Utah Utes football: Matt Asiata eager to get back on field

SALT LAKE CITY — Matt Asiata didn't want to believe it. Something, however, didn't feel right.

After scoring on a 24-yard run early in Utah's 30-14 win over Louisville last September, Asiata's season came to an abrupt end.

"I got up, and I kind of celebrated," he recalled. "I kind of swung my knee and my body went the other way. I kind of tweaked it."

It was just the fourth game of the season and Asiata was leading the Mountain West Conference in rushing with 101.3 yards per outing.

The knee, he hoped, would be OK.

"In my head I didn't want to think about it," Asiata said. "But I knew it was something big. I tried to act cool and just walk off the field."

Things would soon change.

Asiata was diagnosed with a torn ACL. He was sidelined for months and faced a lengthy rehabilitation.

"When the doctors told me, I just broke down," Asiata said. "I didn't want to believe it. But things happen. It's football."

And as Asiata can attest, things can happen more than once.

In Utah's 2007 season opener at Oregon State, he broke his leg and was lost for the year. He came back the next season, though, and led the Utes in rushing.

Recovering from an injury, though, isn't easy.

"It's a long process. I didn't want to do it, but I pushed myself to do it," Asiata said. "It's all mental. You've just got to push yourself to come out and get better."

It's something Asiata has now done twice in three years.

"Everything happens for a reason. It was kind of a shocking moment last year injuring my knee," he said. "I don't know. ... I'm just being tested by the guy upstairs, just testing my faith to see how I bounce back and stuff."

So far, so good.

Asiata is making cuts and jumping with his surgically repaired knee as summer conditioning concludes.

"He's a great kid. He's very mentally tough. You've got to be mentally tough to overcome what he has overcome," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. "He means so much to this football team. He's a leader. He's very well respected by the entire team. Everybody looks up to Matt. We're fortunate to have him back."