NC State junior running back Ricky Person Jr. has had to miss nine games due to injury in his first two seasons combined. At one point in 2019, Person had to be carted off of the field due to an ankle injury he suffered mid-season which caused him to undergo surgery in October.

The most challenging part for Person has not been the physical aspect of rehab, but rather the mental toll his health concerns have caused him.

"Everybody knew that I had injuries, and I was going through a lot of mental stuff at the time," Person admitted Tuesday. "There was one point where I was like, ‘Is football still for me?’"

Person noted that he's overcome those mental obstacles as he approaches a fresh start this fall. According to Person, he wouldn't have been able to do it without his faith and the assistance of his teammates and coaching staff.

"I took that time where I got closer to God, closer to football and I just asked myself these questions," Person continued. "I asked myself if this was still for me, and the answer was yes."

Person gave credit to the strength and conditioning staff, most notably coordinator Dantonio "Thunder" Burnette, and his teammates in the running back room for being there every step of the way.

"It seemed like I just had a shadow over me," Person said. "Now this year, it’s something that God has planned for me, so I feel like this year is going to be a great year."

The 6-foot-1, 218-pounder sat down with Burnette and his staff following his injury-plagued 2019 campaign to formulate a plan to mitigate the likelihood of history repeating itself this fall. Ironically, the prolonged break due to the COVID-19 pandemic this offseason probably couldn't have come at a better time for the former four-star running back that was ranked No. 91 overall nationally in the 2018 class according to Rivals.com.

"Coming into the 2020 season, I feel great, I feel 100 percent," Person said. "I've taken the time that we had off as a blessing in disguise because everybody needed time off.

"Everybody knows the injuries that I had based off of last season. I took advantage of that."

Two true freshmen running backs in Zonovan "Bam" Knight and Jordan Houston had to carry the load in Person's absence last fall and now return to a deep running back room that should be among the Wolfpack's best position groups in 2020.

With a newfound mental clarity and a return to full health, Person has embraced the leadership role of being the most experienced player among the backs and wants the position group to set the tone for the offense this season.

"We got a lot of great talent inside the running back room," Person said. "It's something we take pride in. We’re always in the room, on the field and getting that extra work whether it's on tape, on the field, anything. We all work the same and everybody has their own different type of playing style.

"Our identity is hard, tough, together, so you can take that however you want to take it. Whether it's running the ball, passing the ball, anything. It’s something that we all work on, everybody plays a role play on the field."

Returning from injury and competing for carries in a loaded position group haven't been the only challenges Person has had to embrace this summer. NC State hired offensive coordinator Tim Beck in January and has worked to install a new-look offense in the disrupted offseason, something Person is excited to put in action this Saturday.

"Coach Beck is an awesome coach, he knows exactly what he’s talking about and has taught the system well," Person said.

"We’re going to put the ball down, we’re going to run, we're going to throw the ball," he added. "It just goes back to Coach Beck, his intelligence of the game. He's just so smart in what he brings to the table. He just pours it into us. It’s just us going out there and making the plays. He's an awesome coach, and he knows a lot about the game."

As for the season opener this Saturday against Wake Forest, Person has tried to avoid the surrounding noise of playing an in-state rival and is approaching it like any other game.

"Coach [Doeren] has kept saying, ‘It’s rivalry week, it’s rivalry week,’" Person explained. "But to me, if you just prepare like it’s a normal game, it's just another game. People try to put a label on games and all that, but it’s best to just go out there and play the game."

Person doesn't mind that expectations are low for a Wolfpack team coming off of a disappointing 4-8 campaign in 2019 and thinks that the team is ready to prove the critics wrong, particularly on offense.

"Everybody's been counting us out based off of last year, saying we were young and didn't have any depth," Person said. "Coach Beck knows what he’s doing. He has plays off of plays and we’re ready.

"We have a lot of depth this year, and everybody’s mindset is on the same page."

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