Mike Morris updates his health: ‘I thought my leg was broken’
Michigan senior defensive lineman Mike Morris went down late in a blowout win of Nebraska with a leg injury, one that would keep him from playing against Illinois and most of the Ohio State game. He probably shouldn’t have been in that late with the game in hand, but he was … and it nearly cost him the season.
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“I’m not going to lie — I thought my leg was broken,” the Michigan senior said. “I thought my ankle was broken. That’s why I reacted that way. And then I looked at it and it was straight, and … I moved my toes a little bit, and then I’m fine. I’m good. That’s when I stood up.
“One of the players said something to me — I can’t say what he said — but something like, ‘get up, something something.’ That’s when I jumped up and ran off the field.”
While he’d still done enough to earn Big Ten defensive lineman of the year honors, watching his teammates play most of the game without him at OSU was tough to bear.
“That hurt. That hurt,” Morris admitted. “I felt like I could have made a huge impact on that team. But my teammates pulled it through, and I’m so proud of them.”
Morris spent several of the last weeks before (and has since) in the training room trying to get healthy for the Fiesta Bowl vs. TCU and beyond. It’s been working, he reported Tuesday.
“I’m like 95 percent. I’m feeling good,” he said. “A lot of rehab. I’ve been in the training room 6 a.m., 8 a.m., me and Steve Smith (the trainer) have been in there long days. Been with him a little too much. But I’m feeling great.”
And ready to impact when Michigan faces the Horned Frogs Saturday.
“I have a big chance to make up for [time missed],” he said with a grin. “I’m looking for it. I’m excited.”
