A healthy Avery Helm eager to begin spring practice for TCU football
After a solid year as a starter in 2023, TCU cornerback Avery Helm was eager to take his game to the next level last season under new defensive coordinator Andy Avalos.
Helm, a Florida transfer, was among the standouts for TCU during the pre-season and he earned praise from head coach Sonny Dykes from his growth as a a player and a leader.
“Avery Helm is like a different person,” Dykes said last August. “He’s got confidence, he’s got maturity. He’s just got the stuff that the great ones have. ... You got to have a confidence and believe in yourself. Avery has learned that, so I’m anxious to see all this stuff play out.”
But before Dykes and the rest of the team could see Helm’s growth, Helm suffered a season-ending injury just days into fall camp. It took a physical and emotional toll on Helm.
“Honestly, it was devastating,” Helm said. “All the hard work I put in, all the extra hours I put in to get where I was at and to be at the peak of my performance then it all ended on one play. I feel like God put me in this position to be better, I’m just taking it day by day.”
The very next day after Helm’s injury, cornerback Vernon Glover also sustained a season-ending lower body injury. The injuries to Helm and Glover significantly impacted the depth of TCU.
But if there was a silver lining in the situation it was the fact that Helm and Glover were able to go through the rehab process together. The two were always together at practices and at games, longing to be on the field while also supporting each other.
Helm said having Glover was huge for making it through the tough times.
“It was crazy, he went down the day after me,” Helm said. “Me and VJ, we have a great bond now. Going through this everyday was ridiculous, but we learned to love the process.”
With Glover helping to keep his spirits up, Helm did his best to make the most of the time off to improve his understanding of the game and also continue to be a leader in the locker room despite not being on the field.
“It was actually amazing to sit back and watch the team from a different perspective,” Helm said. “To be able to talk to them at halftime and give my input to the guys and show them what I see. Just being able to see it from another perspective and to be apart of the team through another perspective, I kind of took a coaching role you could say.”
One person that encouraged Helm to seek a different perspective was Andy Avalos. Despite Helm being sidelined, the corner said he was still able to build a strong relationship with the defensive coordinator in his first season.
“It was amazing,” Helm said. “There was one practice we had in the stadium and he took me upstairs to the booth to let me see how he views the game and it just opened my mind up to a lot of different things. It’s really like looking at a chessboard.
“Being able to see that and to be one of the pieces again, I think it’s going to be big for me making my next jump.”
Helm has been cleared to return to the practice field and will be a no-contact participant during spring practice in March. He’ll still be able to go through individual drills and be involved in learning the new concepts Avalos is sure to add in his second season.
There’s even a new position that Helm will also try to master during the preseason.
“I’m actually going to try and learn nickel this year,” Helm said. “So I can be more involved in everything on the defense.”
With Helm being healthy now and the Horned Frogs returning key pieces like Bud Clark and Namdi Obiazor, Helm believes TCU’s defense could be in for a big year.
“We have tremendous potential,” Helm said. “I can’t wait for you to see it.”
