CHESAPEAKE, VA (WTKR)- Q'Mari Hudson was having a strong junior season at Western Branch when a torn ACL on homecoming night threatened not only the rest of his year, but his entire senior campaign.
"It was homecoming night," he recalled. "I'm playing great throughout the first quarter. I'm playing on both sides of the ball so I was on defense and I got rolled up on, but things happen and we're going to come back from it and get way better."
Now nearly nine months removed from the injury, the 6-foot-5, 340-pound senior says his recovery is on track.
"I'm almost nine months out and rehab has been going great," Hudson noted. "I'm just now running, jumping and doing everything way better than I was before so I'm really happy, excited where I am."
While Hudson has not been able to participate in preseason camp, he has remained a presence on the field — stepping into a mentorship role for younger Bruins.
"Instead of him being able to be an impact on the field, he became more of an impact in practice and on the sideline helping the younger guys get ready each week," head coach Rashad Cook said.
Hudson said he has embraced that responsibility.
"I'm trying to teach the younger guys everything I know," the senior pointed out. "I'm trying to put every single thing I know into them so they can be better and do things that I was doing on the field."
Despite the injury, Hudson's future in football remains bright. He has verbally committed to play at Tennessee, joining one of college football's premier programs in the SEC.
"I'm glad Tennessee still believed in me," the lineman said. "I'm going in January and they still believe in me fully 100 percent."
Cook said he is proud of how Hudson navigated the recruiting process.
"A lot of schools made an effort to get him," Cook recalled. "I think he and his family, along with the support of me and our staff, we guided and helped and assisted. But he ultimately had to make that final decision. I'm very proud of him."
Hudson said the journey — including the doubts he carried coming out of middle school — has shaped who he is today.
"Coming out of middle school, I was just like 'man, is football for me?,' Hudson remembered. "Then I got here with Coach Cook and he molded me into the man I am today and he got me to great places."
There is a chance Hudson returns to the field later in the 2026 season, but it's certainly not a guarantee. Whether or not he plays another down for Western Branch, Cook said the program is better for having him.
"Listen to his doctors, listen to his therapists and all the people who are helping him continue to grow and get back where he needs to be," the head coach advised. "If we get him, we're great. If not, we're great because we're happy where he's heading and what he's left for us."
Hudson summed up his experience with a simple outlook.
"A minor setback leads to a greater comeback. You always do better and get better."
Western Branch kicks off its 2026 season August 27 at Phoebus.
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