AVERY JR.

DID NOT
LET INJURIES STOP HIM
By Lindsay Auld

Last season was not easy for West Virginia University’s starting safety Toyous Avery Jr. After missing five games
during the 2017 season due to a hand injury, Avery struggled to get back to his full potential once he returned to the
field.
Being a key player on the team made the injury tough for Avery Jr. and his teammates, which led to great
anticipation for the 2018 season.
“I just love football so much. I couldn’t wait to get back out there,” Avery Jr. said about returning at the end of the
2017 season. “I made sure when I came back I was 100 percent. I was all ready to go.”
The redshirt senior missed the Delaware State and Kansas games last season after tallying 10 tackles and three
pass breakups in the early part of the year. He returned for two more games but could not shake his injury and left the
Baylor game early.
The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder missed the next three games before making his return on Nov. 18 against Texas.
During that time off, even when he could not practice, he still found a way to devote himself to football.
“I watched a lot of film,” Avery Jr. said of his time off the field.
Now healthy, the Covington, Georgia, native is finally back to his normal self, and he’s excited to help bring the
Mountaineers a win every week.
“All I want to do is win, win every game,” Avery Jr. said. “I missed being out there with my teammates because I
love when we are making plays and everybody’s all wound up together, yelling at each other.”
He is most excited about the final home
game against Oklahoma on Nov.
23 where he and his fellow “All I want to do is win, win every game. I
senior teammates will
be honored on Senior
missed being out there with my teammates
Night. because I love when we are making plays and
everybody’s all wound up together.”

- TOYOUS AVERY JR.

Coach Dana Holgorsen speaks highly of his veteran in the secondary.

“He’s been one of my senior leader guys that I’m leaning on a little bit,”
Holgorsen said. “He’s in a leadership role; he knows that. When he played
last year, he was one of our better defensive players. He just had the injury
bug; there’s not a whole lot you can do with that. I like where he’s at now
though.”
With the struggles of 2017 behind him and back to full strength, Avery Jr.
has a chance to make his senior year the best one yet.

Lindsay Auld is a student assistant in the WVU Athletic Communications Office.

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