ASU's Girley eager to get back into mix

JONESBORO -- Charleston Girley hasn't been able to do everything he's wanted to do at Arkansas State's practices this week.

The junior nickel back is still wearing a solid red jersey during workouts, signifying he's off limits for full-contact drills. But Girley's presence on the field signifies progress from the past three months, when he missed every practice and game because of a surgically-repaired left wrist.

"It feels great," Girley said. "It was a long season that I had to miss, so to be able to get back out and run around and get back in, it feels good."

Girley got a second chance earlier this month when he learned ASU would play Toledo on Jan. 4 in the GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile, Ala. That meant the torn ligaments in his wrist that kept him out of the season's final eight games would be healed in time for him to return to the field.

Girley hasn't been formally cleared, but barring any setbacks that will happen when ASU returns to practice after the holiday break. That means he'll be able to shed the red practice jersey and join teammates on the turf at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

"Physically, he's 100 percent," ASU Coach Blake Anderson said. "He'll have to wear some type of protective gear over the hand, but for him it's going to be about does he get back into the flow of the game,"

That shouldn't be a problem if Girley picks up at the level he left off in September.

The Pine Bluff native was identified by Anderson as one of ASU's biggest surprises through the first four weeks of the season. He rebounded from what was described as a rough spring to win the starting job coming out of fall camp, and he had five tackles in ASU's season-opening victory over Montana State.

His ascent stalled the next week in a loss at Tennessee when he went to tackle tight end Ethan Wolf and the 240-pound Volunteer fell on Girley's wrist.

"The tight end fell on top of me and made me press down on my wrist," Girley said. "I didn't think much of it."

It was painful enough for Girley to get an MRI the next week, which revealed the torn ligaments that would require a hard cast to cover his hand, wrist and most of his forearm.

Still, Girley had a team-high six tackles, including one for a loss, in the loss at Miami the following week. He wore it again Utah State the next week when he had four tackles with a sack and broke up a pass.

That marked the end of his regular season. Girley was told the surgery he had been put off was needed sooner than expected, otherwise the injured ligaments would become permanent. So Girley had surgery in Memphis four days after the overtime victory against Utah State.

"That basically ended my season," he said.

Or so he thought.

Girley knew that if ASU landed in a late bowl game he'd have an opportunity to come back. So while his teammates practiced, he stayed in shape by running laps around the turf and up and down the bleachers at Centennial Bank Stadium.

When ASU accepted a bid to the GoDaddy Bowl, the last bowl before the College Football Playoff, he knew he'd have a chance to return.

It was good news for Anderson, too, who touted Girley regularly through the first month of the season.

"I don't know what the layoff has done to him just in terms of reading things and knowing where to fit, but physically he's going to be in good shape," Anderson said. "His attitude, that big smile was on his face, he's glad to be getting back into what's going on."

Girley's presence will give ASU's defense a boost, considering how much it lost throughout the season on defense. Starting strong safety Chris Humes suffered a torn bicep against Tennessee and was lost for the season, the same game reserve defensive end Jonah Hill was lost for the season with a knee injury.

ASU also lost reserve linebacker Quanterio Heath to a similar injury as Girley's, and lost cornerback Rocky Hayes to a collarbone injury. Heath and Hayes could return for the GoDaddy Bowl along with Girley.

"This is the first year where we had so many injuries," Girley said. "Our team fought through it, but to be able to come back and help them and pick back up, it feels real good."

Sports on 12/21/2014