Xavier Thomas details tough journey with COVID-19: ‘My symptoms were really bad’
Xavier Thomas had what he admitted was a disappointing 2019 football season. He was ready to make amends.
The Clemson defensive end said during spring practice that he had his “edge back” heading into his junior year with a goal to show the college football world what he could do.
A COVID-19 diagnosis for Thomas in late March or early April changed all that.
The junior spoke with reporters Monday for the first time since Dabo Swinney announced in August that Thomas would miss the first part of the season as he battled back from COVID-19 and strep throat.
“I was at a really good point after spring ball, and then dealing with COVID and stuff, it just set me back a lot,” Thomas said. “My symptoms were really bad. A really bad fever and my body was really bad. I felt really weak and stuff like that. With the breathing and stuff, it was pretty tough to get over.”
After the COVID diagnosis, Thomas said he would go up and down stairs and his “chest would be tight.”
He continued to have trouble breathing until Week 1 or Week 2 of the college football season, he said, a period of about five months. A battle with strep throat while trying to work his way back into shape didn’t help things, Thomas said.
“Coming back in the summer I was really winded. My breathing wasn’t really good coming back, returning from COVID. It was really affecting me. Then I started to make a little bit of progress and I got strep, which put me back even more,” Thomas said. “Before fall camp I realized it would get real tight in my chest and everything would tighten down. I would really be struggling to breathe. So I really just had to talk to my coaches and things like that and tell them what I was going through. They had a protocol for me.”
Thomas has felt better and better since being cleared to return to practice in September.
He made his season debut Oct. 10 against Miami and has appeared in each of the past four games. He played three snaps against Miami, 20 vs. Georgia Tech, 25 against Syracuse and 13 last week against Boston College.
“It’s a week-to-week thing. I’m feeling a lot better each week. I’m getting better each week,” Thomas said.
Still, he believes he has a ways to go before he’s 100% again.
“I would say I’m about halfway there,” Thomas said. “I know where I can be and I know the best I can be, and I’m nowhere near that.”
Thomas has seven tackles (2.5 for loss) and a pair of sacks through four games. His two sacks in 61 snaps this season matches his two sacks in 434 snaps last year.
“I’m really feeling good now. I’m feeling better each week,” Thomas said. “I’m getting a lot of good days and lot of good weeks stacked together, and just making progress every week.”
Thomas will have to sit out the first half of Saturday’s game against Notre Dame after being ejected for targeting last week against Boston College. But after it appeared at one point as though he might miss most of the 2020 season, Thomas is excited to get on the field and contribute any way he can.
“Just got to follow (God’s) plan, and this is what my journey will be. Definitely not what I planned. It was a big year for me,” Thomas said. “I wanted to come in and have my best and big year. But follow His journey, follow His plan. And just stay the course and do anything I can.”
No. 1 Clemson (7-0) at No. 4 Notre Dame (6-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Notre Dame Stadium
TV: NBC
Line: Clemson by 6.5
This story was originally published November 2, 2020 at 2:17 PM with the headline "Xavier Thomas details tough journey with COVID-19: ‘My symptoms were really bad’."
