As Matt Carrick continued to work his way back from a leg injury that cut short his 2020 campaign, his battle became less physical and more mental. When Michigan State opened preseason camp earlier this month, Carrick was on what the coaching staff calle d "a pitch count," limiting his reps during practice. Though the training staff and coaches developed the plan, Carrick played a part, too. Offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic told Carrick that he needed to let the staff know when he wore down. In the football world, where toughness is one of the most prized commodities a player can possess, telling Kapilovic he was tired was the last thing Carrick wanted to do. "I was like, 'I can't come out. There's no way,' " said Carrick, a sixth-year senior guar d, "because then (Kapilovic) is going to think that I can't do it." Kapilovic wouldn't have it. After the Spartans finished their first practice, he walked up to Carrick and reiterated his stance."He's like, 'Hey, like I told you before, if you're ever feeling a certain way, let me know. I need to take care of you this year," Carrick said. "So from that day moving on, he's had a preset plan of what reps I need to take, what reps I need off." At times, that calls for Carrick to take every snap dur ing a specific period; during others, he might have only one or two reps. It's forward thinking on the Spartans' part. "With Coach Kap (Kapilovic), his big thing is making sure that I'm healthy, I'm good to go," Carrick said, "so when I come out of this fall camp, I'm ready for Week 1 and the rest of the season." So far, so good. - Lansing State Journal
rSr/2023  OG Matt Carrick, Michigan State
News Source: Lansing State Journal
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