Darius West says injuries have made him appreciate the game more
Darius West has gone through some adversity. The former highly-ranked recruit has found it nearly impossible to stay on the field for any length of time at Kentucky, but that's just to this point.
West keeps bouncing back, he's still optimistic about the future and he told CatsIllustrated.com that his injury issues have made it impossible to take football for granted.
Where does that resilience come from?
Some other players might have moved on from the game after it keeps taking so much. Health, namely.
“Man, it’s just like you play football for so long, you have this love for the game, nothing can change it. Going through the injuries has made me a more passionate football player,” West told CatsIllustrated.com this week.
But is there a mental hurdle at this point? Does West pull up or take it easy at times, without thinking, because of those injury issues and the possibility of another problem?
“Just can’t worry about how much I’ve been hurt and try to put it past me,” West said.
Easier said than done. Coaching yourself not to think about something is difficult.
There might have been a time when that lingering thought impacted how West went about his business. But not right now, he said.
“It ain’t a hurdle. Spring, you know, I took it as easy as I could just to make sure I could make it to the season this year. Of course I’ve got to be a football player. You can’t have no hesitation in your game,” he added.
While some of Kentucky's football players have big expectations for the season, collectively or individually (Josh Allen told CatsIllustrated.com that he wants to double his sack total from last year, for instance), West has modest goals that aren't contingent on his health.
“My expectations for myself are come out and work hard every day, be the best teammate I can be, push my team to go as far as they can,” West said.
As for Mark Stoops' expectations for West, the Cats' head coach obviously believes in him. He penciled West in as a starter less than a month ago on Kentucky's first preseason depth chart.
But Stoops realizes that, for a junior, West doesn't have all that much game experience. And there's no substitute for that, especially at the safety position.
“That position comes, you've heard me talk a lot about it, but the safety position, you need some looks, you need some reps, you need some time and some guys it comes more natural than others, but he'll work extremely hard at it,” Stoops said on Tuesday.
West's teammates believe in him. At SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala., Mike Edwards said he and others are upbeat when it comes to the impact West can make at Kentucky. Edwards said he's the kind of player who will thump you, which is what you want from someone at the safety spot.
He still has plenty of swagger himself, injury history or not. West told CatsIllustrated.com that he believes he's the fastest player on the roster. Defensive coordinator Matt House seemed to confirm that when he spoke with the media on Sunday.