EMEKA EGBUKA SAYS “IT KIND OF SUCKED” MISSING THREE GAMES WITH ANKLE INJURY, BUT HE’S READY TO DO “WHATEVER MY TEAM NEEDS” NOW
By
Dan Hope on November 9, 2023 at 8:35 am
@dan_hope
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It wouldn’t have been easy for Emeka Egbuka to play against Penn State just two weeks after spraining his ankle, but the Ohio State wide receiver did everything he could to try to make that happen.
“You could ask anyone at the facility, I would be here at 7 a.m. and I would leave at 9 p.m., and I wasn't doing anything physical. I was all just doing rehab on my ankle, because I was so determined to play,” Egbuka said.
After suffering the injury early in the fourth quarter of Ohio State’s first game of October against Maryland, Egbuka knew he wouldn’t be able to play the following week against Purdue. But he felt like he had a shot to play against the Nittany Lions. Technically, Egbuka was available to play against Penn State – he went through pregame warmups after being listed as questionable on the team’s injury report – but Ohio State decided to hold him out since he was only “about 80-85%” healthy by his estimation.
“If I needed to play, I definitely would have,” Egbuka said. “But we felt as if the dudes who were behind me had more than enough ability to be able to execute the job. So if one of them were to go down or something, we were in need or any type of thing, I was there. I was ready.”
Ultimately, Ohio State didn’t end up needing Egbuka to earn a
20-12 win over Penn State, and Egbuka would sit out one more game against Wisconsin – though he was considered available for that game, too – before returning to action last weekend against Rutgers.
Having never missed a game due to injury before in his entire football career, Egbuka said it was hard having to watch from the sideline, though he tried to make the best of it by doing whatever he could to support his teammates.
“It kind of sucked, I’m not gonna lie,” Egbuka said. “But I'm grateful to be where I'm at right now. I learned a lot through this experience. And I was able to support my team in a way that I hadn't before. Because you have a different role. You have a role in supporting and coaching the younger dudes so that they're ready for when that moment comes.”
Egbuka said the three games he missed made him appreciate the opportunity he has to play for Ohio State even more.
“Football is one of my passions, probably my biggest passion. So it really puts a lot of stuff into perspective,” Egbuka said.
Emeka Egbuka said “it kind of sucked” to miss three games with an ankle injury, but he’s feeling healthy now and putting the team first with his sights set on winning a championship.
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