Jeff Allen and Alabama's training staff may, in fact, be miracle workers. That's about the only way to describe how quickly senior tight end Josh Cuevas was able to return to action after suffering what probably should have been a season-ending injury in November.
In practice leading up to Alabama's final home game of the season against Eastern Illinois, Cuevas suffered an injury that ultimately forced him to miss the final two regular-season games as well as the SEC Championship Game against Georgia. He returned to the field against Oklahoma in the opening round of the College Football Playoff.
The extent of the injury was never fully confirmed, though the rumor was that Cuevas had broken his foot. The senior tight end confirmed that as the case on Monday night after the Crimson Tide arrived in Los Angeles, making his return to the field all the more miraculous.
"I'm feeling great," Cuevas told reporters on Monday night. "Shoutout to our training staff. They’re the best of the best. I mean, I legit broke my foot in the middle of the season and came back same season. So, that’s a tribute to them, and I’m ready to go for this game.”
Jeff Allen deserves endless praise for getting Josh Cuevas back on the field
There's no better athletic trainer in the country than Alabama's Jeff Allen, bar none. Allen and his team have done superb work in getting the Crimson Tide as healthy as they are at this point in the season.
Injuries happen, and there isn't much that can be done about them, but how quickly players recover is directly attributable to the diligent work of Allen and his staff.
Cuevas is a vital piece of the puzzle for the Alabama offense, and a broken foot in late November probably should have spelled the end of his season. Allen didn't accept that, and neither did Cuevas, and they worked to get him back on the field a month later.
Cuevas made a difference against Oklahoma, catching three passes for 35 yards, including a 23-yarder in the second quarter that helped spark Alabama's first touchdown when the Tide was down 17-0.
Now, with an extra two weeks to rest and recover since playing in Norman, Cuevas should be even closer to 100% for the Rose Bowl. That's big news for Ty Simpson and the Alabama offense, which will need all hands on deck against a stingy Indiana defense.