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So ... it's been a frustrating year. Definitely. But after reading the two stories below, try not to feel pretty damn good. And lord ... after the second one, try not to have dry eyes. Hoo boy.
1. We already knew Henry Josey was back ... but Henry Josey is back
The Trib: Josey's story gets better all the time
KC Star: Missouri's Josey gets comeback going in full swing
Post-Dispatch: Mizzou's Josey takes big stride in remarkable comeback
Fox Sports MW: Mizzou RB credits renewed faith for return
From the Trib:
Josey said he spent the first few months after the injury in a fog, constantly asking why. Eventually, he started putting one foot in front of the other on the road to recovery. That's the abridged version, anyway. But who among us could imagine the angst of going from one of the best running backs in the nation — a legitimate NFL prospect — to possibly never playing again? And the chore was to repeatedly work through boring exercises without knowing if there ever would be a payoff.
"People have no idea what this guy had to do," Pinkel said.
This is what Josey is getting at when he said, "I'm not my old self anymore. I'm a lot different." He said he appreciates playing college football more now, even takes school more seriously.
If he just makes it onto the field in the fall and contributes, that would be heart-warming. What would be better, though, is if this becomes more than a feel-good story.
In the days and months after his injury, he needed his teammates and coaches. Now they need him.
2. You're the man, Jack Hoffman
Goodness ... this might be the first Nebraska touchdown to ever make you happy ... hell, this might be the coolest thing Nebraska has ever done.
In one of the best moments of not just Nebraska's spring game, but basically all of spring college football season, a brave young boy battling pediatric brain cancer surprised fans in Memorial Stadium when the team called him out on the field late in the fourth quarter and let him run a play.