Derrius Guice's rookie campaign with the Washington Redskins in 2018 did not last very long, as he tore his ACL in his first preseason game and proceeded to miss the entire year.
But on Thursday night, Guice played in his first game since the injury during the Redskins' win over the Atlanta Falcons, carrying the ball 11 times for 44 yards.
Afterward, Guice said he “needed to get out there, get my feet under me, get some contact to really see where I’m at,” according to Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post.
Guice immediately looked impressive on his first run, as he picked up seven yards after stiff-arming one tackler and lowering his shoulder into Falcons safety Keanu Neal.
“When that corner came at me with the angle he took, I knew I had to give him an arm,” Guice said. “The safety, played him in college. He went to Florida. I’m a little salty with Florida, so I had to give him a little shoulder. Safeties, they get big eyes when they see running backs on the sideline. They feel like it’s an open shot for them but not me. I’m ready. … Felt like a college run for me, for sure.”
While Adrian Peterson is currently the top running back on the Redskins' depth chart, Guice is certainly expected to get his fair share of touches, as Washington drafted him in the second round last spring.
The 22-year-old played his collegiate football at LSU and had a sparkling three-year career at the school, totaling 3,074 yards and 29 touchdowns.