OHIO STATE RUNNING BACK MIKE WEBER BATTLING THROUGH INJURY FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR
After being hampered by a hamstring injury for most of the 2017 Ohio State football season, Mike Weber was excited about being back at full strength going into the 2018 season.
Unfortunately for the Buckeyes’ redshirt junior running back, that hasn’t been the case.
Following an excellent start to the season in which he ran for 180 yards and three touchdowns in Ohio State’s season opener against Oregon State, Weber suffered a foot strain during the first half of the Buckeyes’ third game of the season against TCU. He continued to play in that game, but after undergoing treatment for the following week, Weber aggravated that injury when he took a hit on the sideline during the second quarter of the Buckeyes’ next game against Tulane, forcing him to limp across the field and leave that game early.
Despite that injury, though, Weber was back on the field this past Saturday at Penn State, playing 31 snaps, carrying the ball nine times for 51 yards and catching one pass for five yards.
It’s simply not in Weber’s nature to sit out a game unless he absolutely has to.
“You’ve got to cut his foot off for him not to play,” Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford said Tuesday. “He’s going to play, unless there’s something that he just can’t go.”
While Weber hasn’t missed any time other than the second half against Tulane – which he wouldn’t have played in anyways due to the game’s lopsided nature – he acknowledged it has been frustrating to have to battle through an injury again.
“It’s real hard. Because you know, you want to be 100 percent, to be at your best,” Weber said. “It plays with your mind sometimes. Sometimes it actually hurts.”
Weber also realizes, though, that getting dinged up is a part of the sport of football – particularly at the position he plays.
“Football comes with injuries,” Weber said. “You get hurt, and stuff like that. Especially at running back. So I just feel like you got to keep doing what you got to do to get back to 100 percent.”
Entire article:
https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...ng-through-injury-for-second-consecutive-year
Mike Weber Playing Hurt, Not Injured
Ohio State running back Mike Weber is in his fourth year on campus at OSU and he is dealing with injuries for a fourth-consecutive year as well.
Weber missed his true freshman season due to a knee injury, then dealt with various ailments as a redshirt freshman. Last year, he missed two of the first four games for the Buckeyes, which allowed J.K. Dobbins to step into the starting lineup and light up the Big Ten.
Currently, even though he has yet to miss a game, Weber is dealing with a mid-foot sprain. He wasn’t able to play at 100% against Penn State, but is feeling better this week.
“A lot better, actually,” Weber said on Monday. “I’m just fighting through it. A little foot sprain. I’m just fighting through it.”
After opening the season with a career-high 186 yards rushing against Oregon State, Weber returned to the starting lineup in week two. It was his first time starting a game for the Buckeyes since the 31-0 loss to Clemson in 2016.
Things were going well, but right before the half against TCU he tweaked his foot a bit. He received treatment throughout the week and wasn’t 100% for Tulane, but wanted to play. He then aggravated his sprain again in that game and continues to deal with the frustration of not being able to be 100% for the Buckeyes.
“Yeah, it was frustrating. I wasn’t expecting it,” he said. “It happens in football. Now I just keep getting rehab and get back to where I was at.
“It’s really hard because you want to be 100% to be at your best. Football comes with injuries and you hurt, especially at running back. So I just feel like you’ve got to keep on doing what you’ve got to do to get back to 100%.”
Entire article:
https://theozone.net/2018/10/mike-weber-playing-hurt-not-injured/
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