"I was in a dark space": LSU LB Harold Perkins breaks silence on emotional battle following huge ACL injury

LSU linebacker Harold Perkins has opened up about his journey through his ACL injury recovery. The junior linebacker got injured early in the 2024 season during an LSU victory over the UCLA Bruins.

He made his much-anticipated return in the Tigers’ season opener against Clemson in late August. In an exclusive interview with The Advocate’s Wilson Alexander, the former five-star prospect revealed the emotional struggle behind his recovery.

According to the report, Perkins opened up about being “in a dark space.” He said:

“When I was in that phase, I just didn’t want to be bothered because, like I said, I was hearing the same stuff from everybody. It’s like, I hear what y’all saying, but I’m just not trying to hear that right now, for real.”

Harold Perkins earned his spot as LSU’s starting linebacker as a freshman in 2022. He shone on several occasions that season, including during an upset win against Alabama, where he recorded seven pressures. The performance earned him the SEC Defensive Player of the Week recognition.

He has been named a Freshman All-SEC, First-Team All-SEC, and Second-Team All-SEC in a career that has always shown promise. Prior to the 2025 season, Harold Perkins had played in 31 career games, tallying 164 total tackles, 28 tackles for a loss, and 13 sacks. In addition, he had two interceptions, seven passes defended, and seven forced fumbles.

Harold Perkins’ performance on injury return

On his return from injury against the Clemson Tigers, Perkins registered a sack and two quarterback pressures, earning commendation from LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker. Baker said of the linebacker’s performance:

“First game back, there were some really, really good things. Again, he does things that a lot of humans can’t do on this Earth. There’s a lot to get better at, and he’ll be the first one to tell you that. His effort, his intensity, the way he led on the sideline all game was special.”

Probably before anybody else, LSU coach Brian Kelly has predicted a great season for Perkins. Speaking during the offseason, Kelly said:

“I think, physically, he’s been great. Taking care of himself. Recovery day. He’s a beast. He just knows that, as I said, this is his year. All of those things have allowed him to be really, really focused and not distracted by anything.”

This may be Perkins’ final college season, as he will be eligible for the NFL Draft next year.

About the author

Kayode is a College and High School Sports writer at Sportskeeda since June 2023. Hailing from Nigeria, he has an undergraduate degree in Linguistics and African Languages, and has previously had stints as an entertainment and politics writer for around 7 months. Adept at creating content around historical perspectives, he strives to report stories based only on verified information. His mantra is - truth is always more important than sensationalism.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Kayode admires how Nick Saban developed talent at the team and delivered consistent results, and hopes that the post-Saban era is just as fruitful. He is thoroughly impressed by Johnny Manziel’s talent, and feels that Shedeur Sanders is massively underrated. Nick Saban is his all-time favorite college coach.

While Kayode believes there is little to separate college and mainstream sports, pro leagues absorbing the best athletes leads to their quality being higher. Witnessing the Colorado Buffaloes’ hot streak at start the 2023 football season was one of his all-time favorite college sports moments.

When not writing, Kayode enjoys reading and watching sports documentaries. His most recent watch was "Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In."

Know More

Edited by Kayode Akinwumi