Florida State’s Chris Thompson completes comeback

Less than a year ago, Florida State running back Chris Thompson lay in a North Carolina hospital with two broken vertebrae in his back, an injury he sustained in a game against Wake Forest.

Thompson had led Florida State in rushing the previous season, but it looked like his career might be over.

Turns out, far from it.

Thompson returned to the Florida State backfield against Wake Forest on Saturday, seeing his first extended action of the season for the fifth-ranked Seminoles

And celebrating with a couple of extended touchdown runs.

Thompson finished the first half with 197 yards rushing on nine carries, including scoring runs of 74 and 80 yards, as Florida State opened a 38-0 lead.

When he ran for a team-best 845 yards in 2010, Thompson had a school-record three touchdown runs of more than 70 yards. But just a few months ago, during the summer, he had doubts about returning to play football. And he also battled his emotions in preparing to face Wake Forest.

“It’s a pretty emotional time for me,” Thompson told reporters last week in the days leading up to Saturday’s game. “It’s something I can’t just fully let go, having to go up against those guys again.”

Adding insult to serious injury, Wake Forest upset Florida State last year, 35-30, the first of three consecutive losses by the Seminoles. The others were to Clemson and then-No. 1 Oklahoma.

Florida State gets another chance at Clemson next Saturday.

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