Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka met with the media ahead of the Buckeyes matchup with Michigan State. He told reporters that he was proud of the way his injury has been handled and that he feels healthy.
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00:00 And they've done a great job over this last month.
00:03 And they're gonna continue to do a great job.
00:05 I know they're a special part of this offense and
00:07 we're gonna get them involved as many as we can.
00:09 >> So what would you say when they tell you that it's not happening?
00:15 >> Sometimes I'm just kind of bummed.
00:17 But I understand where they're coming from and
00:19 it's deeper than just going out there and playing a game.
00:23 If you feel good enough, you might not look the part.
00:27 You don't wanna put anything bad on film or anything like that.
00:30 And you don't wanna certainly make any injury worse than it already did.
00:34 >> I know how badly you wanna play against Penn State.
00:36 I think how big that league was.
00:37 Is there, are you able to rationalize it?
00:41 Well, there's gonna be a bigger game at the end of November or
00:44 whatever's coming up.
00:46 It could be better for me.
00:48 Did you get to that point?
00:50 >> At that point in time, my only goal was to play for Penn State.
00:53 So I'm actually, I'm proud of the way I handled this injury and
00:59 I'm thankful for the people who are in my corner during it.
01:01 But you could ask anyone in the facility, I would be here at 7 AM and
01:06 I would leave at 9 PM.
01:07 And I wasn't doing anything physical.
01:09 I was all just doing rehab on my ankle cuz I was so
01:12 determined to play for Penn State.
01:13 I knew I wouldn't make it back to a preview.
01:16 But I knew Penn State had a shot and a shot was really all I could ask for.
01:20 I was pretty proud of the way it turned out.
01:24 >> 7 to 9 PM is like the beat to the injury.
01:27 So rehab, what are the things you're doing?
01:31 >> Icing, range of motion type stuff.
01:34 We have a red light machine that's supposed to enhance recovery, float tank.
01:40 Watching film just to make sure I'm ready for Penn State,
01:43 watching film in Penn State.
01:45 Just spending all my time in here to make sure I can optimize it.
01:50 >> You know so much more about recovery from an injury now than you did
01:55 five weeks ago, you understand what I'm saying?
01:56 >> Yeah, absolutely.
01:57 >> I mean, patience may be the key word, right?
01:59 >> Yeah, there's a couple dudes with ankles on this team as well.
02:02 So I've been giving them pointers a little bit about how to get it better.
02:06 But no, yeah, it's been great.
02:07 I've learned a lot.
02:08 And I'm super grateful for the guys who have helped me come this far,
02:10 especially our training staff.
02:12 >> Yeah, you may have been asked this before I walked up, but
02:14 how close were you to 100% last week?
02:16 Did you feel close to, you know what I mean, how you felt?
02:19 In the opener, I mean, just how close are you?
02:21 >> Yeah, no, I thought I felt good.
02:23 I was warming up and it was the best I felt up to this point.
02:27 And there's really no doubt in my mind if something else doesn't happen,
02:30 that I'm gonna feel great this coming Saturday too.
02:32 So each week has been better than the last.
02:34 >> How much were you practicing?
02:35 [INAUDIBLE]
02:39 >> I hadn't practiced.
02:41 I hadn't practiced at all.
02:42 >> Okay.
02:43 >> Yeah, but I knew all the plays.
02:44 >> [LAUGH]
02:47 >> You weren't playing.
02:47 >> [INAUDIBLE]
02:57 >> Yeah, I don't really think about it that way, to be honest with you.
03:05 If I'm on the field, I expect to play a level no matter what my body feels like,
03:09 because I expect to, if I'm out there, in my mind, I'm 100%.
03:14 So I'm going as hard as I can every play, and
03:17 I'm doing what my team needs me to do and expects me to do.
03:19 >> So I guess that's kind of the first thing, you expect that from yourself,
03:22 but then the next day you, not saying you're doing way well, but
03:25 when you don't see the production that you had, and the other day,
03:29 it was before that, you just kind of say, okay, I understand that I had to go back.
03:33 Now I have to go back to the Northport Coast to be able to do this.
03:36 >> Yeah, right.
03:37 I mean, there's a lot of components that go into that.
03:39 For one, Rutgers was sitting in a couple two all day.
03:43 I was one of the leading receivers with 29 yards.
03:45 So there's that component of it.
03:49 But I felt, even though we may have not got the production per se,
03:54 I felt that my routes were there.
03:56 I felt capable and able to play the game that I know I'm doing well.
04:00 >> This might be the same question.
04:01 How do you keep trying to make up for lost time in the game?
04:05 >> There's no really need for pressing, I would say.
04:10 I'm not here to get accolades.
04:11 I'm not here to make my name highly touted and win the Bolinda Cup and
04:15 all that type of stuff.
04:16 I'm here to win championships, glorify the name of Jesus Christ.
04:19 That's really all my purpose is to be on this team.
04:22 So whatever my team needs me to do that given week, that's what I'm gonna do.
04:25 >> Have you ever missed a game in time in that many games?
04:29 >> I've never missed a game, I don't think.