Tarean Folston might be the old man in the Notre Dame running backs room, but the 21-year-old native of Cocoa, Florida, isn't complaining about the sweltering summer practices.
To him, he's just glad to be healthy and playing.
“I enjoy practices now, I can say that,” Folston said after Saturday’s opening preseason practice at Culver Academies. “I’m not going to say I hated practices (before the injury), but everybody goes through that mindset. Like, ‘Dang, I’m at practice.’
“(Now) I’m like, ‘Yes, let’s go. Let’s do it. It’s time to go.’”
Watching now-sophomore Josh Adams flourish in his place is a powerful motivator.
After a freshman season in which he ran for 470 yards on 88 carries, Folston followed it up with a 2014 campaign in which he tallied 889 yards rushing on 175 carries to go along with six touchdowns.
His ascendence up the Notre Dame record books and well-rounded game put the NFL on his radar, but a torn ACL in the season-opener against Texas forced the 5-foot-9, 214-pounder to watch from the sidelines.
Folston claims those thoughts — running behind Notre Dame’s 2015 offensive line that paved the way for 1,000-yard rusher C.J. Prosise — are well behind him entering his fourth season in South Bend. Folston is academically a senior but could have another year of eligibility if he desires.
“I would say a lot of people in my situation would think (of the NFL), but that’s behind me,” Folston said. “I’m ready to get this season kicked off and ready to get this rocking and rolling.”
Adams, who set the Notre Dame Freshman running back record with 869 yards, to go along with six touchdowns, joins Folston in a crowded backfield that also includes sophomore Dexter Williams and freshman Tony Jones Jr., who drew the praise from Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly on Day 1 of practice.
Folston made it clear he’s hungry for a big return in 2016. Kelly said the tailback has added “a little” weight entering the season, noting that Folston felt he was “too light” in 2015.
“He’s that elusive, smooth inside-out runner and he’s certainly going to be an effective player for us,” Kelly said.
Overcoming the mental hurdle of the ACL injury has come with time, Folston said. He credited his family, as well as Notre Dame head football athletic trainer Rob Hunt, for that aspect of his comeback.
“(Hunt) always just talked to me saying, ‘You’re going to come back greater,’ so I bought into it and talked with my family a lot, they kept my head in it,” Folston said. “That’s basically it, you have to talk to the people that are close to you so they can keep your head in it.”
Though he's no longer the unquestioned No. 1 running back, Folston said he's still going to try and lead the younger backs.
"I’m not saying I never went hard, but it just makes you go harder," Folston said. "When you’re out here doing things that you love and it’s fun to you, you’re going to always go hard. I feel like I’m trying to bring some energy to people that may not have energy. That’s just how it is.
"I’m going to definitely try and be that leader in our room and try and bring our group up and help the team out in as many ways as possible."
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