USC running back Vavae Malepeai was candid Tuesday in discussing what he's gone through with his injured left knee this season -- more candid than he was with the coaches earlier in the fall.
The redshirt junior played in each of the Trojans' first six games and was the team's leading rusher before it was announced he'd undergo a minor procedure on his knee to "clean it out." But the root of the issue actually dated back to the injury that sidelined him for the first part of preseason camp -- and it was only getting progressively worse with each passing week.
"It was just bad. I couldn't compete to my best ability, and that's one of the hardest feelings when you're trying to contribute to the team but you don't want to hurt the team," Malepeai said after practice Tuesday while moving closer to a return after missing four games.
"My mindset was if I'm going to play, I'm not going to complain about it. I'm just going to keep playing and play to the best of my ability. It took a toll on my body -- that's on me, my fault -- but what happened, like I said, everything happens for a reason. God's plan, I'm just living it out."
Malepeai made sure to clarify that he didn't initially tell the coaches he was in pain as he tried to play through it the first few weeks.
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