LOGAN, Utah -- The Utah State Aggies held their first scrimmage of fall camp on Tuesday night.
Senior running back Joe Hill was back in full pads for one of the first times ever since his ACL tear last fall.
Now, Hill is the only veteran running back on the team, and, luckily for Utah State, it looks like he will return this season at 100 percent.
"I was happy for Joe. I thought he moved around well and stuck his toe into the ground and made some nice cuts," Coach Matt Wells said in regard to Hill's performance at the scrimmage. "Got tackled several times, some lower leg tackles and got up. More than anything it's a confidence boost for Joe that he's back to where he was."
"It feels great, I missed it," Hill said Wednesday. "Especially because it feels like I haven't played in forever and last night I felt good. I was excited. I am excited for the season just to get back out there and run."
Hill is the only senior running back on the team and has the history of most playing time. But, he says he feels no pressure going into the 2014 season.
"It's fuel because I learned a lot from the guys like Turbin, Mike, Kerwynn and Joey D and everyone before me has taught me a lot and I'm jut trying to pass it on," he said. "So, it's not really pressure, it's just like a privilege to teach the young guys what they taught me."
Hill and Chuckie Keeton both suffered knee injures last season and are coming back together. Hill said that it has strengthened their relationship off and on the field.
"We were working out together everyday," he said. "In the weight room, in physical therapy. We ran together, we became close. I feel like it helped on the field. Our chemistry is boosted up. I understand what he went through, he understands, and I feel like... I don't know, we're ready and we missed it. We took it for granted before and now we're just ready to just go out full blazing and give it all every game, every down and every play."
Utah State starts off their football season on August 31 in Knoxville Tennessee against the Tennessee Volunteers.
