Phommachanh credits faith in remarkably quick return from injury

Phommachanh is Clemson's backup QB for Saturday after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in April.

by Zachary Wagner - Correspondent - Wed Sep 01 08:00:06 GMT-04:00 2021

The typical torn Achilles injury takes a year to recover from. From learning how to walk again to being able to run on it, it's not easy rehabilitation for any kind of athlete. Clemson quarterback Taisun Phommachanh recovered from his Achilles tear in just four months and was cleared fully last week for the 2021 college football season.

The redshirt sophomore suffered the injury in the Clemson spring game this April after completing a pass to Davis Allen down the field. The quarterback said he went to plant his foot to run down the field and get the next play from the sideline, but when he went to step, he said it felt like someone kicked him in the back of the leg as he fell to the ground.

This isn't the first Tiger to make a remarkable comeback so soon, however. Amari Rodgers was back on the field in Week 2 of the 2019 season after tearing his ACL during spring camp, as well as Deshaun Watson making a quick comeback after tearing his ACL from 2014 into the 2015 campaign.

Phommachanh is excited to get back to football after being cleared last week and participating fully in fall camp. The Tigers' backup quarterback is ecstatic to get back on the field in Charlotte and is ready for his moment if and when it comes.

“Being able to go out and do what I love and play football, I think it’s going to be a great time,” Phommachanh told the media on Tuesday. “I get to go out there with my brothers, my teammates and just enjoy the moment. I’m ready for that.”

It has been a difficult year for Phommachanh and his family, besides the injury in the spring game, last December the Phommachanh family lost their house in a fire. The Connecticut native told the media this week that his family is back on their feet and doing well now.

Phommachanh said he really connected with God during his struggles last year and that is who really helped him get through the struggles and tribulations of the injury.

“I talked to God, man. I talked to God every day,” said Phommachanh. “He kind of anchored me down through it, he kept me stable through it and kept my mind right. He kept my body right and he kept me right. That’s who I really connected with through this process and rehab.”

When the media was allowed to watch practice during fall camp, many eyes would wander to the purple jersey with No. 7 on it. We could not believe that a player coming off an Achilles tear was back so soon, and not just back and in a yellow “non-contact” jersey but taking reps against the first and second-team defense.

Before the injury in the spring game, Phommachanh showed great control of the offense and was making throws that we had not seen him make before. The throw he was injured on, a little touch pass toward the boundary to the tight end, was probably the best ball I have seen Phommachanh make in a Clemson jersey. When watching in fall camp, the quarterback was making throws and had a little more zip on the ball than we had seen before. When asked on Monday if the injury helped him become a better quarterback mentally, Phommachanh didn't mince his words.

“Like I said before, I couldn’t do this without God through this injury,” said Phommachanh. “All the praise is to him and he made me a better man. He made me have better character and he made me a better quarterback. My confidence level went up, I know what I’m doing with the offense. I’m just a lot more confident in what I’m doing. That’s all.”

It’s pretty incredible to think that if DJ Uiagalelei had to come out of the game against Georgia in Charlotte -- the quarterback situation is a whole lot different than it seemed just a few short weeks ago when it was unclear if Phommachanh would be available this early in the season. The redshirt sophomore said he knows he is ready if and when his number will get called. Not a bad place to be mentally and physically just four months removed from what's typically a career-altering injury.