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INDIANAPOLIS -- USC running back Markese Stepp took TrojanSports.com behind the scenes inside one of his regular training sessions as he continues his rehabilitation from left ankle surgery and prepares to return to campus along with his teammates in a little more than a week.
Stepp said he goes through a workout similar to this almost daily at Body By Flash with trainer Dermall Woods in his hometown Indianapolis, where he's worked out the last four years and returns whenever he's not at school.
Stepp underwent season-ending surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left ankle back in October and told us earlier this week in an in-depth interview that he's on the final 10 percent of his rehab, working to get that ankle back to where he can trust it making it cuts and moves on the field the same as he did before.
"The ankle is coming back pretty well. I'm in the last 10 percent, and it's really feeling like the hardest part," Stepp said. "You feel like you're right there, but it's not just retraining that ankle but retraining your whole body to get back into those football movements, football cuts and stuff. So this by far has been the hardest part of the rehab, getting that little strength back, that last little push. It's been hard, I'm not going to lie.
"I lost a little girth and strength in my legs because I haven't been able to lift lower body, so now it's trying to get all that strength back and get back to where it was. I feel like I'm going to be back to even better shape when I'm 100 percent back."
Stepp was starting to emerge last season before the untimely injury, leading all Trojans running backs with 6.4 yards per carry while rushing for 307 yards and 3 touchdowns. Now a redshirt sophomore, he'll be competing with veterans Vavae Malepeai and Stephen Carr and sophomore Kenan Christon at one of USC's deepest positions heading into the 2020 season.
(Sound on the video had to be muted in parts to comply with YouTube copyright policies due to the background music in the gym)
