Jalen Geiger describes rehab process following knee injury
When Kentucky takes the field against Ball State on Sept. 2 for its season opener, it will have been nearly an entire year since Jalen Geiger recorded an in-game tackle for the Wildcats.
Geiger injured his knee against Florida last September after getting hit on an illegal crack-back block in the first half. It was the second game of Kentucky’s 2022 season, and the hit cost Geiger the rest of his.
“This was the first big injury I’ve ever had in my career,” Geiger told KSR’s Adam Luckett. “It was definitely something different for me, but I knew that I had to be a leader and be there for my guys. So, I attacked the rehab as hard as I ever did anything in my life. I was in there for two a days, working my butt off to be back to where I am now.”
A product of the 2019 recruiting class, Geiger appeared in all 13 games of his redshirt sophomore season in 2021. He logged two starts during the year, and finished the season with 18 total tackles (11 solo), one successful pass defended as well as a pick-six against Vanderbilt, which he called the easiest pick-six of his career.
While he was sidelined prior to ramping up his rehab, he took the time to sharpen his football IQ. He became a film room junkie and now has a deeper understanding for the finer aspects of the game. Now, Geiger is back on the practice field and feeling better than ever.
“There’s nothing holding me back,” Geiger said of his recovery. “I put in a lot of work in rehab with cutting and squating and planting off my knees. There’s no hesitation, nothing. It was full-go; I trusted it and I’m back out here making plays again.”
Geiger will look to factor right back into Kentucky’s defensive unit in 2023, which is typically where the Wildcats shine. Expected to produce career numbers as a redshirt senior, the former three-star recruit could turn a few heads when it comes to turning pro.
Kentucky will be heavy favorites in its first four games against Ball State, EKU, Akron and Vanderbilt, respectively, to begin the season. After that, Geiger gets to exact his revenge on the team he was injured against as the Florida Gators head to Kroger Field for a date with the Wildcats during Week 5 on Sept. 30.