Dinson back stronger than before

AUBURN | Jeremiah Dinson never heard a word from Ricky Seals-Jones, but forgave him nonetheless.

Dinson suffered two major injuries on a questionable hit by Seals-Jones on Nov. 7, 2015. Dinson, an Auburn true freshman cornerback at the time, was pursuing Texas A&M quarterback Kyler Murray down the sidelines and was blindsided by Seals-Jones on a vicious block near the goal line.

The hit separated Dinson’s shoulder and tore three ligaments in his knee.

“I mean, I remember it like it was yesterday,” Dinson said. “I was chasing the quarterback down and I got hit; I didn’t feel the hit, but I felt my legs go numb. At that time I didn’t know how bad it was.”

The play was initially called targeting but overturned on review. Last June, SEC coordinator of officials Steve Shaw reviewed the play and said targeting shouldn’t have been overturned.

It took Dinson four to five months before he was ready to watch the play on video.

“At first, you know, it was hard to forgive him. That was when I was in the hospital, though,” Dinson said. “When I went back and seen the play, like for the first time, I ain’t really want to watch it, because I ain’t really want to watch that play. But I went back to go see it, and he was just trying to make a play for his team.

“I talked to my grandma and I forgave him, to be honest with you. He just tried to make a play for his team. It’s sad that it happened to me, but it’s just a football play.”

Dinson was unable to return last season after undergoing two separate surgeries at the end of 2015. “I didn’t feel like myself,” said Dinson, who finally returned healthy this spring, 16 months after the injury.

“It’s like I never left, to be honest with you,” Dinson said. “I picked right back up where I left off from, so I mean, it’s amazing to be back out there.”

It wasn’t just the physical hurdles Dinson had to overcome. There were some mental ones as well and he credited Josh Holsey and several of his teammates for helping him through the long rehab process. Holsey suffered two separate ACL injuries during his five-year NFL career.

“I really had to take it day by day, just stay positive, man,” Dinson said. “I had Josh Holsey in my ear, because he went through an ACL a couple times, so that guy really just kept me motivated, but mentally I’m stronger now. I can say that—through anything, not just football, but life itself.”

Dinson has been a standout during spring drills competing with Daniel Thomas for the starting nickel back, which is called Star by defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. Dinson has also taken reps at cornerback and safety.

“He has a very good skill set,” Steele said. “I think probably the thing that is really pleasant is — not that I did not know it, I just had no way of knowing — is that he really has the skill set and the mental makeup to quarterback a defense. He can get you in the right calls, he’s a very, very intelligent football player.”

Just like Holsey did before him, Dinson is using his experience to help other injured Auburn players.

“When Jayvaughn Myers hurt his knee, I was that Josh Holsey,” Dinson said. “I was going to him and saying, ‘Look at me. I’ve been through it. I have a story.’ They can look at my story and say, oh, yeah, you’re going to get through this.”