Askew-Henry ready for return
Dravon Askew-Henry had never been away from the game of football long.
Last season he didn’t have a choice.
The junior suffered a torn left ACL in pre-season practice and was sidelined for the duration of the year.
A significant blow to the West Virginia defense considering he had started every game since arriving as a true freshman and one for Askew-Henry as well as he had to cope without playing the game he loves.
During his time away from the field, Askew-Henry was in regular contact with others that have gone through similar circumstances such as Karl Joseph, KJ Dillon and his cousin Darrelle Revis. The message was simple; find something to do with his down-time to keep him engaged.
Askew-Henry took up film study, which was not necessarily his thing prior to that. His partner in crime in the endeavor was none other than his position coach Matt Caponi. His focus was getting back.
“Sitting out that whole year me and coach Caponi would sit down and watch film together,” he said.
The now redshirt junior was able to watch areas he could improve his game as well as understand areas of pre-snap recognition. All of which helped him to become a better football player, a blessing in disguise while he was on the sidelines.
The coaching staff received regular reports of his progress as he battled back to form and while he could have likely suited up during the spring the coaches elected to hold off.
“We just monitored him over the spring, took things slowly, and let him get to where he is feeling comfortable going back out there. The timing was perfect. He had a great summer in the weight room, on the field, and hopefully that translates into a good camp,” Caponi said.
Askew-Henry opened fall camp fully cleared and is ready to continue his college career.
“He’s worked his tail off to get to where he is now. He looked good moving around, running, cutting, and he wasn’t limited,” Caponi said.
During his time away from the game, Askew-Henry realized what was important. Getting back to his teammates and improving his overall level of play.
Now it’s full speed ahead for Askew-Henry as the pads are coming on and now the real fun begins.
“I’m going to bring energy, leadership, and when times get hard, I’m going to be the one to step up and make something happen,” he said.
Now the real fun begins.
“I’m anxious to get back and be able to coach him again to see how he leads this group of guys, leads this team as a leader and just to see his play-making ability on the field,” Caponi said.