CHAMPAIGN — Every now and again, a memory will pop up on Mike Epstein's cell phone to remind him of where he's been, or more aptly, where he isn't now.
On Sept. 21, 2019, Epstein posted a photo to his Twitter page of him on a hotel bed, wearing his blue No. 26 jersey, a blue Illinois football helmet, armbands on his forearm and a football tucked in his left arm. A massive brace wrapped around his left knee. He held a remote control in his right hand, pointed at an off-screen television.
It was uploaded following knee surgery that stemmed from a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 against Akron.
"Put me in coach!!," the caption read. "Beat Nebraska. #GameDay."
On Wednesday afternoon, Epstein sat in a Zoom meeting one year and two days removed from posting that photo. He's healthy now. Epstein, a redshirt junior running back for the Illinois football team, hasn't been one to dwell on his injuries.
He missed the final seven games of his freshman season with a foot injury and the final five of his sophomore season with a foot injury, prompting surgery in Nov. 2018.
Each time, he's rehabbed back to getting back on the field. The reminders come sporadically, but he's out of that hotel room now and on the field waiting for the Oct. 24 kickoff at Wisconsin to open the season.
“There are times like that where it puts it into perspective how far I’ve come and how much work I’ve put in to get to this point," Epstein said. "It’s motivating. Tough days when I’m exhausted, I’ll see something like that and it makes me want to work harder. I realize I could be in a different position. I’m healthy now, so I’m grateful. I’m looking forward to the journey and I think we have a special team."
When he's been healthy, the Florida native has been good for Illinois. He rushed for 346 yards and three touchdowns in five games as a freshman. As a sophomore, he started stacking blocks on top of one another, picking up where he left off. In seven games he had 411 rushing yards and three touchdowns before the injury.
On this team, with the graduation of running backs Reggie Corbin and Dre Brown, and Ra'Von Bonner opting out of the season because of concerns around COVID-19, Epstein has a chance to be a major player in an oft-overlooked running back room.
“I think Mike is different," Illinois offensive coordinator Rod Smith said in August. "He’s different when he’s healthy. He makes us different. He makes us complete. He’s that back who, in my opinion, can run between the tackles, he can get outside, he’s strong, physical, he can pass protect, he’s really good with the ball in his hands and route receiving. Mike’s a complete back. I think we’re a better football team when Mike Epstein is healthy."
Epstein spent the offseason training with New York Jets running back Frank Gore, the 37-year-old who has had his own injuries — two ACL injuries, as Epstein noted — and is the No. 3 all-time leading rusher in the NFL.
The two still talk and Epstein said Gore sends workouts from time to time for him to focus on.
"I learned a lot from him," Epstein said. "His mentality and approach to work is second to none. I’ve never seen someone work as hard as him and at the age he’s at, it’s truly just defying all the odds. Mentally, there are some things we can’t control when it comes to the game. It’s all about how you come back and respond to it.
“I’ve had some bad breaks but there’s nothing I can do about it now. I have to move forward and play the cards that I’m dealt. I’m blessed. I’m able to be healthy now, I’ve got some extra time under my belt to make this a special season. I’m going to do everything in my power to do that."
Of course Epstein and his teammates want to play immediately, but he's finding some positives in giving his body an extra month or so. He stayed involved with the team last season and was at practice and in meetings. He had no interest in mentally checking out. He said he was on a daily practice routine prior to the August postponement of the season and assumes that will continue in the next month before the team plays Wisconsin.
The mental reps were beneficial but he's, in a word, done with those.
"You can see the game from a different angle a little bit," Epstein said. "I took plenty of (mental reps). I’m done taking those. I’m ready to take some physical reps like we’ve been doing and I’m ready to get back on the field."
PHOTOS: 32 historical Illini photos
🏈 32 historical Illini photos
Looking up
Good Block
Taking a Dive
On the loose
University of Illinois Football
Coming at ya
To run
Joyous
Lester
Sack attack
Waiting
A coming through
Sideline maneuver
Mowing them down
That's my buddy
1992
Traffic
Busting through
Final Exit
Scrum
On the run
Sack attack
Pileup
Take that
1991
Lean on me
Way to go
1991
The peoples' choice
It's good
Touchdown Hero
That's Six
Contact Joey Wagner at (217) 421-6970. Follow him on Twitter: @mrwagner25