BIG RAPIDS- The Ferris State football team can see the finish line of fall camp and is less than ten days away from their opening game of the new season against Pittsburg State, who was the Bulldogs’ only blemish on the schedule of last year’s national championship-winning team.
Quarterback Carson Gulker was forced to watch that game, and every other game after his devastating week two injury last year, from the sideline. But is now back and competing to lead the offense yet again.
“Yeah, I feel good, I feel confident, I it doesn’t really bother me at all. I mean, sometimes in the rain and wake up little achy, but I go goes away within 20 minutes of waking up. So yeah, I feel really good. Feel really healthy” (Carson Gulker).
Gulker made a name for himself as a redshirt freshman at Ferris State, terrorizing opposing defenses with both his legs and his arm and being named the GLIAC freshman of the year. As he lumbered towards the endzone against Lake Erie College, last year the unthinkable happened. Gulker went down after snapping both his tibia and fibula.
“I mean, honestly, when I was laying out there, I was like, I don’t know if I’ll ever play again. But as soon as the doctors I said I just broke my leg, I was like, alright” (Gulker).
But his desire to get back on the field with his teammates never wavered,
“I just know I wanted to get back out here and I don’t want to waste, you know, six months sitting on the couch. And so I was like, I might as well do something. First of all, you know, to keep myself busy, keep my mind busy. And I was I was out here for practice. But, you know, I would help young guys affected here and there. And overall, I was just trying to make sure I was I was not in the way or a distraction, but also being able to lift those guys up” (Gulker).
And head coach Tony Annese to have his weapon back and chalked the injury up to a freak accident.
“Obviously things happen, you know, and and in all walks of life when it comes to accidents, injuries, you know, and, and parents sometimes say, oh, you know what? I want my son to play football because I don’t want him hurt. And I always say, well, if you’re worried about catastrophic injury, don’t ever let him ride a car, for God’s sakes. You know, so it’s a very safe game. Happy to have him back there. Super young man. And and great players” (Tony Annese).
Gulker is now ready to show the community that supported him what they’ve been missing.
“Just the big Rapids community, the fans, you know, I was still at every game and fans were always checking in on me, family, friends, friends, teammates, just everyone was really uplifting throughout that time and like, journey on. So that that was really big.
Things I think I’m most looking forward to coming out of the dog like a stampede of dogs. You know, just running out here going crazy, getting ready for him that" (Gulker).