South Dakota's Nate Thomas returns to field with a fresh perspective
Sep. 20—VERMILLION — As South Dakota's Travis Theis trotted off the field following a touchdown run on Saturday, he was immediately met by fellow running back Nate Thomas, who leaped into the air to offer a chest bump.
For Thomas, who finished with two touchdowns of his own during the Coyotes' 35-6 route Lamar, it was just another expression of the enthusiasm he's carried all season.
Whether he's on the sideline pumping up a teammate, or on the field averaging a team-high 7.9 yards per carry, the redshirt sophomore from South Holland, Illinois appears to be having a blast.
And following a difficult 2022 season, which he missed the entirety of due to a knee injury, Thomas knows to maximize every football chance he gets.
"Whenever they do put me in I just try to go hard," Thomas said. "I don't really ask, 'Hey, am I getting enough carries, or what's the plan?' It doesn't really matter. When I get on the field, it's all about giving 110 percent.
"Every touchdown, I'm the first out there, congratulating Theis, as much as I can," Thomas added. "I appreciate the guys because we all push each other, love each other and stick together."
Thomas, who ran for 717 yards on 114 carries and five touchdowns in a breakout freshman year, ruptured his ACL and tore his meniscus prior to the 2022 season.
The injury, and ensuing surgery, commenced a long process of rehab. Thomas watched from the sideline while the Coyotes' offense struggled last year, and spent each day battling to recover.
As challenging as he says it was, though, Thomas referred to the experience as "a blessing in disguise," as he realized there was more to life than football. Thomas spent more time focusing on his school work, and grew to know more about himself.
"I really started connecting and praying to God," said Thomas in a story for the USD athletic website. "I started to understand that not everything is going to go the way you want it to. What you might think is meant to destroy you sometimes is meant to build you up. The spiritual connection I gained really solidified how positive I can be in some situations."
The experience prepared him to return to the field this season with a fresh perspective — one that's helped South Dakota early on.
According to coach Bob Nielson, Thomas' snaps were limited to begin the season, as they wanted to ensure he was ready to return. Thomas had just two carries at Missouri, and five against St. Thomas, including a 25-yard touchdown run.
Following an underwhelming team rushing effort against the Tommies, though, Nielson gave Thomas a greater opportunity against Lamar, and he took it, running for 164 yards on 19 carries and two scores.
"The first few weeks were an opportunity to get him some confidence back," Nielson said. "When you come back from that kind of surgery, part of the rehabilitation of that is not just the physical part, but also the mental part and making sure that you're confident to do the things that you were able to do before.
"I thought two weeks ago against St. Thomas, he really showed that he was ready to go and so we worked him in as a bigger part of the game plan. And moving forward, we'll continue to have him play a major role."
The next opportunity for Thomas to showcase his abilities will be at North Dakota State on Sept. 30 in Fargo, following a bye week.
And inside the Fargodome, expect Thomas to leave it all on the field, while having fun in the process.
"I tell myself before every game, it's bigger than myself," he said. "There are a lot of guys I know that are coming back from injuries or dealing with certain issues. I dealt with the same stuff coming back from an injury like that, and dealt with the hard times. But God told me to keep my head up, run hard and keep on making it. So it feels good."
