2016 was a year to remember for the Saskatchewan Huskies’ Tyler Chow - a year he proved he can be one of the best running backs Western Canada, if not all of Canadian university football.

“When he's out there, it's electrifying," said his head coach, Scott Flory.

His electrifying stat line in eight games: 828 rushing yards, 103.5 yards per game and seven touchdowns—all tops in the Canada West, helping the Huskies to the third ranked rushing attack in the conference.

He was primed to follow that up in 2017, but before even a half of football had been played Chow suffered a lower body injury that derailed his season.

“It was unfortunate last year, he just got hit with the injury bug,” said Flory. “It was just one of those things.”

The Calgary product was only able to get into four of the Huskies’ eight games in 2017, carrying the ball just 13 times for 49 yards.

"It's extremely frustrating, especially as a vet,” said Chow. “It kind of comes down to somewhat of a cabin fever, where you're away from football for so long, and you're so anxious and nerve-wracked to get back out there. It's tough."

This offseason was full of intensive and mandatory workouts for the team, an effort to raise the level of commitment of players and the coaching staff while preparing for the physical pounding that a season of football puts on the body.

For Chow, that time was about getting his body back to full speed.

“One of the biggest things coming back from injury is the mental side of it,” said Flory. “Sometimes there’s a lack of trust with the appendage, or whatever you hurt, and as an athlete you’ve got to be able to work through that.”

“It’s just a lot of self-confidence that you have to build up again,” said Chow. “It’s embracing the grind and getting back in the gym, and doing everything you need to be doing.”

The Huskies have made it through training camp “relatively injury free” according to Flory, and move on to preparing for their season opening showdown with the Alberta Golden Bears on Friday August 31 at Griffiths stadium.

Chow says he’s 100 per cent ready to go for his final season of eligibility with the program, and his head coach echoes that sentiment.

“I'm hopeful, and I think we will see that all-Canadian form that he was two years ago."