NC State’s Rakeim Ashford ‘rocking and rolling’ after scary injury
NC State graduate safety Rakeim Ashford didn’t know what to do after he was hit on a kickoff in the third quarter at UConn in the Wolfpack’s season opener.
He didn’t see the hit coming, so when UConn’s Isiah Davis made contact, Ashford’s head hit the ground. The fourth-season defensive back suffered a concussion and was carted off the field before he was sent to a local hospital for further evaluation.
All of his tests came back without a hitch, and Ashford was cleared to return to Raleigh the next day. But looking back on that moment, Ashford couldn’t believe it happened.
“When it happened, it was like a shock,” Ashford said, 27 days removed from the incident, Tuesday. “My body just froze. I didn’t even know. … In my head, I was thinking of all the bad stuff. But the outcome, everything was positive.”
It took Ashford about a week and a half to feel like his normal self after the concussion, and he returned to the practice field soon after. He didn’t play in the Wolfpack’s games against Notre Dame, VMI and Virginia, but the safety is ready to go for Friday night’s game against Louisville.
But during that three-week stretch that Ashford couldn’t play as he was working his way back, it ate at him. He wanted to get back on the field as soon as possible, and watching his teammates play without him was enough motivation to do whatever he could in the training room.
“It was hard because I don’t like seeing my brothers out there without me,” Ashford said. “It was hard for me, so I had to really be in the training room, I had to get back. Me not being out there, it pushed me like, ‘Hey Rock, you gotta get right. You gotta get back on the field.’ Especially since it’s my last year here.”
Ashford’s return to the field this week will be a welcomed sight for the NC State secondary with Louisville’s potent offense on tap. The Wolfpack were already without starting safety Jakeen Harris, who suffered a season-ending injury at UConn, and will be likely missing Devan Boykin after he picked up an injury at Virginia last week.
The former junior college safety will provide much needed depth at the position. He was listed at the second-string strong safety spot behind junior Bishop Fitzgerald.
“We’ve got a lot of depth at safety,” Ashford said. “We’ve got young guys, we’ve got old guys. Even though we’ve got one of them out, we’ll be alright. The next person will step up.”
While injuries could allow Ashford’s role to grow on the defense in the secondary, he said he wouldn’t wish what he went through with his own medical situation on anyone else.
“It’s always exciting to be back out there on the field,” Ashford said. “Injuries, I don’t wish that on nobody. I’m blessed to be back out there on the field with my brothers instead of being on the sidelines.”
Ashford is set to return this week, and he’ll do it in front of a sold-out Carter-Finley crowd on national television. Oh, and the Wolfpack will don a new all black uniform for the team’s black out in the stadium.
And he can’t wait to get back in front of the Wolfpack faithful for the first time this season.
“We feeling good,” Ashford said. “We back at The Carter this week. Once we come back to The Carter, come back home, we finna ball out out there.”
It’s not hard to see the excitement in Ashford’s words. The time spent off the field has prepared him to enjoy this moment even more, and he didn’t hide his joy to be back out on the field with his teammates.
“I’m back,” Ashford said with a grin, “rocking and rolling.”
