Georgia Tech A-back Qua Searcy continues to do rehabilitation on the season-ending ankle injury he suffered last September. He is likewise doing work on his confidence in it.
Searcy said he has no pain in the ankle he broke against Notre Dame in the third game of the season.
“It’s just trusting it,” he said Monday following Tech’s ninth spring-practice workout.
Searcy is among the many A-backs competing for a spot on the depth chart. He showed promise and playmaking ability in the first three games, with 13 carries for 76 yards and three receptions for 45 yards. He scored twice. His was among a battery of injuries suffered by A-backs, a major factor in the team’s collapse to its 3-9 record.
Searcy’s season came to an end in South Bend, Ind., trying to collect an errant pitch from quarterback Justin Thomas.
“I was just trying to get it off the ground, because it was a fumble, and their defensive lineman fell on the outside of my ankle,” he said.
Searcy called it a “devastating” setback, but credited teammates with lifting him up. This spring, he is trying to return to full speed.
Having the faith in his ankle to cut sharply on the ankle is still returning, “but I do more and more each day, so I get more confidence each day,” Searcy said. “Our strength staff does a good job of getting it back healthy. So I think in a couple weeks, I’ll be 100 (percent).”
With so many players having received playing time last season, the A-back group is promising. Clinton Lynch established himself as a dependable playmaker last season. Lynn Griffin is gaining confidence after moving from defensive back during last season. Searcy showed in three games that he can be a productive part of a rotation and now has a little more experience.
Said Searcy, “I think we’re becoming a better group than we were last year.”
Coach Paul Johnson has been encouraged by Searcy, noting a good practice on Monday catching the ball in passing drills.
“I think he’s starting to get back healthy,” Johnson said. “So we’re counting on him to be a big part of what we do in the fall, so hopefully he can continue to progress.”
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