No news coming out of the University of Louisville camp yet about whether Michael Dyer will suit up for the football game against Virginia on Saturday so it’s likely he will miss still another one.
He has been slow to heal from his latest injury, a thigh contusion, and his teammates and fans are learning to live without him.
Dyer hasn’t played since half way through last season, missing the last six games because of a sports-hernia injury. When he was healthy, the muscular Dyer displayed explosiveness and power, gaining 238 yards in 44 tries, averaging 5.3 yards per carry.
He and Dominique Brown were envisioned to be one of the top running back duos in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Dyer had a good spring session and an impressive pre-season before going down. Now he’s just trying to get back to playing condition.
Dyer, remember, began his career at Auburn and was a key component on Auburn’s 2011 national title team, rushing for 1,093 yards as a true freshman before off-the-field issues caused him to miss two seasons. Charlie Strong’s decision to allow him to play at UofL was seen as a major breakthrough for the running game, but Strong indicated the two lost years had affected his game.
Will he ever return to being the player who earned MVP honors in Auburn’s national championship win over Oregon in 2011? What about a possible future in the National Football League?
After missing two seasons before last year and the last eight games at UofL, Dyer largely remains an unknown quantity. For the moment, his objective is to simply get back on the field.