MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Marcus Jones is back for Minnesota, maybe faster than before.
The junior cornerback has already recovered from two reconstructive knee surgeries in his college career, and he hasn’t even turned 20. Jones returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown for the Gophers in their season-opening win against UNLV. He also made a smooth transition to defense after playing wide receiver his first two years.
Jones tore his anterior cruciate ligament in practice as a freshman and missed the last five games. Then he suffered the same injury to the other knee in a game at Nebraska last fall. Jones says he dealt with his own doubts about another successful recovery but decided he’d worked too hard to waste the effort.
