LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kentucky's September 7, 2019 matchup against Eastern Michigan was the night time froze at Kroger Field.
Terry Wilson was pulled down from behind. He stayed down on the field holding his left knee.
"It was just slow motion in the air and once I hit the ground I just knew that something wasn't right. My knee wasn't feeling right," said Wilson.
Big Blue Nation was silent, hoping for the best as Wilson was being carted off of the field.
Unfortunately, it was the last time Wilson suited up during the 2019 season.
Wilson tore his patellar tendon. Without him, the Wildcats had to adjust to a new offense. Meanwhile, Wilson had to adjust to something he's never dealt with before. It wasn't easy.
"The thing about being inured and what I didn't know is the biggest thing is having that mentality you need to have to keep pushing through the hard times," said Wilson. "For myself, I've never been injured and sat out a whole year and had to get surgery. It was something to get used to."
Of course, Wilson pushed forward with rehab. Thank to social media, Big Blue Nation got to see some of Wilson's workouts on Instagram and Twitter.
— Terry Wilson (@TerryTouchdown3) July 1, 2020
Rehab went well for Wilson, as he was slowly making his way back to the football field for what he thought was going to be a normal comeback for the 2020 season.
Then the coronavirus pandemic happened, leaving Wilson with a lot on his mind.
Just a month before the pandemic hit, Wilson found out he was going to be a father. His baby girl recently arrived to this world in August.
So when the SEC decided to move forward with a football season, Wilson had a lot to think about.
He even sent out a tweet hinting that he may opt out of the season to protect his new family.
Lot to think about .. 💭
— Terry Wilson (@TerryTouchdown3) August 3, 2020
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about it," said Wilson. "That was the first thing that came to mind, was how are we going to pull this off? There's a pandemic going on, I have a newborn on the way. It was just a lot to think about at the time."
After giving it some thought, Wilson decided to be all-in for his final season as a Wildcat. He says he feels 100%, and that he's had a very successful camp.
"I'd have to say that this has been my best camp so far. I feel like I'm more accurate, the ball is coming out of my hands pretty fast," said Wilson. "I'm confident in my game and feel like I'm ready to go. If we had to play tomorrow I'd be ready to play tomorrow."
He'll get the chance to suit up on September 26 against Auburn, where he'll run out of the tunnel with his teammates for the first time since that September night in 2019.
"I mean it's going to be a relief just to be able to go back out there and play," said Wilson. "It's something that I've been waiting for since the injury. That's been my focus, getting back on the field. There might be a little butterflies but nothing too crazy. It's not my first rodeo, it's not my first game."
