West Virginia LB Lathan finds perspective while away from football field
Trey Lathan wasn’t on the field for the final eight games of the season after sustaining an injury but learned more about himself than at any other point in his football career.
The redshirt sophomore linebacker injured his leg late in the fifth game against TCU and immediately knew that something was wrong.
“I felt it and I looked at my leg and it was just dangling over so I knew,” Lathan said.
The Florida native fractured both his tibia and fibula and it required surgery with a rod being inserted and four screws. Lathan finished watching the game on his phone, a 24-21 West Virginia win, and in the waning moments almost forgot that he was even injured at all.
“I thought I was out there with my team,” he said.
Lathan would remain in Fort Worth to complete the procedure and return home a few days later but that initial period was a difficult one for him as he had to adjust to not playing football. It was a cruel blow for any athlete, but especially one that was coming into his own in his first year as a starter.
Across those five games, Lathan finished with 27 tackles, a tackle for loss and seven quarterback hurries. Lathan felt like he was getting better each and every week while things were slowing down for him. So, naturally having that ripped away from him in the blink of an eye was a difficult pill to swallow.
“It was the roughest week of my life,” he said.
But after the initial shock, Lathan was able to pick himself up quite literally and was walking within a few days after the surgery was completed. He then increased the speed, ditched the crutches and continued to walk in order to get back to being on the field.
It was during this period that Lathan was able to find out some things about himself. He had always heavily relied on the game of football to the point that he identified with it. This situation basically forced him to embrace life outside of football over a six-month period.
Lathan had been injured before, but not to this extent which forced him to put his situation into perspective that the game of football would one day end. So, he directed all of his attention to his personal life and focusing on his academics and future goals.
“Football is going to be over for me one day so just being there for my teammates and just trying to figure out a bigger role. Obviously I can’t play so supporting them in any way I can,” he said.
Lathan would eventually like to start a trucking business and started focusing on ways to accomplish that once he graduates from school and the game of football ends.
He returned to winter conditioning and spring practice without any limitations, and he doesn’t have any issues with pain in his leg.
And now with things in perspective, Lathan is excited to get back on the field and continue his high level of play at the linebacker spot.
He’s also learned more about playing the position while being away and believes that has translated onto the field by taking the right angles to get to the football faster.
“It’s going to be a lot different this year. Just get better and anything I want I can go grab it. So that’s kind of the mentality I have right now,” Lathan said.
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