Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson made his debut as a starter. Ronnie Wingo was in the feature back role for the first time in his career. And the offensive line’s new starting five began to take shape.
There were plenty of offensive storylines for Arkansas’ 51-7 win against Missouri State last week.
So it’s no surprise wide receiver Greg Childs’ return was a little overshadowed. The big-play receiver returned to the field after being sidelined the last half of 2011 because of a torn patella tendon in his knee. It was a modest debut – two catches for 29 yards. But important nonetheless for Childs and Arkansas.
Childs spoke to the media about his long-awaited return from injury and the warm welcome he received in Razorback Stadium when he caught his first pass in this week’s Q&A:
Q: How did you feel out there?
A: “I felt fine. I felt great. I felt like I never lost a step. We’re just trying to keep it going and get to bigger games. We’ve got a long season ahead of us. We’ve got more opponents to play. Just trying to take it easy right now.”
Q: You caught a couple of passes. What did that mean to you?
A: “It meant a lot. I talked to my mom right after the game and she was she didn’t know if she wanted to cry or clap when I came through the tunnel and when I made my first catch. It was a real big deal to me because I hadn’t played in almost a year.”
Q: How did it feel to catch that first one in particular?
A: “It felt good. My first catch, I just felt like the stadium was fixing to crack. All my teammates were teasing me and saying, ‘So you made one catch and you get a standing ovation.’ I was just laughing about it. It felt real, real good. It had been almost a year.”
Q: Did you hear the applause?
A: “I had no choice but to hear it. I heard it and looked around and everybody was standing up. I was just like, ‘OK.’ I was like, ‘I didn’t even score.’ What if I would’ve scored? What would’ve happened? That’s what I’m waiting on. When I score I want to see what’s going to happen?”
Q: What did it mean to you that the crowd recognized you were back?
A: “It’s always good to be appreciated. It’s always good for the fans to show you love. That was a great thing.”
The Thursday Q&A will appear on the Hog Blog every Thursday (unless, of course, I forget to do it and it shows up on Friday instead). The questions are all asked in a group setting at the conclusion of practice or during press conferences and by no means will I claim credit for asking all of them – especially the good ones!
