SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame’s trip to Pittsburgh this weekend would’ve featured a family reunion had junior running back Tarean Folston not suffered a torn ACL Sept. 5 against Texas.
Folston’s younger brother, James, is a redshirt freshman defensive end for Pat Narduzzi’s Pitt Panthers. While he won’t get to share a field with his sibling this weekend, James said he expects his older brother to be a force for Notre Dame in 2016.
“When he comes back healthy, I’m pretty sure he’ll be better than ever,” James said in a phone interview with CSNChicago.com. “He’ll come back stronger. I know with the mindset he has, I know he’s trying to.”
Back at Notre Dame, C.J. Prosise — who’s exploded onto the national scene in place of the injured Folston — sat down in the Guglielmino Athletics Complex auditorium on Wednesday wearing a wristband with Tarean's No. 25 and a bible passage on it. Running backs coach Autry Denson made the wristbands for his position group, which Tarean has still been a part of.
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Prosise said Tarean's spirits have been high as he’s recovered from his surgery performed by Dr. James Andrews in September. Tarean, too, has dispensed sound advice to Prosise as he navigates his first season as a running back, which saw the redshirt junior get stuffed for only 25 yards on 14 carries Saturday against Temple.
“I was talking to him like, man, it was a rough game,” Prosise said. “And he was like yeah, I’ve had many of them, you just gotta keep pushing and once you keep doing what you’re doing, something’s going to break out and you’re going to make some big plays.
“… Somebody with his experience, just being here playing for a couple years and knowing he’s been through it and I can understand it, it just helps me out too.”
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From afar, James similarly said his brother is in a good place mentally as he undergoes a grueling rehab process. He said there could’ve been a chance Tarean jumped to the NFL had he broke out in 2015 — he built a solid base with 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns on 263 carries his freshman and sophomore seasons — but that’ll have to wait for next fall.
“I’ve just been making sure that he’s moving forward, keeping his head up, keeping his head on the right path,” James said, “and trying to stay focused and come back for a stronger year next year.”