

The road back however has not been easy for the Ponchatoula, Louisiana native.

"I had a positive mindset going to the rehab process, but after a couple of months, it starts to take a toll on you because you aren't doing what you used to be able to do."

Spears admitted to reporters on Saturday that the biggest obstacle he had to overcome was gaining confidence in his surgically repaired knee.

"It's just battling with your mind everyday and that's the hardest part of the rehab process," Spears said. "Once you believe in your support system, you are going to be good. I had a lot of help from the athletic training staff, they really helped me through the whole process. My family was also a big help."

Spears displayed that newly found confidence over the first three days of fall camp, showcasing his speed and playmaking ability, as he made a leaping catch in the back end of the endzone for a touchdown during practice.

"That was great," offensive coordinator Chip Long said. "I think everybody in the stadium was holding their breath right there, but it was great, he came down and his leg didn't fall off, so that was big confidence boaster for him."

Long, who served as the offensive coordinator for the Green Wave during the team's trip to the Famous Idaho Potato, said to reporters on Saturday that Spears is a welcomed addition to the offensive side of the ball.

"Tyjae brings so much more than just being a football player," Long said. "His demeanor and the way he loves to practice just infects everybody on our offense."

Spears believes he still has plenty of gas left in the tank despite the fact he is beginning his third season in the program.

In seven career games, the redshirt freshman has shown plenty of signs that he can more than handle the spotlight at Division I level.

"It's great to see Tyjae back," redshirt sophomore running back Cameron Carroll said. "I know for anybody that type of injury is very scary and it is very serious. To see that he is getting more comfortable with his leg and playing, is a great feeling. Tyjae is a great asset, he's a great teammate and he's a great person."

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Players Mentioned

Cameron Carroll

Tyjae Spears

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