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LOGAN - Robert Turbin was sensational as a sophomore.
The Utah State running back rushed for 1,296 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also caught 30 passes for 408 yards and five touchdowns. He established himself as a star with NFL potential for a program that desperately needed one.
His future looked bright until a simple offseason drill left his future in doubt.
"I stepped with my right foot and it just gave out on me," Turbin remembers. "I didn't really hear a pop or anything like that. My leg just kind of overextended a little bit. I tried to get up and walk on it but I couldn't."
It was every athlete's worst nightmare -- a torn ACL. Months of rehab would follow and Turbin would miss the entire 2010 season.
I stepped with my right foot and it just gave out on me. I didn't really hear a pop or anything like that. My leg just kind of overextended a little bit. I tried to get up and walk on it but I couldn't.
–Robert Turbin
Support from teammates and coaches would help him get through the difficult times.
"They just kinda kept my head up and kept my confidence going." Turbin says. "They kept telling me that you'll be able to get back, you just got to be patient. It was a long while but thankfully I'm back and I'm ready to go."
Turbin was held out of contact drills during Spring practices as a precaution, but he says his knee is 100 percent healthy. Head coach Gary Anderson can't wait to get his captain back on the field this fall.
"It's big," says Anderson about having Turbin back in 2011. "He's going to take the youth of the program and the veterans of the program and demand excellence out of them."
The Aggies missed his powerful running between the tackles. They missed his ability to turn a corner and outrun opposing defenses. They missed his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Turbin expects to bring all those skills back to the team in 2011.
While difficult, Turbin believes the experience of the past year has made him a better player, both mentally and physically.
"I was able to become more of a student of the game," Turbin says. "I learned a lot. I learned how to watch film better. I was able to listen to the coaches scheme -- game plan. I was able to learn physical skills that make me a better player. I feel a lot quicker and actually faster than I used to be because of the things that I've learned."
The return of a healthy Robert Turbin, combined with the upgrade in talent on the roster, could make it the season the Aggies earn a bowl bid for the first time since 1997. The quest begins September 3 when the Aggies travel to Auburn to take on the defending national champions.
"Opening up our first game with the national champions is something I think about everyday," says Turbin with a smile on his face. "I was out of football for so long and being back and being able to play a team like that is exactly what we want. We want to compete. We're a team trying to chase greatness. We have guys on our team that want to be great players. I want to be a great player."
The question Turbin must answer this fall is will he be the Robert Turbin who rushed for 1,300 yards in 2009?
"You'll just have to come see," he says.
We will all get a chance to see on September 3.
Email: jjensen@ksl.comTwitter: @JJSportsBeat
