Weaver hopes to escape label

EAST LANSING - The term "injury-prone" seems to be a label that gets thrown on athletes consistently.

Michigan State defensive back Ross Weaver is hoping this is the year he can prove he doesn't deserve that namesake.

The redshirt junior has been struck with injury after injury in his three years as a Spartan. In 2006, Weaver was granted a medical redshirt after suffering a broken ankle in preseason camp. Last season, he missed five games with a foot injury.

"I feel real good right now," Weaver said. "I feel confident that I'll be able to get through camp and everything and just be healthy.

"I have changed my diet, more stretching and getting more rest. Plus, (I have been getting) more treatment."

The injuries came as a surprise to Weaver, who never had any issues prior to arriving at MSU.

"I didn't get hurt like this in high school," said Weaver, a 2005 graduate of Southfield High. "But I have learned to just stay confident in what I have done and things will turn out all right."

The 6-foot-1, 202-pound cornerback has been frustrated from not being on the field as much as he expected. He thought the broken ankle that caused him to medically redshirt was just a fluke injury, but following the foot issue in 2007, he began questioning himself.

"It's kind of been crazy and you start to second guess yourself," Weaver said. "But I'm a big believer in Christ, so I am just making sure I stay strong in my faith because that is the only thing that gets me through the injuries.

"As soon as you get injured, you see everybody else playing in the spots you want to play, you start to think back and say, 'Am I really fit for football?'"

Weaver did, however, see his injuries as sort of a blessing in disguise. He explained how he was able to sit back, watch other players and learn from what the coaches were telling them in regards to technique, positioning and how to deal with different wide receivers.

The coaching staff, as well as other players, has not overlooked Weaver's importance to the success of the secondary this season. They know what the he can bring to the team if he is able to stay healthy.

"He is very important. He is a big corner who can run," secondary coach Harlon Barnett said of Weaver at Tuesday's MSU media day. "Hopefully all his injuries are out of the way."

Safety Otis Wiley, the senior leader of the secondary, knows exactly what Weaver can do on the football field if given the opportunity. They came to MSU in the same recruiting class.

"Ross is a smart player and if he can stay healthy, the sky is the limit. He has been here the same amount of years that I have been here and he has experience as a leader. The injuries do push him back, but we all know he is focused on staying healthy and helping this team win games."

Barnett expects Weaver to be starting at corner when the Spartans open their season at California on Aug. 30. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. and will be televised on ABC.