Star Gophers wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell says he will likely be returning for a seventh season with the team.
Autman-Bell went down injured with a non-contact injury in the third game of the season, a 49-7 win over the Colorado Buffaloes, and received the devastating news that he had torn his ACL.
But as he undergoes his recovery, he revealed on Thursday that it’s looking likely – albeit not completely confirmed – he will return to the Gophers side next year.
Speaking to Parker Fox on the Double Down Podcast, Autman-Bell says he qualifies for a medical redshirt that grants his an extra year of eligibility.
He described the moments after he received the news that he had suffered a season-ending injury, saying one of the first things he heard head coach PJ Fleck say to him was “you do get a next year,” with the injury happening early enough in the season.
“I do have a year. They gave me a year to come back, I’ll probably end up coming back, most likely,” he said.
Help during his rehab has been provided by his teammates as well as Fleck, who Autman-Bell describes as “like a father figure.”
“Fleck has been a huge helper, he was there for my surgery, he was there after, he gave me a nice blanket after surgery. He’s a super supporter,” he said, adding that Fleck’s wife Heather has been “like another mother to me.”
Autman-Bell also revealed he considered not coming back for this season – his sixth in Gophers maroon – but changed his mind when he saw star running back Mo Ibrahim returning, as well as the two other members of their “Encore Four” – quarterback Tanner Morgan and center John Michael Schmitz.
“I still thought about leaving but I seen Mo coming back and all the guys coming back and I thought why not just come back,” he said.
The loss of Autman-Bell was a big blow to Minnesota’s passing game. He was the No. 1 receiver on the roster and had 11 receptions for 214 yards and one touchdown in two games before suffering the injury.
He said he knew he had torn his ACL the second it happened.
“I couldn’t touch it but I knew what it was. I always thought if there was an injury I wouldn’t get it was an ACL. I was afraid of it and I finally had it,” he said. “The moment I lay on the ground I had a flash through my whole football career.
“Getting carted off the field, tears were flooding, I knew what it was, the trainers were talking to me … I couldn’t look at them,” he continued. “Having the MRI I was just laying there thinking what next? What job am I about to get? All this doubt.”
He’s taken a more positive outlook, saying he’s rehabbing every day and helping the rest of his receiving corps. as the season continues.
While Autman-Bell will probably return next year, Ibrahim is almost certainly heading to the NFL, and the receiver thinks whoever drafts him will be getting a huge talent.
“We all saw what he did to Ohio State. Mo was just the best running back in the country, still is.”
