For Matthew Bailey, Bryce Barnes, Zy Crisler, and Ezekiel Holmes, missing the entirety of spring ball adds extra motivation moving forward as the quartet goes through the rehab and recovery process in hopes of returning for fall camp.

But, wait. What is the rehab and recovery process mean? And what goes through a player's head while they watch practice from the sidelines?

Well, here's a look into the experiences of all four Illini student-athletes as they continue on the road to recovery.

Matthew Bailey

Bailey suffered a foot injury during winter training, and after getting an x-ray that same day, he learned that he would ultimately miss the entirety of spring ball. 

He says he was immediately aware of the severity of the injury, and it forced him to take on a new mindset while being forced to watch from the sidelines. Bailey took on the role akin to an assistant coach, and it helped him feel involved and helpful despite spending a large chunk of spring practices in a boot.

"I've been in the film room like crazy, watching practice, trying to help the other guys and the younger guys who haven't gotten as many reps on the field to develop a little bit more," Bailey said. "The coaches asked me to play that role and nudged me into that, because I'm not a very vocal leader. I've transitioned my mindset to putting myself in the position of a coach and saying, 'OK, they messed up this time. I'll try to correct them, so then they don't mess it up next time.'

"Seeing the progress that they're making, it gives me joy knowing that I'm able to help them progress instead of just focusing on myself and not being able to play."

While the rest of the Illini got dressed and warmed up for spring practices, Bailey worked with trainers in the weight room before joining the group for full team periods. He worked heavily with head football athletic trainer Jeremy Busch, who writes Bailey's rehab reports and serves as a contact point for any concerns or issues while inside or outside of the facilities.

Though the initial few days after surgery were especially difficult, a time during which Bailey had to rely heavily on his family and teammates to help with almost everything, he is now optimistic and feeling good as the team heads home for a few weeks before gearing up for summer conditioning and the preseason.

"As time progresses, a lot of my motivation has switched to being self-reliant. I think I'm a very self-motivated person," Bailey said. "I like doing things myself and how I want them. Once I was able to do stuff myself, then I was like, 'OK, I'm good.'"

Bryce Barnes

Heading into the 2022 season, Barnes realized he would likely need surgery to repair an issue in his shoulder, the same procedure he got for his other shoulder in 2020. He says the issue likely started in high school, and as the junior campaign progressed, he wore a shoulder brace and played through the pain.

Given his prior experience with the procedure, Barnes knew what to expect when it came to a timeline for recovery, effective exercises and stretches, and what he would need to do to return to the field.

After getting the surgery after the Illini's ReliaQuest Bowl appearance on Jan. 2, Barnes began the rehabilitation and recovery process a couple weeks later once the initial pain somewhat subsided.

His rehab folder at Smith Center still has a lot of the same information and exercises that you used back in 2020, which made it easier for Barnes to get going on his path to recovery.

"It's kind of weird and crazy to look back," Barnes said. "I can compare whether or not I'm where I need to be, or if I'm behind or ahead. I know it's going to take time. I want to be done and heal faster than what it's going to take, but I know that for me to be 100%, I have to take the time that it takes to get to where I need to be."

Barnes worked heavily with assistant athletic trainer Zac Williams, doing rehab and treatment five or six days per week during the first few months of recovery. 

While Williams provided lots of external encouragement, Barnes tries his best to be his own source of motivation, not wanting to burden others with his problems.

"I try to keep it all to myself and internal motivation because I think that's the best motivation," Barnes said. "Obviously, that outside motivation is really good, but if you want to be that guy, I feel like you have to have that internal motivation and discipline to get where you want to be. That's kind of what's driven me to where I'm at, and it's going to continue to drive me to where I want to be."

After missing the entirety of spring ball, Barnes says he expects to be back for fall camp and feels even more motivated heading into his fifth season with the Orange and Blue.

"It's a little demoralizing to be out, just because you know how much work you've put in to get where you are," Barnes said. "It's like a love-hate relationship with it. You hate that you're missing all this time. You hate seeing everybody else compete because you have that drive to want to compete as well. 

"You also have to understand that you're doing what's best for your body and honestly doing what's best for the team because if you really want to help the team in any way possible, you'll make sure you're healthy before you get back out there on the field."

Zy Crisler 

Like Barnes, Crisler went into the 2022 campaign knowing he would eventually need to undergo shoulder surgery. Knowing the procedure would force him to miss the entirety of the year if he chose to get it done before the season, Crisler opted to play through it, ultimately starting all 13 games for an Illini offensive line unit that finished as a Joe Moore Award semifinalist.

"Before it started bugging me, they asked me, 'Do I want to play with it or get going with the surgery and get ready for next season?'" Crisler said. "Knowing me, I don't care. I want to go and play. If you're a dawg like me, you can do it."

He got the surgery done in January and has been on the road to recovery ever since, rebuilding the strength he needs to get back to his regular playing ability. Crisler estimates he spent about two hours each day doing rehab work during the first few months of his recovery process, taking advantage of the weight room and pools during that time.

Missing the entirety of spring ball was difficult to process at first, but Crisler knew the importance of being patient to avoid any chance of further or future injury.

"I wanted to be out there, but it's just a process," Crisler said. "I know that to get back, I gotta get back healthy, so I just don't want to risk anything to get hurt again."

Crisler says he got treatment and did work in the weight room before joining the rest of the team and watching the rest of spring practices. He feels good about where he is on the road to recovery, and the process has given him extra drive heading into the 2023 season as he looks to play a big role once again.

"I have a lot of motivation," Crisler said, "and they push me hard up here to make sure I get back to playing 100%."

Ezekiel Holmes

It all happened very quickly, but Holmes remembers everything about the injury he suffered during Illinois' game against Virginia. He remembers feeling completely fine at first, though that changed as soon as he tried standing up. 

Heading straight from the field to the training room, Holmes received treatment right away to reduce the swelling in his leg and got an MRI. When the results came in the next day, reality then sunk in: Holmes, three games into his junior season, had torn his ACL in his right knee and would miss the remainder of the year.

"I wasn't upset that it happened because stuff like this happens in football," Holmes said. "My mindset went straight to, 'OK, I'm gonna have to get surgery. I'll have to work hard to get back.'"

Holmes preferred to start his daily rehab early in the mornings, typically arriving at 5 a.m. before going to team meetings at 6 and going to his morning classes. While the rest of the squad got ready for practice and began warm-ups, Holmes finished his rehab and treatment and worked out with director of football strength and conditioning Tank Wright and other athletics trainers for about 45 minutes with other injured players before rejoining the team.

Like Bailey, Holmes took on a selfless mindset during his time on the sidelines, helping other teammates with tips and advice that they could use during games. He says it allowed him to release some frustration, as he felt like he made an impact despite not being able to suit up.

"It was frustrating for me the rest of the whole season, but then I started looking at things from a different perspective, like I can do something to actually help while I'm like this," Holmes said. "Honestly, just doing that made me feel a lot better. For one play, if I tell my teammates to do a certain pass-rushing move, and he does it and gets through cleanly and makes a sack, I feel good about that. I actually helped. Little things like that actually help me get rid of that frustration."

Unable to travel with the team to road games, Holmes watched from afar, admittedly yelling at the TV to help him feel like he was actually there. He tried to determine opposing schemes, formations, and play calls, doing his best to stay involved.

As he continues to build more strength every day and return to 100% health, he feels extra motivated to prove himself once again.

"I feel like I have a lot to show since I got hurt in the Virginia game," Holmes said. "I also really want to get back to being able to play with the guys again, contribute to the team, and play hard. That's really my main focus."