Junior running back Mike Epstein got out to a fast start in his college career, leading Illinois in rushing in the first five-game of his freshman year in 2017. Then the injury bug struck.
Epstein fractured his foot in week five against Iowa and was lost for the season. No stranger to season-ending injuries, Epstein had previously torn his ACL in high school during his junior year at Florida prep power St. Thomas Aquinas.
Another foot injury and another torn ACL suffered in the opener versus Akron a year ago cost him large portions of the next two years, including the entire 2019 campaign.
It’s been a grueling few years, but Epstein thinks he finally found a winning formula that will keep him healthy and on the field for the shortened season this fall, with the opener set at Wisconsin on October 24.
