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USC quarterback Kedon Slovis had dismissed concerns about his strained right throwing elbow back in March while speaking after the Trojans' first -- and ultimately only -- spring practice. Even still, the staff was going to limit his reps as he worked back from the injury sustained in the bowl game.
Any lingering concerns or apprehensions about the QB's arm can be put to rest now, though, as he gave a very encouraging update during an appearance on the Trojan Talk podcast this week.
"Really, I think the second week [back home in Arizona] is really when I started to notice the difference in my arm. I really feel now that I'm really beyond 100 percent if that's even possible," Slovis said. "I feel better than I did even [before] just because of the arm care work I've been doing. At this point I can throw as much as I want, as many times, and not have any issues."
Slovis was forced out of the Holiday Bowl vs. Iowa in the third quarter with what looked at the time to be a painful and potentially worrisome injury. The QB had his arm extended behind him and was starting to pull it forward with the full torque of his throwing motion when a defender connected with his arm, impeding the movement. Fortunately, he was diagnosed with only a strained right elbow and did not require surgery.
"I think honestly looking back at it -- I hate to say this -- but it was honestly a blessing in disguise because I think my arm needed a little more attention than I was giving it before the injury," Slovis said on the podcast. "I really wasn't treating it as well as I should have, so I've kind of looked at it more seriously and given it the care it deserves [to] kind of take a step back and look at what I can do to make it not hurt throughout the week and be fresh for later in the season, later in the week."
While spring practice ended abruptly after just that one session due to the coronavirus pandemic and the national shutdown of sports in general, Slovis has maintained a regular routine back home in Scottsdale, Ariz.
He lifts three times a week and throws three times a week, staying prepared for whenever the Trojans are cleared to resume normal team operations.
And he reiterated that he feels no limitations whatsoever from that elbow injury, including testing his deep ball out this spring back at home.
