CLEMSON — Clemson football offensive lineman Walker Parks is "back in the fight."

The 6-foot-5, 310-pound guard opened his media availability Thursday with that brief statement after he practiced fully for the first time since last season. He had been a stalwart on the Tigers' offensive line, starting in every game in 2021 and 2022 and playing 2,107 snaps, but suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the second game of the 2023 season.

Parks faced doubts about returning after having his second surgery on the same within 12 months. The ankle had been bothering him since 2022, when he played through torn ligaments that required surgery in the offseason. He suffered the second injury in his senior season but was determined to get back on the field.

"There's no way that was it, like, there's no way I end like that," Parks said. "I was like, 'I'm definitely making a comeback somehow' and, fortunately, I have."

Parks said he faced two options after the 2023 injury: having a procedure that would end his playing career or a "flip-of-a-coin" surgery that could get him back on the field in 2024. He chose option No. 2, cutting his weight from 300 pounds to 260 prior to the end-of-the-year operation.

After the surgery, Parks added weight gradually to begin 2024. He would have two breakfasts, lunches and dinners combined with a protein shake and a gallon of water to gain pounds. Weightlifting that he began in the summer also helped him regain his size.

“Our training staff, they’ve done so much for me," Parks said. "They rehabilitated me through two surgeries back-to-back. I’m in there every single day, giving me treatment, helping me through whatever. So, it took a lot of people, and I’m very thankful for those people. I definitely could not have done it without them.”

A key group in Parks' support system was Clemson's current offensive line. They would visit him to bring food, hang out, give comforting words and pray. The love the unit poured into Parks motivated him more to return for his fifth season.

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"I don't know how he stayed mentally strong through it because what happened to him, you can really go sideways," guard Marcus Tate said. "He did everything he could to get back, and all of us as an O-line just wanted to make sure that we could be there the best way we could for him."

The time away from football helped give Parks a better perspective on life, too. He said he entered the 2023 season worried about things in the future, like the College Football Playoff, potentially going pro or returning another season.

After the injury, Parks went from playing with his closest friends, like center Will Putnam, running back Will Shipley, linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and defensive end Justin Mascoll, to being sidelined. He recognized football could be taken from him in an instant and began to appreciate just living in the moment.

Now, Parks is practicing with the first-team offensive line at right guard and is enjoying every rep he receives. The Tigers are ecstatic to have him back after his long journey of injuries and rehab.

"He's really good, so just keep him in your prayers," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "There is nobody more committed to football, first of all, or to Clemson or to this team than Walker Parks."

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football's Walker Parks returns after 2023 ankle injury