John Emery knee injury update: Brian Kelly hints at future for LSU running back following season-ending injury

John Emery hit another bump in the road in his football career, recently being ruled out for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL. In what was supposed to be a productive senior year, LSU will have to play without its star running back for all of 2024. A tough blow for the offense after playing in just one game.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly recently said he was “sick” for Emery, having to deal with another torn ACL. On Monday, he discussed what the future could look like for the running back, hinting at life after football. Kelly is confident Emery is set up well and is prepared for the next stage of his life.

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“John, you know, I think it’s always about how you handle adversity,” Kelly said Monday via The Paul Finebaum Show. “Unfortunately, he’s had this before. And I think he’s at a place in his life now that he knows he can do things outside of football. I think that’s what the trap is here, is that many of these young men sometimes didn’t know that they could do things outside of just football. And that’s a shame, right? I think building an identity outside of football with these young men is so crucial when you come into football programs. And we’ve done that.

“And John knows that he has a life outside of football… is he disappointed? Absolutely. We’re crushed for him. But he knows that he has a life outside of football and now he’s going to be working towards that.”

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Emery entered the program as a five-star prospect in 2019 after once being committed to Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs. There was never really a chance to break out due to injuries and eligibility issues related to academics.

Kelly has fought hard to get John Emery to be a contributing member of the Tigers offense. The 2024 season was thought to be that time, especially after a solid game against USC in the opener. Emery rushed for 61 yards on 10 carries and caught a pass from Garrett Nussmeier for 10 yards. Not flashy but productive from the running back.

For the time being, Emery will begin to rehab his knee with LSU and cheer on his teammates. Plenty of options will be there for him down the road, Kelly just believes it might be outside of football.