Football is a contact sport and like in any contact sport injuries occur, from day-to-day type things to even career ending. Although every player gets banged up here and there, very few have to overcome what senior linebacker D.T. Shackelford did.
After turning in a promising freshman campaign in 2009 that saw him earn to the SEC All-Freshman team, Shackelford took a step forward in 2010, as he recorded 48 tackles in 12 games. However, Shackelford’s production came to a halt before the 2011 season when he tore his ACL. Shackelford was poised for a comeback in 2012 before a set back in rehab caused him to undergo surgery to repair the knee for the second time.
Despite not being on the field, Shackelford was a major leader for the Rebels in those two seasons and was awarded the Chucky Mullins Courage Award in 2011.
His time as a vocal leader on the sidelines came to an end last week, as Shackelford made his return to the gridiron this past Thursday at Vanderbilt after a two-year delay and said the feelings of finally being on the field again was amazing.
“It was very emotional,” Shackelford said. “I know that a lot of people take for granted that they will play four years straight. For me, I thought I would play four years straight, but to have a two-year delay and be able to be back on the field, thats all I could really ask for.”
With two major surgeries and hours of rehabbing each week, many would’ve given up. For Shackelford, that wasn’t an option.
“It was only a matter of time,” Shackelford said. “I knew I was going to be back on the field. When, I didn’t necessarily know, but I knew I wasn’t going to quit on my dream of being back on the field. Once I put it in my mind, I knew it was going to happen sooner or later.”
Throughout his time off the field, Shackelford said he learned a lot, but one thing that stuck out to him was patience.
“That’s something that you can teach the younger guys,” he said. “Things aren’t going to always go your way. You have to be able to calm yourself down and just be able to know that God has a plan and just slow it down. That’s something I’ve been able to learn.”
Shackelford’s words to his teammates carried a lot of weight while he was injured, but he feels now that he is finally back in action, his guidance will be even more impacting on his teammates.
“It’s one thing to lead off the field, but it’s one thing to lead on,” Shackelford said. “I’ve just been very fortunate and blessed to even be back. People come up to me after two years, even in different sports, and ask me, ‘D.T., how do you get through it?’, so I feel like I went through it for a reason.”
One major concern upon Shackelford’s return to the field was just how effective he could be after coming off of two major surgeries and whether he would be able to still be a threat, but Shackelford never let that thought come into his head. In fact, his presence is going to be felt more in the coming weeks as the linebacker unit took a hit with the injury to sophomore Denzel Nkemdiche.
“I have to make sure I don’t put that in my mind, because if I do, I’ll start playing how I think I’m going to play,” he said. “So if you just go out there and play, you don’t really worry about what you’ve been through. You have a brace on and stuff like that, but you want to play up to your ability.”
Now, Shackelford will make his return to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium this Saturday when the Rebels take on Southeast Missouri, and he knows the feelings before running out of the tunnel will be one’s he will never forget.
“I know that’s going to be a different feeling,” he said. “I’m saving some of the emotions for this Saturday. It’s going to be great because I know its a different feeling. Everyone knows the atmosphere of Vaught-Hemingway, and the first game and how our fans are, so it’s going to be great.”
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