Mark Herndon is fully recovered from a season-ending knee injury in 2014 and hopes to break into the rotation in the backfield. (Photo: Jay Metz for UAA)
Gators RB Herndon Can Relate to Injured Teammates
Saturday, August 13, 2016 | Football, Scott Carter
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Fifth-year senior experienced season-ending torn ACL in 2014
A fifth-year senior, Herndon was with the Gators in 2013 when defensive lineman Dominique Easley suffered the second torn ACL of his college career. He watched Easley rehab for months to prepare for the NFL Draft. And then in 2014, Herndon suffered the same fate while on kickoff coverage in Florida's loss at Alabama.
Herndon dropped to the turf at Bryant-Denny Stadium, where he squirmed in pain as trainers attended to his injured knee. Herndon's diagnosis was a torn right ACL and months of rehab. He missed the rest of the season and was limited in head coach Jim McElwain's first spring camp at Florida in 2015.
"Coming back from an ACL, I wouldn't wish that upon anybody, my worst enemy, because of the pain and the rehab and the doubting yourself,'' Herndon said. "Everything that you go through with an ACL, it will probably be the hardest [injury] other than maybe a shoulder, tearing your labrum. There are a lot of questions on the other side." Riles
Herndon has answered those questions and is in the mix for playing time at running back in his final season. Meanwhile, Riles, a redshirt junior offensive lineman who figured prominently in Florida's plans, and McWilliams, a freshman cornerback from Miami, suffered torn ACLs in practice last week and are set to miss the season.
Herndon plans to be a support unit for both players after they undergo surgery and begin the long road back to the field.
"Just being out for a really long period of time, if you see anybody get a small injury – or any type of injury – you know what they're going to go through,'' he said. "I feel like me going through something as big as an ACL, I have credibility to talk to anybody about any type of injury."
Herndon returned in time for the 2015 season and played in all 14 games, primarily on special teams. He is competing with Jordan Scarlett, Jordan Cronkrite and Mark Thompson in Florida's deep backfield during preseason camp.
Herndon has only 11 carries for 55 yards in his career, but McElwain has been impressed by the way Herndon has developed into a veteran influence among the position group.
"You could see him dragging it a year ago,'' McElwain said in reference to Herndon's recovery. "This guy goes about his business the right way and he's set a tone for that running-back group. This guy's going to be called on for a lot of different things, not only on offense but obviously on special teams.
"This team has a lot of respect for him."
Riles is a veteran and generally one of the team's most affable players. He received several get-well messages from former teammates on social media after his injury.
As for McWilliams, his high school coach at Miami Southwest, Tim Neal, reached out to another one of his former players to talk to McWilliams about what's ahead according to Zach Abolverdi of SECCountry.com.
San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore, also from Miami, called McWilliams to offer encouragement and share his experience of two torn ACLs. McWilliams
"He understands the process,'' Neal told SECCountry.com. "It's unfortunate, but it happened early on in his college career to where he can pick up from this. He's one of those kids that rises above whatever is in front of him."
So is Herndon, which is why he wants to be there if Riles and McWilliams need to talk about the road back.
"I'm over that hump already,'' Herndon said. "Now it's just focusing on football. If I'm going to get hurt, I'm going to get hurt. I can't do anything about that. People know I can play special teams. The question is can I play running back in the SEC. That's the question I want to answer this year."
