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BATON ROUGE – The roars, gasps and jeers rolled reverberated across the night sky in Baton Rouge each LSU football home game last season, much like it's done the 100 years.
Just a few blocks away on his apartment balcony, Jacobian Guillory was perched, glaring in the direction of Tiger Stadium, intently listening to the dramatic eruptions and pitches from the game.
Usually he'd be engulfed by the sounds on the sideline or on the field but an Achilles tendon injury forced him to open his patio door to get the next best thing as he watched his teammates play on television.
Guillory suffered the season-ending injury against Nicholls State in the second game of the 2024 season.
LSU SPRING PRACTICE NEWS, NOTES LSU football spring football observations: Notes on Jacobian Guillory, look at backup QB
LSU PRO DAY LSU Football Pro Day: Get 40-yard dash, bench press, drill results for Tigers players here
He missed the final 11 games and initial offseason conditioning and lifting. But after seven months of sitting, watching and relearning how to walk and run, Guillory has returned to the practice field for LSU during spring.
The 6-foot-2, 320-pound senior defensive tackle can only do individual work right now, but he's back on the field.
"Since day one (of spring practice), I've been kind of practicing it," Guillory said. "Now, I'm in full pads just getting the feel of what it feels like being in pads doing individuals.
"I was ready to go. I've been doing this like for so long. It felt like the first day but at the same time, I was just excited to be out there with the guys, not just watching like last year, getting a chance to do (individual drills), getting a chance to be hands-on."
LSU football coach Brian Kelly has told reporters earlier this spring that Guillory was not expected to be fully cleared until June for the team's summer workout program.
As soon as the trainers relayed to him that he tore his Achilles, Guillory knew in that moment he wasn't done at LSU. He reflected on his career and what he accomplished with the Tigers and what came to his mind didn't satisfy him.
For his teammates, especially his fellow defensive players, getting Guillory back has been a lift this spring.
"He's the anchor of that D-line," LSU linebacker West Weeks said. "He's the energy guy, he's bringing energy every day. When we lost him (last season), it was a big blow not only for the D-line but for the whole team.
"I'm so glad he's back out there. Him being out there is a testament to him and how hard he's worked to get back from that injury. That's a pretty hard injury to come back from. I'm happy for him and I know he's excited about being back."
Guillory and Weeks were injured – not the same injury but Weeks did have a hurt foot last season – and both missed several games together. Weeks said that Guillory helped him through his recovery process.
The mental side was something they both had to work through and Guillory also credited his family with pushing him through the hard moments.
"Literally, I couldn't walk. Relearning how to walk, relearning how to run, jog, relearning all that is the hardest part. But thankfully I had my family with me," Guillory said. "Without them, I don't know what I would have did. They were my backbone throughout the whole process."
Putting the pads back on for the first time since September marked a milestone for Guillory in his path back to playing inside Tiger Stadium this fall and being engulfed, once again, by the cheers, jeers and noise. There's more to come and he's not finished.
"For me, I like to finish what I start regardless of what everybody else thinks. I started here and I want to finish here and go to a national championship. That's the main goal. Even if they had did that last year, I still would've come back."
JACK PYBURN Jack Pyburn wants to be LSU football defense's 'hammer' at DE and prove himself right
JARDIN GILBERT LSU football starting safety out for spring practice
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU football DT Jacobian Guillory returns following Achilles injury
Continue reading...
Just a few blocks away on his apartment balcony, Jacobian Guillory was perched, glaring in the direction of Tiger Stadium, intently listening to the dramatic eruptions and pitches from the game.
Usually he'd be engulfed by the sounds on the sideline or on the field but an Achilles tendon injury forced him to open his patio door to get the next best thing as he watched his teammates play on television.
Guillory suffered the season-ending injury against Nicholls State in the second game of the 2024 season.
LSU SPRING PRACTICE NEWS, NOTES LSU football spring football observations: Notes on Jacobian Guillory, look at backup QB
LSU PRO DAY LSU Football Pro Day: Get 40-yard dash, bench press, drill results for Tigers players here
He missed the final 11 games and initial offseason conditioning and lifting. But after seven months of sitting, watching and relearning how to walk and run, Guillory has returned to the practice field for LSU during spring.
The 6-foot-2, 320-pound senior defensive tackle can only do individual work right now, but he's back on the field.
"Since day one (of spring practice), I've been kind of practicing it," Guillory said. "Now, I'm in full pads just getting the feel of what it feels like being in pads doing individuals.
"I was ready to go. I've been doing this like for so long. It felt like the first day but at the same time, I was just excited to be out there with the guys, not just watching like last year, getting a chance to do (individual drills), getting a chance to be hands-on."
LSU football coach Brian Kelly has told reporters earlier this spring that Guillory was not expected to be fully cleared until June for the team's summer workout program.
As soon as the trainers relayed to him that he tore his Achilles, Guillory knew in that moment he wasn't done at LSU. He reflected on his career and what he accomplished with the Tigers and what came to his mind didn't satisfy him.
For his teammates, especially his fellow defensive players, getting Guillory back has been a lift this spring.
"He's the anchor of that D-line," LSU linebacker West Weeks said. "He's the energy guy, he's bringing energy every day. When we lost him (last season), it was a big blow not only for the D-line but for the whole team.
"I'm so glad he's back out there. Him being out there is a testament to him and how hard he's worked to get back from that injury. That's a pretty hard injury to come back from. I'm happy for him and I know he's excited about being back."
Guillory and Weeks were injured – not the same injury but Weeks did have a hurt foot last season – and both missed several games together. Weeks said that Guillory helped him through his recovery process.
The mental side was something they both had to work through and Guillory also credited his family with pushing him through the hard moments.
"Literally, I couldn't walk. Relearning how to walk, relearning how to run, jog, relearning all that is the hardest part. But thankfully I had my family with me," Guillory said. "Without them, I don't know what I would have did. They were my backbone throughout the whole process."
Putting the pads back on for the first time since September marked a milestone for Guillory in his path back to playing inside Tiger Stadium this fall and being engulfed, once again, by the cheers, jeers and noise. There's more to come and he's not finished.
"For me, I like to finish what I start regardless of what everybody else thinks. I started here and I want to finish here and go to a national championship. That's the main goal. Even if they had did that last year, I still would've come back."
JACK PYBURN Jack Pyburn wants to be LSU football defense's 'hammer' at DE and prove himself right
JARDIN GILBERT LSU football starting safety out for spring practice
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU football DT Jacobian Guillory returns following Achilles injury
Continue reading...
