Tylan Wallace Set for First Game Back in Nearly 11 Months
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State’s season opener against Tulsa this coming Saturday will be the first game back from receiver Tylan Wallace since he tore his ACL ahead of the TCU game midway through the 2019 season.
That’s nearly 11 months.
The last time we saw Tylan Wallace on the field, he was punishing Iowa State defenders in Ames, IA.
There’s always some concern when a player’s returning from an ACL injury, especially someone as explosive and game-changing as Tylan’s been throughout his three years at Oklahoma State. But during a Zoom call with media Tuesday afternoon, both Tylan and quarterback Spencer Sanders assured us that he’s back to his old self.
"I think I probably had the green [non-contact] jersey on maybe for a few weeks, couple weeks,” said Wallace. “I had it for a while and realized you know we're getting close to game day and it's going to have to come off eventually. That's what coach [Kasey] Dunn was telling me. I agreed with him; it's got to be able to come off, I've got to be able to go in there get some contact. So, it came off. Took the brace off, got through some contact stuff, started running through some routes without it and felt perfectly fine. I feel like kind of like the old me now, so I feel like I'm going out there and just playing football like I used to."
When anyone experiences an injury, especially one that alters practically everything you do, there’s going to be some reservations on what you can and can’t do. It’s like getting into a fender bender or getting pulled over; you start driving overly-cautious for the new few weeks before starting to feel comfortable behind the wheel again.
"To me I felt like it probably took just a little bit longer just because I was going out there to practice and I kind of was knocking the rust off,” said Wallace. “I wasn't really getting out there feeling like the old me, or how I'm used to running routes. I took a little bit longer, but I feel like now we've kind of got it down to where it's just like you said picked up where we are last year."
There was a concern after the season opener was postponed a week if the guys would have trouble getting motivated for the game. They got their hopes up for a game that was pushed back a week, and for Wallace, pushed back nearly 11 months past the last time he was on the field in a game. However, Mike Gundy mentioned earlier in the week how the guys were tired of practice and Tylan said there’s no issue as they’re ready to play.
"At first it was going into it not knowing whether we were playing or not playing, and especially when they pushed it back that week, I feel like guys had a little struggle to get ready, to get motivated for the game,” said Wallace. “I feel like this week guys are excited. We were out there flying around and I think they're just ready to play and know that we actually have a game this weekend."
