Justyn Ross talks returning to the field for the first time
The return of Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross is one of the most highly anticipated events this college football season. It’s been a long 18 months for his return to the football field.
Now that he’s finally back, Ross instantly gives Clemson one of the most dynamic wide receivers in all of college football.
There are lots of questions if he can return to the form he once had, but there’s no denying the spectacular tape he put on film for the 2018 season.
As a freshman, he hauled in 46 catches for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. That’s an average of over 21 yards per catch.
He torched Alabama’s secondary to the tune of six catches for 153 yards and one touchdown in the 2019 national championship game, too. The Alabama native made several acrobatic grabs in the game, but none bigger than his 17-yard one handed stunner on 3rd-and-9.
His masterpiece of a performance was instrumental in Clemson’s 44-16 throttling of the Tide, lifting the Tigers’ to the 2019 national championship in jaw-dropping fashion.
Justyn Ross spoke with reporters about what it feels like to be back out on the football field. Below is the transcribed interview.
On being back on the field: “It feels great, man. Best I’ve ever felt.”
On the process of getting cleared: “It was like a year and a couple of months but it felt like forever, being away from something I love.”
On the exact moment of getting cleared: “When he (Dabo Swinney) had called me in the off-season, I honestly didn’t know what he was going to say. But he ended up telling me I’m ready to play. It was unreal.”
On whether he was confident about receiving full medical clearance: “Oh yeah. I had 100 percent confidence, but it’s always just that curiosity of not knowing…”
On his first day back: “It feels good, man. I was ready to go, man. Just ready to get back to working. Just being off a year, it took a toll on me. But I’m back now.”
On any physical limitations: “I feel like the same old JRoss.”
Coming out of high school, Ross was rated as a 4-star prospect according to 247sports.com. He was ranked as the seventh best wide receiver in America and the top-overall prospect in the state of Alabama in the 2018 class.
Clemson kicks off the season on Sept. 4 against the Georgia Bulldogs. The game will be televised on ABC at 7:30 PM ET.