Jerome Ward was in street clothes when he was honored on senior day two weeks ago.

The redshirt senior, who sustained a serious lower back injury through years of strenuous competition, has yet to suit up for the ISU wrestling team this season.

However, coach Kevin Jackson said Ward will be competing Sunday at the NWCA Midwest National Duals.

“Jerome’s back started feeling better, he started coming into the room and was able to make it through whole practices, live wrestling,” Jackson said. “He just started looking better physically.”

Jackson said from there he started talking to Ward about possibly coming back with nothing but enthusiastic responses to the idea.

“It’s real tough, it’s like not even being a part of the team,” Ward said of not competing. “It’s like being a spectator just watching all the guys go out and wrestle.”

Ward said he felt like his “time had passed,” lamenting the feeling of watching his team compete from the alumnus point of view.

The return of Ward, who is 60-32 all-time as a Cyclone, would be beneficial to the team as it heads into the national duals.

“That’s obviously a big asset to our team,” said 174-pounder Chris Spangler. “He’s got a lot of experience, we have a lot of young guys on the team. He can kind of help walk some of these younger guys through competing at national duals.”

Two years ago, Ward went 4-0 in the national duals — which was then held in mid-January — with a 5-3 victory against Mike Pucillo, a former national champion for Ohio State.

A return to the mat would be quite the feat for Ward, who was told by doctors he might not be able to return to wrestling with the injury he sustained.

“It’s such an injury where things could be going good and then go bad,” Ward said. “My whole expectation from rehabbing was to compete this year and it hasn’t happened yet. So I’m a little disappointed there.”

Ward said “nothing is set in stone” in terms of him returning to the mat, contrary to Jackson’s assurance at his news conference Monday.

However, Jackson said he told Ward he would not go a year without letting him compete, eliciting the determined reaction that he got.

“‘Even if your back is hurt, we’re going to throw you out there to see what you’re able to do,'” Jackson said. “He said, ‘Fine, coach, I’m ready to go.'”