All the Way Back: The Journey of Justyn Ross
This isn't like last fall when Justyn Ross just ran routes at practice.
This isn't like early June when he passed his final exam with the doctor who performed neck surgery on the Clemson receiver.
This is back, as in all the way back.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney's official announcement before Friday's first practice of fall camp was that Ross was fully cleared, both medically and legally, to play in the 2021 season.
The journey from discovering the congenital fusion in his spine to wondering if he'd ever play again to working his way back on the field is finally complete.
"It's been unbelievable watching this young man's journey," Swinney said. "It's been 18 months to get to this point. Just incredibly thankful for the amazing doctors that he's had but he put the work in."
Technically, the final step is paperwork that will be done Monday, and then Ross has to wait until next Friday to rejoin the team because of COVID-19 protocol. But after that, there are no more limitations. No green or yellow jerseys. No questions if he'll be playing in the Sept. 4 opener against Georgia in Charlotte, N.C.
The "complicated medical issue," as Swinney described it, will be resolved.
"You can tell he's excited to get back on the field," Clemson senior safety Nolan Turner said. "He's been working. He's been grinding. His mindset is right. It's been tough. To have the game almost taken away from him like it was, to continue to work and continue to believe and continue to fight. To get cleared and come back out here, it's exciting. I'm happy for him."
The medical saga began in the spring of 2020 when Ross suffered a stinger injury in practice. That's when the rare condition in the vertebrae was discovered. Had he not been hurt in practice, who knows when or if it would've been found?
"That was one of the toughest meetings I've been involved in because I didn't know what was happening," Swinney said. "It wasn't like it was some big injury. I really couldn't believe what I was hearing. That was a very tough day."
Months later, Ross was headed to the operating table. His chances of playing his junior season for Clemson were over. He'd have to sit on the sidelines all year.
That was the least of his worries. There were no guarantees that a receiver who had 1,865 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns in his first two college seasons would ever play again - at any level.
The surgery had to go well. Then he had to pass multiple physical exams and have numerous people sign off on playing again. Oh, and the wait for it all to happen.
"He certainly was very down at the beginning," Swinney said.
Ross was one of the most talented playmakers in college football after the 2019 season. He was supposed to be the No. 1 receiver for star QB Trevor Lawrence. Then it was supposed to be off to the NFL, where some draft analysts pegged Ross as a first-round draft pick.
"When you feel fine and someone is telling you you can't do something, it was a hard thing to get his mind around and what was coming," Swinney said. "Now you're talking about a whole season. He had goals and aspirations."
But Ross didn't let it derail his dreams. Sure, he was frustrated by the process.
"It's been hard, but I just put everything in God's hands like my grandma said to do," Ross said in March. "I just put everything in God's hands and went on and did everything the doctors told me to do, everything my coaches told me to do."
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A high-level athlete sat around for three months, doing nearly nothing physically other than lifting a few weights. He supported his teammates from the sideline. They supported him during his comeback.
"I saw him pick himself up," Swinney said. "His mom was amazing. His teammates rallied around him, and he kept the faith."
Next week, Ross will line up, free of mind and cleared by doctors to do what he loves: catching passes. He could very well go on to have a career season and reach the pinnacles of his college career. Ross might very well turn that into a high draft selection and a successful NFL career.
"He's in great shape. He's been grinding all summer," Swinney said. "He's been ready a long time in his mind."
Had Ross never had a congenital fusion, he might've reached his goals by now, but going through the surgery, the rehab and the long wait to be cleared to return has changed him forever, Swinney said.
"I think he's grown tremendously through the process," Swinney said. "We all do when we go through adverse situations. It either defines us and destroys us or it develops us. Through his faith, I think he's allowed this to develop him into a much more mature young man with a clear vision and a deeper appreciation for the opportunity."
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