As the calendar flipped to December last year, Jonathan Van Diest breathed a sigh of relief.
“November was a little weird, because it was like, ‘Oh gosh, it’s this month again,’ but we made it through,” the Colorado sophomore linebacker said recently. “It was a big mental hurdle.”
From 2015-17, Van Diest had three consecutive Novembers that included a serious injury and surgery, including a torn ACL in his left knee during his true freshman season at CU.
Having gone through the 2018 season injury free, Van Diest is now eager for spring practices next month and to begin his fight for a starting job.