“I’m 100% back.”
For Jordyn Tyson, the road to recovery has been a long one. Today, Tyson returned to the field for the Sun Devils for the first time after missing three months with an undisclosed upper-body injury that required surgery.
Tyson shined as Arizona State’s starting wide receiver. He finished the season with 75 receptions for 1,101 yards and was second in the Big 12 with 10 receiving touchdowns.
Tyson went down with an injury during the Territorial Cup game against Arizona, the last game of conference play. The ending result, which was a win for the good guys, and the ensuing fight after the game no longer mattered to Sun Devils fans. Collectively, all of Tempe held its breath as fans waited for an update on Tyson’s injury.
I remember hearing the news that Tyson would be done for the season. Immediately, I was filled with dread and sorrow. The Sun Devils were able to secure the Big 12 championship without their starting wide receiver, but the wins stopped there.
Tyson had to painfully watch from the sidelines as the Sun Devils suffered a loss to the hands of the Texas Longhorns in the Peach Bowl. Arizona State was playing in the Peach Bowl for the first time since 1970, their only other appearance.
While Cam Skattebo and Sam Leavitt helped the Sun Devils put up a good fight against one of college football’s storied powerhouses, the Sun Devils needed Tyson to fill the void he left at wide receiver.
“It’s just hard when like, you want to be out there helping your guys, going to war with your guys,” said Tyson. “Not being able to go out there, it took a lot out of me. Especially being the competitor I am. But, we’ll be back.”
Fast forward to today and Tyson is back on the field for ASU’s first spring practice.
“I just got cleared, so I’ll be full go for spring ball,” Tyson said.
Tyson looked stellar today participating with the team for the first time since his injury. The Sun Devils weren’t in full pads but ran through multiple plays while performing light contact drills.
In particular, Tyson’s connection with Leavitt was still sharp and on point. The two remained in close contact with each other throughout the offseason.
“We’ve been talking a lot,” Tyson said. “We’ve been trying to put last season behind us, and really build off the mistakes we made last year and become better from those.”
The Sun Devils will need Tyson’s contributions this season if they want to remain competitive in the extremely talented Big 12 and make another run to the College Football Playoffs.
While the injury kept Tyson away for a substantial amount of time, it hasn’t affected his game or confidence.
When speaking about Tyson’s return, ASU wide receivers coach, Hines Ward showcased more belief in Tyson than ever before.
“Having missed out on the Big 12 championship game, then also missing out on the game against Texas, I think that just added fuel to his fire,” Ward said. “He wants to go out there and showcase to the world that he can dominate.”
Tyson holds more responsibility than ever this season, something he noted. Not only are there high expectations from the fans that fill up Mountain America Stadium, but there are high expectations from the coaching staff, who expect Tyson to step up as a leader.
“I’m a part of the leadership council now,” Tyson said. “So, they look at me as a leader and I need to be more vocal as a leader.”
As spring looms, Tyson is poised and ready to help the Sun Devils make another run. Arizona State’s best chance at that aforementioned run only comes with him on the field.
A healthy Jordyn Tyson makes this team a whole hell of a lot scarier. Tyson demands attention from opposing defenses with his talent and skill on the field. If he was on the field during that five-overtime classic against Texas, the result would have looked different for the Sun Devils.
And it’s clear that Tyson thinks this way too. That faithful game ran routes all through his mind throughout the entire offseason. He wants another shot at them, and another shot starts with staying healthy.
“My goal is to stay healthy this season,” Tyson said. “So, when we play Texas in the playoffs again, I’ll be there.”
