CHAMPAIGN — Aidan Lowry has struggled with multiple injuries since a hamstring problem forced him to retire from IHSA track meetings as a junior.
Wearing a knee-high helmet during the first week of his upcoming football season at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley basically turned his senior year into a wash.
Lowry began his Illinois football career with enrollment in early January 2022 but did not finish spring training due to another injury.
Laffery suffered nagging injuries in his first season with the Illini.
A minor issue at training camp last August saw him sidelined for the start of the 2022 season, and he retired later in the year after partially tearing a muscle in his left arm.
However, Laughery is heading into his second round of spring training in Illinois in a healthy place. A major trade at stake in the quarterback room is him having to replace a 1,600-yard rusher in Chase Brown.
"Physically I feel good," said Haseri. “The body feels good and I feel strong. I look forward to training and improving every day this spring.
"It's not something you want to go through, but it definitely builds the character. I am thankful that we have good staff here to help you, be it physically or mentally. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to stay healthy and compete this spring.
Laughter ultimately only played one game last season. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound running back ended Illinois' late September win over Chattanooga with three carries for nine yards. But there was another year of experience. Laughter builds this spring.
"Going into my second Spring Ball I feel a lot more prepared," he said. “Definitely still a lot to do and improve, but definitely a little more comfortable than last year… Knowing some things again is definitely different.
“I remember being very overwhelmed last year, especially at the beginning. It is helpful to already have this knowledge. It was good. I'm still learning a lot, but it's good to have this experience under my belt."
Fagin (6-3, 240) gave Illinois a change of pace as a running back in a room full of great running backs like Josh McCray (6-1, 235), Jordan Anderson (6-4, 240) and Arthur-Lavington Grad-Atwood- hammond .
New/former Illinois Linebackers coach Thad Ward called Laughery "fast, explosive, and athletic" with "big feet."
"We have a lot of different tastes in the room," said Ward, who was returning for his second term at Illinois and working with Hussey for the first time. "There's a big buffet. I'm happy to feed these boys and let them play. ... Right now we're building up, but as we build up and put guys on the field, you gain a role in our package. That we talk to each of these guys. Come on, play your game and earn your share of offense."
This group has the highest laugh rate. She would have been a state title contender in the 100 and 200 meters if she hadn't injured herself in her junior year and had to forego her track season to register in Illinois.
"I bring something else to the table," Haseri said.
That could put Loughry in position to earn a spot in the Illinois backfield as a redshirt freshman this fall. Brown ran 328 times last season, 62% of Illinois overall, as Brett Bielema was typical of the team and McCray and Brown's knee injuries proved difficult to treat. .
For 2023 it is planned to return to the Bielema standard and use some corridors.
"They understand that they haven't played as much as Chase, who had a good run here, but they understand Coach Bielema's expectation to come back for a fourth run," Ward said. "They realize they're going to have a lot of opportunities to go out there and be successful."
The standard phrase for his position in the group helped encourage this internal competition. Laffery says the emphasis on repetition "is to get it stuck in our heads so we can recognize things faster and read things faster."
That's the truth. Whoever replaces Brown will benefit from that effort this spring and at summer and fall camp.
"I think our space is filled with a lot of competitors and guys who are getting better every day," said Laffery. “We are all very close in this room. We learn together every day and Coach Ward drives us."