Michigan Wolverines football senior running back Blake Corum suffered an injury - a torn meniscus and MCL - last November, which ended his season prematurely. Despite finishing seventh in Heisman Trophy voting with 1,463 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, Corum decided to return to Ann Arbor for another season.
With the Wolverines' summer workouts starting in June, Corum is pleased to report that he is nearing full health.
On The 33rd Team's 'Road to Recovery, Part 2,' Corum said, "When I say recovery is going great, it's going great. My knee is feeling stronger than ever, I'm feeling stronger than ever. The other day, I started cutting for the first time. I'm getting my cuts back, I'm going to be making a lot of people miss this year."
Corum spent the spring working out with other injured teammates and undergoing individual rehab. The Michigan team has a break in May before the summer cycle begins in preparation for the highly anticipated 2023 season.
Corum continued, "Within these next couple weeks, I hope to be anywhere from 90 to 100 percent, and back to the regular BC."
He is excited to start team workouts as he is now "full-go" and not hesitant about participating. "I'm really excited for these team workouts...I'm going to be doing everything the guys are doing," Corum said. "I feel like I'm back to myself, and I'm as happy as can be, man."
Giving Back to the Community
Corum's passion for football is only matched by his purpose of giving back to the community. The running back has provided turkeys to families in need in Ypsilanti, Michigan, among other charitable gestures.
He recently held a youth football camp near his hometown of Marshall, Virginia, which was attended by over 400 young players. Corum explained, "A lot of people ask me, 'Why do you feel the need to come back home and hold a camp?' Because this is where it all started."
The camp was a huge success with kids enjoying the conditioning and drills. Corum gave away jerseys, shirts, trophies, trading cards, and trading packs to the participants. He said, "The main reason I do it is to really just give back to the community, to show them that you may be from a small town, maybe you don't feel like you have the resources - you can make it."
Corum's NFL Future
Corum had the option of being in an NFL roster this offseason, but he chose to return to Michigan. He is expected to be one of the top running backs selected in next year's draft.
He said, "Making it to the NFL, not only for myself but for my hometown and the local kids, would mean a lot... if I make it to the NFL - or when I make it to the NFL - the local kids might even believe in themselves even more. The parents might actually start believing in their kids."
Corum's story of injury and recovery is inspiring, and he hopes to continue inspiring young athletes to dream big and chase their dreams.
