The Only Colors, a Michigan State Spartans community

"If all else fails, I just want my health, man," he said. "I just want to be able to walk without crutches. I just want to live a normal life again without restrictions, without worries.

"But there's still that itch in me. Football is in me. I can't give it up. I can't just wake up and be like, 'Maybe I don't want to play.' I do. I can play this game."

"Ashton is the smoothest running back out of all of us, even when I was here," said Ringer, who watched Michigan State's practice on Tuesday and even helped the running backs during individual drills. "A lot of people say he resembles Jehuu a lot, but no. He's a completely different runner than Jehuu was.