Steve Jones

@stevejones_cj

Running fast again and positioned to see more playing time than ever for Louisville's football team, Cornelius Sturghill said he's feeling more thankful and more spiritual this spring.

As the junior cornerback from Memphis participates in practice with no limitations, it's a far contrast from last fall, when Sturghill missed the entire season after being shot in the left foot in his hometown nearly a year ago. Coach Bobby Petrino described it as a drive-by shooting while Sturghill was walking down the street.

On Wednesday night, Sturghill spoke with reporters for the first time since the shooting, declining to discuss the details of the incident but expressing relief and gratitude to be alive and playing again.

"One thing I will say is just it made me it appreciate life more," Sturghill said. " ... It was scary, but I'm just thanking God that I'm here."

Sturghill was shot close to midnight last April 30 after he had gotten out of a car and was walking with some friends to a party near Mallory Road and Cornelia Lane in southeast Memphis, according to an incident report from the Memphis Police Department. A dark-colored car with tinted windows pulled up to them, and the suspects, whom Sturghill told police he didn't know, "said something and started shooting," according to the report. Sturghill was shot in the left foot as he ran, and the suspects drove away in an unknown direction. Sturghill then went to a nearby house, where the resident called the police.

There have been no arrests made in the case, according to Memphis police, which deemed the incident an aggravated assault in its report.

The incident halted Sturghill's progress after what had been a promising spring in 2016.

A former wide receiver, Sturghill turned heads in March 2016 when he ran a remarkable 4.20-second 40-yard dash on the track, by far the fastest time on the team. Months later, after the bullet damaged a bone, requiring surgery, he went weeks without being able to put weight on his foot, much less run on it.

But Sturghill said he never doubted that he would return to his previous form, crediting a "very strong belief system in God" for helping him stay positive.

"It feels good to be back," said Sturghill, who declared himself 100 percent recovered. "I've been out a whole year. I've never been out a whole year in my life. I'm just ready. It's great to be back, running and playing with my guys."

Based on his play in public practices and the comments from his coach and teammates, Sturghill doesn't appear to have lost a step. Petrino said Sturghill defended the deep ball well in Saturday's scrimmage, and fellow cornerback Jaire Alexander said Sturghill's recovery has been "amazing" and praised him for his ability to catch up to any wide receiver.

At last month's speed testing, Sturghill ran a 4.38-second 40 on the track, even as the coaches instructed him to hold back some for precautionary reasons. It tied for third-best on the team and was just .06 behind Alexander at No. 1.

"I felt like I was back to that (2016) speed," Sturghill said. "I was really trying to compete with Jaire, because if you don't run faster than him, he's going to talk about it. ... They told me to coast, so I ran for like 20 yards. They told me to coast the rest. I would have beat Jaire. I let him slide this time."

Sturghill said the most difficult part of last season was not the injury or the rehab necessarily but just the frustration of being relegated to the sideline while U of L emerged as a national contender. Sturghill didn't travel for road games, and early in the season, he had to watch home games from the press box. Later, he came down on the field wearing a cast and walking with crutches.

"It was very difficult because we had a really, really good season," he said. "I saw everyone out there having fun, and I just wanted to be a part of that. Being in the press box and just watching the games, it really was depressing."

But this spring, Sturghill, who appeared in only seven games in 2015 as a backup and special teams contributor, has been rotating with the first- and second-team defenses. He could end up as U of L's No. 3 overall corner behind Alexander and Trumaine Washington.

Given the events of last summer, he said it means a lot to him to return to the game he has loved since he was 4.

"It was just a sigh of relief," he said, "being out there and being able to be in my sanctuary."

Sturghill said he has found strength in his Christian faith since the shooting.

"I read the Bible more," said Sturghill, who said he reads the books of Job and Matthew the most. "At first, I kind of got away from God, but now that that happened, it's just being able to read the Bible and take my life more seriously."

Sturghill said he's waiting until he plays a game before he's ready to declare himself all the way back, and he said he can't predict what it'll feel like when he does.

Will it be an emotional day?

"Probably so," he said.