BRADENTON, Fla. -- The injury could’ve cost Cedric Wood his football career, and so much more.

Florida State’s defensive tackle suffered an off-field injury to the area around his right hand about a year ago. He severed a major artery and tendons, and also had nerve damage.

“It could’ve been a life-ending injury, honestly. Thank God I’m still here, I still have full use of my hand,” Wood said.

For the Tallahassee native, it kept him sidelined and sent him to a place of isolation. Now, a year later, Wood is in a better place and ready to contribute as a key reserve in FSU’s defensive tackle rotation.

“I’m feeling a lot better as far as my mental health, my physical health,” Wood said. “I can do everything.”

A former four-star recruit from Tallahassee Godby High, Wood is thankful for the support system he had during his down time. Most notably, defensive tackles coach Odell Haggins.

“Honestly, there were just days I didn’t want to do it. I was injured, so I still had to attend practice, I still had to attend meetings. Stuff like that,” said Wood, who added that watching his team struggle in the opener against Virginia Tech was the low-point of his time away. “But being that I was hurt, I didn’t want to be around it. Mentally I wasn’t in the state, but [Haggins] kept pushing me, and pushing me and pushing me, and telling me ‘hey, if you let yourself spiral down, it’s going to be even harder to pick it back up.’ So I had to think of that daily, pick myself up.”

The rising junior’s hand is better now, and he’s feeling more comfortable within himself. That’s good news within the context of FSU’s football team, because Wood has needed to step up with leader and star defensive tackle Marvin Wilson (knee) sidelined.

In that sense, the growth is noticeable as Wood has made it a point to pull younger players aside during drills to show them how it’s done.

“We supported Ced 100 percent ever since the accident happened. Everyone has always been behind him, pushing him every day,” said redshirt freshman defensive lineman Dennis Briggs. “Now he’s actually back, it’s just great to see. Football is his passion.

“For him to continue to do that is just really wonderful to see. We see him pushing back day by day to get back to his old self. He is his old self but still try to get back.”