There were few, if any, bright spots for the Florida State football team this past Saturday at Clemson, S.C. And the six snaps that senior guard Cole Minshew got to play didn't make an impact on the final outcome.

But for Minshew, just stepping onto a football field in a real game after all he's been through during the past 11 months, it was a dream come true.

"Man, it felt great," Minshew said. "It wasn't but six plays, but it was almost a year since I've been out. Just getting those six plays felt amazing, man."

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Minshew, a senior from Georgia, last played in a game on Nov. 3, 2018, against N.C. State.

After starting seven games, he sustained a neck injury and would miss the rest of that season, all of 2019 spring practice and then all of preseason camp.

Instead of going into his senior season with aspirations of leading the offensive line, there were times when Minshew wondered if he would ever step on a football field again.

Which was what made those six plays on Saturday so special.

"After a year, yeah, I was kind of worried about it," he said. "But thank God, all my tests and MRIs came back and I was cleared to play. Just happy to be back."

The senior said he didn't really know a return to the game would be possible until about two weeks ago. After getting cleared on a Monday, he was back at practice the next day.

Although he has only been practicing for a couple of weeks, Minshew said he doesn't feel like it will take him long to get back into game shape.

"With my injury, I didn't really miss any conditioning," he said. "While they were practicing, I was out here the whole time running and staying in shape. So I feel I can contribute. But it's just a matter of getting worked back in ... getting used to the flow of the game again."

Recovering from any injury can be daunting, but coming back from a neck injury is especially concerning because of the potential long-term consequences of a setback.

Minshew credited FSU's medical staff and athletic trainers with getting him through the most difficult times.

"They're amazing," he said. "Man, they did a great job. I'm telling you, man, they've been with me the whole time. Really my whole career. And I owe everything to them."

While they were mostly just happy to see him healthy again, FSU head coach Willie Taggart and offensive coordinator Kendal Briles both said they believe Minshew can provide strength to the offensive line in the second half of this season.

He has started 23 games over the past three seasons.

"His stamina is probably not where it needs to be, but we weren't on the field long enough for it to really catch up to him either," Briles said. "This will be another great week for him to work and get dialed in to what Coach Clements (offensive line coach Randy Clements) is teaching."

The Seminoles also got junior offensive tackle Jauan Williams back during the Clemson game after he missed the past month with an ankle injury. Like Minshew, Williams didn't play many snaps on Saturday. But he is another veteran lineman with plenty of starting experience.

"I think it's going to be huge," Taggart said. "It's good to have some guys back with some experience. ... They can be huge for us as we go back on the second half of the season, especially from a depth standpoint."

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