Gophers RB Mo Ibrahim named Comeback Player of the Year
Mohamed Ibrahim #24 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers runs with the ball against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the second quarter of the game at Huntington Bank Stadium on November 19, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ((Photo by David Berding/Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota senior running back Mo Ibrahim was named the Comeback Player of the Year on Tuesday.
The announcement was made by College Sports Communicators, working with the Associated Press and Fiesta Bowl organization. The award honors college athletes for overcoming injury, illness or other circumstances to excel on the field again.
Ibrahim thought his college football career might be over after suffering a torn Achilles in the 2021 season-opener against Ohio State. He had already rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns in the game.
He returned for the 2022 season in a rehab process that included learning how to walk, run, jump and cut again. In his first game back from the injury, nearly a full year later, Ibrahim ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-0 win over New Mexico State.
Ibrahim finished the 2022 season with 1,594 rushing yards and tied for the NCAA lead with 19 rushing touchdowns. He was a First Team All-Big Ten pick, finishing fourth in the nation in rushing despite missing one game with an ankle injury. He was also the Big Ten Running Back of the Year in 2020.
In 40 career games with the Gophers, Ibrahim has 4,597 rushing yards and 52 touchdowns. He passed Darrell Thompson’s touchdown record in 2022, and had 19 straight games with at least 100-yars rushing before Minnesota’s win at Wisconsin to end the regular season.
The Gophers (8-4) will face Syracuse in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 29 at Yankee Stadium.