Rookie outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. did not go unnoticed at the 2015 NFL Draft, wearing his gold shoes and sporting a grin from ear to ear after his name was called by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was ready to show his new team that they chose the right guy by proving it on his first day at mini-camp. Lined up against offensive tackle Brennan Williams, Fowler was ready to maneuver around him when his left foot got tangled up with Williams. He picked up his foot and planted it awkwardly to the left. You could almost hear the tear. Down went Fowler and his promising rookie start.
A few days later, the same thing happened to rookie tight end Jeff Heuerman of the Denver Broncos.
This incidents are not uncommon in the NFL, yet they should be. Rookies going into mini-camp unconditioned are putting their careers on the line for the sake of rushing mini-camp. This is an easy fix since all it takes is for the NFL to move the NFL draft back to late March so that the rookies have time to learn the playbook and develop strength conditioning. With that said, however, it has appeared that some ACL injuries are blessings in disguise.
For starters, an ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injury is either a severe strain or tear in the ligament that connects the patella (knee cap) to the tibia. Once that goes, the leg cannot function and the pain is excruciating. This tear requires surgery and much physical therapy to get it strong and ready for action again. Many people speculate that an athlete would not be the same after an injury like that, but some football players get better from it.
In 1968, Hall-of-Fame running back Gayle Sayers of the Chicago Bears was leading the NFL in rushing when he had a season-ending knee injury. After surgery, Sayers went through a physical rehabilitation program that turned him into a running machine. In 1969, Sayers led the league with 1,032 yards, but lacked the speed he once had, averaging only 4.4 yards per carry.
Forward to 2010, when Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson led the league with 1,267 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He was the number one running back in the league at the time. On December 24, 2011, Peterson suffered a knee injury that tore his ACL and MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament). It was the first time in his career he failed to record a 1,000-yard season. When he returned in 2012, he lead the NFL in rushing with 2,097 yards and averaged 6.0 yards per carry.
Peterson’s running increased, where Sayer’s running decreased. Medicine and therapy have changed since the 1960s. The strength conditioning an athlete receives after an ACL or MCL injury is geared toward what his or her body can be pushed to do. New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski suffered an ACL and MCL injury to his right knee in 2013. In 2014, Gronkowski racked up 1,124 receiving yards, averaged 13.7 yards per catch and caught 12 touchdowns. It was the second-best season of his career.
It would be safe to say that both Fowler and Heuerman have promising outlooks for next season. With an entire year to heal and repair their knees, Fowler and Heaurman will receive the best strength conditioning their bodies will ever have for the 2016 NFL season. Is it safe to assume that ACL injuries are blessings in disguise and can possibly catapult players’ careers to new heights? We will have to wait and see.
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