Editor’s Note: Arizona junior running back Nic Grigsby injured his shoulder during a Sept. 26 UA road win against Oregon State. He re-injured his shoulder during the Wildcats’ home win against UCLA two weeks ago and is expected to miss the team’s homecoming game this Saturday. The Arizona Daily Wildcat caught up with Grigsby to discuss when he might return to the playing field, what the most frustrating part is about his injury and if he’s given other players any advice for Saturday’s game.
Daily Wildcat: Are you going to try and come back for the game against California on Nov. 14, or do you know yet?
Nic Grigsby: Yes, I highly doubt that coach is going to play me this week. I mean, I want to play (laughs). I told coach to give me five carries, that’s all I need. I’ll take the fourth one to the crib. (Laughs) I’m excited to play, but I highly doubt coach will do it just for the risk of me getting hurt again with one guy coming in and me taking a hit on my shoulder.
DW: What’s the most frustrating aspect of the injury? Is it that it might happen again or is it not playing right now?
NG: It’s that it might happen again, that’s the most frustrating part. I mean, it was about 90 percent coming into the UCLA game and I was taking hits on it, taking hits on it during the game and at that moment he was just directly in the spot. It was a perfect shot and I was like, “”Man.””
DW: Has the injury changed your running style at all?
NG: When I’ve got space and we’re running a lot of draws and stuff, I’m myself, you know? As far as running through the holes, you get hit every play. If I was a receiver or a DB or something, having this injury, it would have been healed already. Me being a running back, we’re taking shots every play, blocking and running. It’s hard to get these injuries healed.
DW: Are you going to be Coach Grigsby this weekend?
NG: Hopefully I’ll be “”Scoring Grigsby.”” But I love to support my players and have them go out there and have a good time versus (Washington State). We have to be ready to go because they have nothing to lose. They’re going to come out with their helmets down and buckled up and ready to play. They have nothing to lose and they’re going to try and come here and ruin our dreams.
DW: What advice did you give the guys who might play on Saturday?
NG: Oh, Keola (Antolin) and (Nick) Booth, I told them that they’re going to have a big game. I was watching Washington State this weekend and I don’t think the Notre Dame backs are anywhere near as good as our backs at all, any of our backs. They had 300 yards rushing on them and I was looking at them like those 10-yard carries they had would have been 30-yard carries for us. We’re going to get a big game on the ground for us, a big game through the air, a big game all around for us. We’ve just got to come out and practice hard every day like we’ve been doing. Coach (Sonny) Dykes said not to take anybody lightly and that’s what we’re going to do.
