Kentucky sophomore and outside linebacker JJ Weaver has been named one of three winners for the 2021 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), in association with The Associated Press (AP) and the Fiesta Bowl Organization. Weaver joins Michigan’s Aiden Hutchinson and Florida State’s McKenzie Milton as this year’s winners.

“God just kept blessing me through all the trials and tribulations I went through, so I just want to thank the man from above,” Weaver said. “And then, I just put in the work here. I believed in myself. My teammates believe in me, [the media] believed in me. So I have a lot of people behind, me following me, so just keeping my head up and just working hard.”

Weaver, who suffered a torn ACL in his first collegiate start against Florida last November after a freshman campaign that saw him compile 33.5 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss over nine games last season. Despite missing the final two games, Weaver was still named to the All-SEC Freshman Team.

He came back this season less than nine month after his ACL injury to lead the Kentucky defense with 10 tackles for loss and six sacks—not to mention 34 total tackles and two interceptions. 

“I didn’t know I was coming back as early as I did,” Weaver said. “My trainer Gabe [Amponsah], he kept telling me, ‘your time is coming, just be patient.’ Also, we were just limited outside linebacker, so I had no choice to play a lot this year.”

Weaver’s hardships didn’t end with his knee injury; he also lost two men very close to him. He lost his father to homicide and then his high school coach, Rob Reader, to liver cancer. 

“You know, everything happens for a reason—my father getting killed, happened for a reason. I mean, this award goes to him, most definitely,” Weaver said.

Reader, Weaver’s coach at Louisville Moore High School, was instrumental in Weaver’s success. He made Weaver take the ACT five separate times throughout his high school tenure so that he met UK’s enrollment requirements. 

Weaver said Reader was like a father to him the same way Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops and defensive coordinator Brad White are. They’re his extended family.

Rehabbing his knee and going through grief counseling consumed much of his time over the off-season. Weaver credits that support system throughout his time off the field to coming back stronger than ever.

“Counseling helped me get my mind off all the negativity and to keep all positivity … I needed them the most. I needed everybody the most at my lowest point. I feel like I didn’t have nobody, but I really did,” Weaver said. “The whole [Big Blue Nation], my team outside of football … I needed everybody the most; I was so lost in my head. I didn’t know what to do, so going through rehab, going to therapists—it helped.”

Weaver, Hutchinson and Milton will all be honored during the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1 in a special ceremony. Weaver will not be able to attend due to Kentucky’s Citrus Bowl appearance against Iowa, but will be recognized Wednesday night at halftime of the Kentucky men’s basketball game against Western Kentucky University.

“You’re still only a couple of chapters in and it’s like one of those great stories where you’ve got the teaser in the beginning and you can’t wait to read the rest,” White said. “Well, I can’t wait to see the rest of his book because there’s a lot of great chapters still ahead.”