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Following Tuesday’s practice, OL Navaughn Donaldson detailed his long journey back to the field which culminated in his return at Duke this weekend on the same field he tore his ACL and MCL in the 2019 regular season finale.
“At first, I didn’t realize how serious it was until I heard from some players that had the same injury as me - it’s a long process… It was a lot of pain from being at the hospital to being home to not even being able to walk on it for six months,” Donaldson said. “To learn how to bend it again was a long process mentally and physically. It was a long process, but with the staff we have here, I was able to get stronger, faster with their help and also feel good mentally and physically.”
As for where he currently is physically, Donaldson doesn’t feel like he’s completely back to where he was, but he does feel comfortable enough to help provide UM some depth on the OL down the stretch in 2020.
“I’m not full speed like I used to be, but I’m focused on being able to contribute, that’s it,” Donaldson said. “The process was harder than practice sometimes - when I got back to practice, I was happy at how hard rehab was.”
Donaldson played a big role at LG after Jakai Clark left the game with an injury, including paving the way for a 34-yard Harris TD run in the first quarter
“I was ready to help - it was just good,” Donaldson said. “It was good to get back in a game. My mindset was if I play, play as fast as possible, as hard as possible - if I make a mistake, oh well. Just go play, have fun.”
In addition to his rehab, Donaldson also had to adjust to playing in Rhett Lashlee’s new offense this season, an attack known for its fast-paced nature.
“I love it,” Donaldson said of the offense. “Going back to my freshman year, pretty much the same tempo. This tempo is a little bit faster, but the plays are simple. Just play hard. I love the offensive coordinator, schemes. It’s really good for me.”
Of course, Miami also brought in a new offensive line coach over the offseason, and Donaldson gave his thoughts on how it has been working with Garin Justice.
“It comes from his personality, coach Justice is an amazing coach, a laid-back type of guy, but he’ll work you hard,” Donaldson said. “You’ll know what you did wrong if you made a mistake. The best approach he has is if you make a mistake, it’ll be 100 percent your fault and you’re able to fix it. Just play hard, practice fast. We work fast, work hard, work on great technique.”
With the NCAA offering an extra year of eligibility for the athletes due to the pandemic, the senior OL expects to return to Miami in 2021.
“The plan was for me to redshirt, but since this year doesn’t count it’s just a free year. It is what it is,” Donaldson said. “For this offseason, I’m just going to work as hard as I can, that’s it. Be in here all the time, see the trainers, be in the weight room more than I’d usually be. Come in, get something done, watch more film. That’s one thing we did this season that’s helped us.”
“At first, I didn’t realize how serious it was until I heard from some players that had the same injury as me - it’s a long process… It was a lot of pain from being at the hospital to being home to not even being able to walk on it for six months,” Donaldson said. “To learn how to bend it again was a long process mentally and physically. It was a long process, but with the staff we have here, I was able to get stronger, faster with their help and also feel good mentally and physically.”
As for where he currently is physically, Donaldson doesn’t feel like he’s completely back to where he was, but he does feel comfortable enough to help provide UM some depth on the OL down the stretch in 2020.
“I’m not full speed like I used to be, but I’m focused on being able to contribute, that’s it,” Donaldson said. “The process was harder than practice sometimes - when I got back to practice, I was happy at how hard rehab was.”
Donaldson played a big role at LG after Jakai Clark left the game with an injury, including paving the way for a 34-yard Harris TD run in the first quarter
“I was ready to help - it was just good,” Donaldson said. “It was good to get back in a game. My mindset was if I play, play as fast as possible, as hard as possible - if I make a mistake, oh well. Just go play, have fun.”
In addition to his rehab, Donaldson also had to adjust to playing in Rhett Lashlee’s new offense this season, an attack known for its fast-paced nature.
“I love it,” Donaldson said of the offense. “Going back to my freshman year, pretty much the same tempo. This tempo is a little bit faster, but the plays are simple. Just play hard. I love the offensive coordinator, schemes. It’s really good for me.”
Of course, Miami also brought in a new offensive line coach over the offseason, and Donaldson gave his thoughts on how it has been working with Garin Justice.
“It comes from his personality, coach Justice is an amazing coach, a laid-back type of guy, but he’ll work you hard,” Donaldson said. “You’ll know what you did wrong if you made a mistake. The best approach he has is if you make a mistake, it’ll be 100 percent your fault and you’re able to fix it. Just play hard, practice fast. We work fast, work hard, work on great technique.”
With the NCAA offering an extra year of eligibility for the athletes due to the pandemic, the senior OL expects to return to Miami in 2021.
“The plan was for me to redshirt, but since this year doesn’t count it’s just a free year. It is what it is,” Donaldson said. “For this offseason, I’m just going to work as hard as I can, that’s it. Be in here all the time, see the trainers, be in the weight room more than I’d usually be. Come in, get something done, watch more film. That’s one thing we did this season that’s helped us.”
