Sept. 10, 2009

By Leah Howard, U-M Athletic Media Relations

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
- Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken (1915)

It must feel a little like déjà vu for Junior Hemingway.

In case you missed it, the junior/sophomore wide receiver had a big game last Saturday against Western Michigan. It was a career day -- two touchdowns, five receptions and 103 receiving yards -- and the best performance since, well, his last career day, nearly one year earlier in the Wolverines' 2008 season opener against Utah.

So, it was an awfully familiar feeling for him on Saturday evening -- hard work was paying off, his potential was coming to the surface and even the sky would be no limit. He'd been in this place before.

Two roads diverged in a wood. Hemingway has already been down one road. Following his breakout performance against Utah last season -- two catches for 42 yards and his first collegiate touchdown -- expectations were high. He was on the right track, and it was going to be a good season, he just knew it. Unfortunately, it didn't quite play out that way.

He began to feel sick after the fourth game of the season -- Michigan's epic comeback win against Wisconsin. He woke up that following Monday feeling weak and lethargic. He felt like a bum, constantly tired and wanting nothing more than to sleep all day. After the symptoms persisted for several days, he went in for tests and was diagnosed with mononucleosis. Just like that, his season was over.

To make matters worse, he was essentially quarantined, forced to stay at home and avoid contact with the rest of the team. For nearly two months, he couldn't practice, and he couldn't travel. He continued to show his support any way he could -- texting his teammates before games and shouting encouragement through the television set -- but no athlete wants to spend his season stuck on the sideline, let alone stuck in bed. Hemingway was in a lonely spot.

"That was the worst part -- not being out there, not being able to be around the rest of the team or support them," said Hemingway. "I felt like I let them down, but it was something that I couldn't control. I just had to stay home, and it was unbearable. After I got healthy and they cleared me, I came back and practiced. I couldn't go with the rest of the team, but at least I was out there."

The recovery process was a long and arduous one for Hemingway. He had lost about 10 pounds while laid up in his apartment, and when he jumped back into training, the weight jumped back onto his frame, pushing him to nearly 230 pounds. He fought to keep the weight off, and that meant more running and more conditioning. But by the time preseason camp started in August, he had whipped himself back into the best shape of his life.

Sports don't provide too many opportunities for mulligans. There are no do-overs when things simply don't work out as planned. But Hemingway earned his opportunity by way of a medical redshirt. A year later, he is still a sophomore. He's come full circle, returning to that place in the wood and that familiar feeling. This season, Hemingway plans to travel the road not already taken, and the Wolverines hope it will make all the difference.

"It's almost like I'm starting over again," said Hemingway, "It felt kind of weird being back out there again, but it felt really good. It was good to get that game behind me. Now I just want to keep going. Last year, I left off after the fourth game of the season; I wasn't able to finish out. This year, I don't want to be timid; I've just got to go out there and play. I'm glad to be back out there and contributing to the team."

For more with Junior Hemingway, tune into Inside Michigan Football tonight (Sept. 10) at 7 p.m., on Fox Sports Detroit.