It wasn’t a hit you would typically take note of. Not a decleater or a big pop, just a bit of contact along the sideline.

Even so, it might have been the second-most significant hit of Chris Thompson’s life.

“We did a little toss play and [Karlos Williams] hit me and ran me out of bounds and, you know,” Thompson said. “That was good enough for me.”

The most significant hit in the senior tailback’s life came last October when he broke two vertebrae on a run he cut back inside against Wake Forest. It landed him in a hospital and almost ended his career.

Thompson persevered, though, and returned from the broken back.

“I smile when I think about that, I smile when I go to bed,” coach Jimbo Fisher said on media day. “One, he’s big-play potential, but two, the kid’s a winner. He’s everything you want. He’s reliable, dependable, he’s where he’s supposed to be and he makes big plays. And he affects the guys on the team. I mean, he’s just complete.”

Thompson arrived at Florida State’s camp ready to go, with one caveat. He was admittedly a bit apprehensive about being tackled for the first time since the injury. Until Thursday afternoon’s scrimmage, Thompson had drawn rave reviews for his burst and speed. He had teammates talking about a return to his old form.

But he still hadn’t been hit.

That changed quickly Thursday, and Thompson finally cleared the final psychological hurdle in his comeback.

“It went great,” Thompson said. “That’s one of the things I’ve been waiting on for the longest, was just to get that first tackle out of the way, and, you know, I felt good after I got the first couple tackles in, to be honest.”

“Honestly, I feel good now. I always feel like I can get better, but now that the first hit is out of the way, that fear is gone. It’s pretty much just playing ball now. And that’s what I love to do, so I’m a little more excited now.”

With his head clear and his first hit behind him, the 5-8, 187-pound senior has Sept. 1 circled on his calendar. That’s the date of Thompson’s first game back, the Seminoles’ season opener.

“I may be looking forward to it probably more than anybody else because I’ve been out for a while, since last October,” Thompson said. “I’m ready to play, but I’ve got to be patient, can’t be too anxious. We’ve still got a couple more weeks left to go.

“I’m ready to just put on the pads and go against somebody else, just to be in front of the fans again. I’m just ready.”