‘Determined’ Mark Fletcher back from injury — and already making an impact for the Hurricanes

Mark Fletcher Jr. took the handoff from Cam Ward and ran straight toward the pile of bodies battling in front of him at the goal line. The 6-2, 225-pound sophomore running back leapt over the crowd, extended his arm and spun in the air before landing in the end zone for his second touchdown of the Miami Hurricanes’ eventual 41-17 thrashing of the Florida Gators on Saturday.

“How about that guy, huh?” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said postgame of Fletcher, who ran for 23 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries and also had a 22-yard catch in the win. “He look pretty good to you? Well, he looked pretty good to me. That guy is an absolute tough S.O.B. Determined, resilient guy and unbelievable team player.”

There was doubt outside the program heading into fall camp if Fletcher would even be able to play Saturday. Offseason surgery on his left foot had him sidelined for most of the offseason, waiting for an opportunity. And even when he did come back, would he look the same as the player who showed so much talent as a freshman?

There’s was no doubt in Fletcher’s mind that he would be ready. There was no doubt in his teammates’ minds that Fletcher would be better when he did return.

Fletcher’s will to speed up his rehab process got him back on the field earlier than expected. His drive has set him up to retain his spot in the running back rotation that he attained as a freshman.

And he’s setting an example for his teammates as he puts his injury behinds him and does his part to help the No. 12 Hurricanes make a push toward contending for both the ACC championship and ultimately a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

“When he got injured, had surgery, and all that, we were all there, the whole team was there to motivate him throughout the whole process,” offensive lineman Jalen Rivers said. “And he had that mind-set of, every day I would get better, so when he come back, he could do what he did. He’s phenomenal.”

The injury and the rehab

That said, Fletcher still remembers the moment, getting carted off the field in the first quarter of the Hurricanes’ 31-24 loss in the Pinstripe Bowl against Rutgers because of a noncontact injury to close out his freshman season.

In the moment, Fletcher said he didn’t know how serious the injury was. His first thought was a rolled ankle. Ultimately, he wasn’t too concerned.

“When they took me back, I was smiling with my people back there,” Fletcher reminisced at the Hurricanes’ media day on July 30. “I knew I was hurt, but I didn’t know it was something that was going to sit me down for that long.”

The actual diagnosis: A Lisfranc injury in his left foot. Surgery followed. And then came the waiting ... and the perspective. Fletcher was off the foot for five months. He sat out spring practices while pushing through his rehab before finally being cleared to participate in football activities right before fall camp began in August.

And like everything he does, Fletcher embraced the challenge of the road that lied ahead of him.

“I loved the process,” Fletcher said, “because I feel like I really had a chance to sit down and evaluate things to be honest. It slowed down life for me. It just made me a better man overall. I’m a better man sitting in front of you right now.”

While Fletcher, who rushed for 514 yards and five touchdowns on 105 carries as a freshman, was not able to practice during the spring, he still found a way to make an impact on his teammates and coaches. He’s part of the team’s leadership committee and stayed engaged with the team in the film room and by giving advice to teammates based on what he saw from a distance.

“Mark is an alpha male from the standpoint of he’s not afraid to tell people what it is,” Hurricanes running back coach Matt Merritt said. “That’s really just kind of really what’s impressed me most about him is just assertiveness, and even throughout the injury, it was a period of time where he couldn’t do anything after the surgery. He was still engaged and involved know what was going on. Really, really, really intelligent. He really understands the game of football.”

“When things are going well for you, it’s easy to be a certain something, but when cards are stacked against you, things aren’t going well and you have adversity, you really find out a lot about people,” Merritt added. “It wasn’t easy for Mark, but I think he’s done an incredible job.”

Showing up on game day

It paid off for Fletcher on Saturday.

Fletcher served as Miami’s No. 2 running back behind Oregon State transfer Damien Martinez, who is expected to get the bulk of the Hurricanes’ carries this season, but still made an impact when he was on the field. He scored Miami’s second touchdown of the game in the second quarter when he ran a counter to his left, took advantage of a block from wide receiver Sam Brown and ran 10 yards into the end zone to put Miami up 17-3. His second touchdown, which came on the first drive of the third quarter, gave the Hurricanes a 31-10 lead.

He still has his combination of speed and strength that makes him a lethal option in the backfield, especially when paired with another bruising running back like Martinez.

And when the time comes, he has the knack for making a big play.

“The dude’s a stud,” offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “And even more so, even when he wasn’t practicing, his leadership is unbelievable. He’s a great kid. And so you sit here, and a kid gets injured, he has surgery, and they give you a timeline, right? Well, he blew that timeline out of the water because of how he’s wired and his DNA. It’s a testament to him, really, of how quick he came back. I don’t think anybody would have thought that he would have been ready for that game months ago. But he lived down there in the training room, and he did everything over and above to get back. Look, some people try to hide in that training room. He’s trying to [get better]. That’s awesome for that kid.”

When Fletcher reflected on the injury and the process it took to get game ready, he acknowledged the challenges that came with the rehab. It was far different than any leadup to a football season in his life.

“There are the nights where you’re by yourself and you’re just like ‘Damn, I want to get back out there with the team,’” Fletcher said. “You’re so eager to get back, but you’ve just got to sit down. Honestly, that’s the hardest part, just wanting to get back so bad.

But the satisfaction of completing the process, the reward of getting back to the game? It was well worth it.

“Once you’re there,” Fletcher said, “you’re healed now.”