CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Antonio Clary said he gets the question all the time. Now in his seventh season playing college football, and with nearly as many games missed to injury as contests he’s played in, Clary has been working to get back on the field for Virginia football.

Why?

“When I’m out there playing, I feel like a little kid again,” the Virginia veteran safety said Tuesday. “I’m going to go until the wheels fall off.”

Clary missed the first three games of this season as he recovers from offseason knee surgery. He played one series in Saturday’s 48-20 win over Stanford and is expected to be used more Friday night when UVA (3-1) hosts No. 8 Florida State (3-0).

It’s his second knee injury in college. His freshman year, back in 2019, saw him miss time early in the season due to a hamstring injury, then suffer a torn ACL in the fifth game of the year.

In 2023 he suffered torn ligaments in his ankle during preseason training camp. Clary tried to rehab the injury, but ultimately needed surgery. He didn’t play in a single game that season.

He worked his way back onto the field last year, only to suffer another knee injury – a partially torn ACL – against Boston College on Oct. 5, in the fifth game of the season. He pushed the timeline and returned to the field just over a month later, on Nov. 9 at Pittsburgh.

Clary played two snaps before tearing the ligament the rest of the way, ending his year.

In all, Clary has played in 40 games for the Cavaliers. He’s missed 34 due to injuries. When he’s been on the field, he’s been one of Virginia’s most productive and dependable defensive backs.

“He’s going to leave it all on the field,” defensive coordinator John Rudzinski said. “He puts his body on the barb wire every day.”

The 6-foot, 204-pound Florida native has recorded 174 career tackles and made a pair of interceptions.

“Ever since I was a little kid playing football, since I was five years old, I dreamed of playing in the NFL,” Clary said. “That’s the goal and I’m not going to stop until I achieve that. I told Coach E, last year, when I tore my ACL against Boston College and then told him, ‘Yo, if I can play through this, I’m going to play through it and then go until the wheels fall off.’ Then, obviously, the wheels fell off against Pitt. But then getting surgery and being able to come back for another year I just told myself, this is what I want to do and this is why I started playing football, to make it to the next level and live out my dream.”

There is undeniably a part of Elliott that regrets let Clary play through the partial tear last season. It’s prompted the coach to be even more cautious bringing Clary back this year – and prompted some clashing of wills between the two men.

“He’s mad at me right now because he wants to play,” Elliott said going into the Stanford game. “He’s one that he’ll lay it on the line for you. He has no regard for his body, and he’s willing to go down for the team. I want him to be able to play as much football as possible, and I think he will. That I have to be the bad guy and say, ‘Hey, no, we need to take another week,’ then I’m willing to do that, because ultimately, I want to see him play and play as much as he possibly can.”

Elliott had Clary practicing in a knee brace all preseason and through the first four weeks. This week, he’s turning Clary loose in practice, after seeing him hold up during his limited snaps against Stanford.

For his part, Clary said he understands and – deep down – appreciates Elliott’s approach and considers input from his coaches, doctors and trainers as he navigates his latest recovery.

“He just really wants the best for me,” Clary said. “Out of my competitive nature, I want to be out there as soon as I could. But Coach E, he’s the head man, so whatever he says goes. Obviously, I wanted to be out there as soon as possible, but your overall health is the most important, so I understood him when he said that.”

NOTE: Starting center Brady Wilson (calf) is listed as day-to-day. If he can’t play Friday night, Virginia could use guard Drake Metcalf in the position. Metcalf played most of the snaps against Stanford after Wilson was injured.