By Will Vandervort.
Usually football players don’t like football practice. But Monday’s first of two practices at Jervey Meadows was a little bit different for Clemson wide receiver Charone Peake.
For the first time since last September, Peake was wearing an orange jersey during football practice instead of a yellow or green one. For those that don’t know, Yellow means a player can participate in conditioning drills but is unable to do anything after that, while green allows a player to work with his position group but they cannot do any full contact drills.
“It’s been a long year since I have been with my teammates out there, it felt real good,” Peake said.
It felt good to Mike Williams, too. The sophomore wide receiver says Peake has been an inspiration to all of them on how he has handled himself and worked to get back out on the field.
“It was great seeing him out there running routes and catching the ball,” Williams said. “He looked good today. He looked like he did in the summer. He was real fast and was in and out of his cuts real good so that was very good to see.”
A couple of weeks ago, it seemed like Peake might never get back on the field. After recovering from a torn ACL following last year’s S.C. State game, the junior from nearby Dorman High School in Spartanburg, S.C., had a setback when he sprained his meniscus in his knee two days before the start of camp.
“I feel good,” Peake said. “I’m not far from (100 percent), but I feel good. I feel like I have my same speed and I can still cut the same. I’m just getting the little things taken care of and the treatment.”
Peake says his knee feels nice and strong and he has no hesitation about playing as hard as he can.
“I think with all knee injuries it is a mental thing,” he said. “You have to talk to yourself to prepare every day.”
Peake admits he still has one more hurdle to overcome before he can say he is totally back and that is being tackled. He has not been hit since last year’s S.C. State game.
“Just getting out there in the summer and doing everything my teammates have been doing—catching balls and having guys around me—got me a little comfortable so when that first hit comes, I’ll be okay.”
Originally, Peake was supposed to return from his meniscus sprain last week, but he said he did not feel comfortable about returning that early so they decided to extend it another week.
“I want to be one hundred percent comfortable when I’m out there on that field,” he said.
With Peake being back on the field, it will make defenses feel a little more uncomfortable. Before his injury last year, he was on his way to producing good numbers. He had eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown after only two weeks, including five catches for 58 yards against Georgia.
“It means a lot to have him back,” Williams said. “He gives us another wide receiver threat. He is another guy that can help spread the field and get everyone open.”
Peake is hopeful he can help against 12th-ranked Georgia on Aug. 30.
“That’s my main goal right now,” he said. “I have a little less than two weeks, but I have to be ready to go.
“Football shape is a whole lot different than just going out and running.”