Introduction: Prior to the rise of Sport Psychology as an applied area of psychology, it is possible that many considered athlete injury and recovery from injury to be a physical process and a physical process only. It is clear from work in health psychology and now sport psychology, however, that the risk of injury, the recovery process and return to play all have psychological components as well as physical ones. In recent years, personality constructs (such as hardiness and GRIT and mindset) have been explored as possible predictors of athlete injury and return to play. Purpose: The purpose of the current project was to link athlete return to play to more traditional views of personality - in particular Locus of Control and the Big 5 personality dimensions (Openness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, Extraversion and Agreeableness). Method: Division 1 athletes at a large public university in Texas were asked to complete a Locus of Control Scale, a Big 5 Personality measure and to answer questions about injury and return to play. Results: Results show that Locus of Control us a significant predictor of the speed with which injured athletes returned to play - those with an internal locus of control reported returning to play significantly faster following injury that their external locus of control counterparts. Additionally, Openness to Experience was related to a faster return to play following injury. Conclusions: Results such as these demonstrate the importance of considering the psychology of an athlete in designing a recovery from injury regimen. Understanding that injury has psychological, and personality components can assist both the athlete and the coaching and training staff in assisting the athlete in recovering from injury and maximizing the speed with which the athlete is both physically and psychologically ready to return to play.