Alabama Football's Justin Eboigbe Looking Forward to Returning from Neck Injury
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Just days before a contest with Arkansas on Oct. 1, 2022, Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe suffered a season-ending neck injury that would see him miss the Crimson Tide's final nine games of the season.
Now, after a long recovery, Eboigbe is ready to come back and contribute in a crowded defensive line room in 2023-24.
"[The] time, I'd say, definitely has been challenging," Eboigbe said. "It's been more mental than physical because you really don't know what to expect. When everything went down, I'm just grateful for the coaching staff and training staff, especially for catching it early and honestly, doing the right things to catch it early and then get me with the right people to make sure that I was as happy as I am today. […] I feel like I was coming off some of my best football. […] By the grace of God and by the great people at this University, it got me in touch with the right people and made it tremendously easy for the comeback and I'm feeling better now than I did before."
The injury and his time away from football has made Eboigbe realize the little things and not to take anything for granted.
"You're coming off a game and you expect to come to practice and something happens — you never know what's going to happen," Eboigbe said. "Every play, every practice, every time we work out we should be grateful for that because you never know when the opportunity is going to cease. Just taking every day as a day in getting better whether it be in the weight room, on the field, in the meeting room watching film or learning new stuff. Just take advantage of the day that's given because honestly I would never thought that that would happen to me back in September but it is what it is. It's about making the days count."
Eboigbe has been at Alabama since the 2019 season. He's appeared in 33 games over the past four seasons, picking up 59 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception.
Eboigbe has high expectations for the defensive line in 2023-24.
"I feel like the expectations for the unit is be the heartbeat of the defense," Eboigbe said. "Anything [on] offense or defense starts in the trenches. The identity of the team is building the trenches so the way we play is going to be the play of the defense. It starts with us up front and the challenge is in front of us. During the offseason program and spring we've been preparing ourselves and getting better each day and taking control of what we can control and knowing it starts with us."
Eboigbe had a lot of time to reflect during his injury — picking up a lot of advice on the way.
"The best words of advice was the day that I found out from Jeff Allen that its season-ending, not career-ending," Eboigbe said. "The worst thing that could happen is you get in your own head and you end up thinking, 'Well, this is it for me.' But I knew, I stayed behind the words that he told me that 'OK my season may be over — my career is not over.' Every day I woke up and I knew that. [There were] tough days and stuff like that but I knew that me being able to play a game of football is not going to be taken from me forever — just this small setback."
Eboigbe is competing this spring with the likes of Jaheim Oatis, Tim Smith, Jamil Burroughs and others for a starting spot this season.
What does Eboigbe have that maybe the others don't? A lot of experience.
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