Wyoming LB DJ May's senior season cut short by injury

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) - Playing Division-I football isn't exactly an easy undertaking for any college athlete, but D.J. May's career path has been an especially challenging one.

May came to Wyoming as a running back, played his true freshman season in 2012, missed the following season due to injury and eventually switched sides of the ball to become a linebacker.

That winding path came to an end Saturday in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The fifth-year senior injured his right pectoral muscle against the Lobos, and Monday head coach Craig Bohl announced May would not be returning this season.

"I mean, that stuff's still kind of just hitting me," said May, who had an MRI on Monday morning. "I mean, I really don't believe it yet, until I'm going to hear what the doctor says, but it's tough. Just because everything that I've been through, being here and (having to miss) these last two games, the two biggest games of my career.

"We worked hard to freaking get here, but I'm still excited. It's still a huge game, and I'm excited."

Wyoming will host San Diego State on Saturday for the conference championship game and then play in its first bowl game since 2011.

"It's rough, just knowing how much he loves this team, and how much we love him," quarterback Josh Allen said of May. "... I'd give anything to have him out there with us."

May suffered the injury on a third-quarter kickoff against New Mexico.

"I was just trying to make the tackle, trying to make an arm tackle, though," he told the Casper Star-Tribune (http://bit.ly/2g28iEx). "I reached and kind of grabbed the dude. I'm going one way, he's going the other way, and it kind of just pulled my arm. You know when you have that kind of feeling, and you just know it's not good."

Much like fellow senior Chase Appleby, whose collegiate career also came to a premature end because of an injury, May takes comfort in the success the Cowboys have had in his final year.

"I couldn't have asked for a better way to go out," May said. "I'm still trying to be positive until I figure out what's going on, but as a senior, this is how you want to go out. I know we're going to fight, we're going to battle on Saturday. Whatever happens happens. I believe in my team, that we did it once, we could do it again."

In his absence, Wyoming will rely on junior Tim Kamana and true freshman Cassh Maulia at strong-side linebacker and junior Jalen Ortiz at nickel back, which May also plays.

"It's going to be pretty tough," weak-side linebacker Logan Wilson said. "(May) is a very athletic kid, does a lot for this team in terms of special teams and defense. He can tackle well, cover well, but I've got a lot of confidence that Tim and Cassh can step in and do pretty well, too."

Kamana actually helped May make his initial transition to defense.

"He's switched from safety to Sam linebacker, too, and he played Will a little bit," May said of Kamana. "But he just had a better grasp of the defense than I did, so he definitely helped me through my journey with defense, and he's been there every step of the way, too, just right behind me. I have all the faith in the world in him, and Cassh, one of our younger guys."

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Maluia's athleticism has allowed him to forgo his redshirt season.

"He's a little bigger," May said. "Maybe pushing almost 220, and people, they sleep on his speed. He's got some speed on him too. He's athletic. He has a knack just for finding the ball. He has a nose for the ball. He doesn't always know what he's doing, but I think like me, he's just out there running, flying around, just trying to get to the ball, and you can't ask for more."

Wyoming has been without May before this season. May did not finish the end of Wyoming's game against Utah State because of a targeting ejection, and he missed the end of Wyoming's loss at UNLV because of a twisted ankle, which has kept him off kickoff return duties ever since. Cornerback Rico Gafford will continue to replace May on kickoff return duties.

May, meanwhile, will have to embrace a new role.

"I'm going to have to bring some energy somewhere, shoot," May said. "I mean, I can't just be sitting around being sad about this. Once I figure out what's going to happen, I'm going to have my little time. I know what it's like. I've been through this. This is not my first go-around, so I've got to get better every day. In some way, I've got to get better every day."

Much in the same way his team has.

"Wyoming hasn't seen a championship here, and we've got a championship here," May said. "Wyoming hasn't seen a bowl game in years, and we've got a bowl game. That just shows that we've got a team trusting in the coaches, trusting in each other, bonding, becoming a family and changing the culture around here. That's encouraging, because that's what the Wyoming Cowboys have become. And we're going to keep on going. Don't stop here.

"So I'm just one those seniors that came through and are trying to leave their mark on Wyoming, and hopefully we just leave it better than when we came in.

"And I know that we did that, so I can't ask for more."

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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, http://www.trib.com