by Neal Coolong on May 7, 2012 12:00 PM EDT
Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall bounced to the outside, one of those unpredictable moves a running back must make routinely, trusting his legs to handle the stress of constant change of direction with ease.
Unfortunately for Mendenhall, it was one time his prize-back legs didn't follow the plan.
He crumpled to the ground along the right sideline, clutching his right knee. Without any contact initiating the fall, the immediate reaction was one of dread - it had to be his anterior cruciate ligament.
Fears were confirmed the following day; the Steelers leading rusher had indeed torn his ACL, and with the playoffs scheduled to begin in Denver the following week, the worry wasn't whether Mendenhall would miss that game against the Broncos - indeed he would - but rather, he may miss the next game against the Broncos.
Week 1 of the 2012 season.
On the other side of the ball, Steelers veteran NT Casey Hampton had the same issue as Mendenhall one week later. Hampton has experience with torn ACLs, having missed the 2004 season with the same injury. Working against him is the fact he's 34 years old, and outweighs Mendenhall by a generously listed 120 pounds.
Jason Spray, the associate strength coach at Middle Tennessee State University, has seen his share of ACL injuries. As a fullback at MTSU, he had reconstructive knee surgery, but recovered well enough to continue playing, and eventually, be named as a captain for the Blue Raiders' Sun Belt Conference championship team.
Spray, speaking generally in regard to Mendenhall, noted the rehabilitation process for a torn ACL is more mental than anything.
"If it's a clean tear, as in its just the ACL and not the lateral meniscus (the shock absorber of the knee), the rehab process is pretty clear," he said. "It's a grind, but once the tear has healed, it becomes much more mental. It's a grind, you have to work very hard to get the strength of those muscles back."
In Mendenhall's case, all accounts suggest it was a clean tear, and he's likely well absorbed into the grind part of the process, as Spray described.
Part of "grind" means "a large amount of time." So much so, Spray (not speaking on behalf of Mendenhall, but rather to the general nature of the injury) says Mendenhall's recovery will come, but it may not be until the season is underway.
Hampton, who's almost the polar opposite of Mendenhall in terms of size and conditioning, may be a different story.
"I'm not saying (Hampton) isn't a hard worker, but as we age, we gain mass," Spray said. "If he hasn't been active, or if he's gained that mass, it could be an issue."
Hampton's had weight and conditioning concerns in the past, in the eyes of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. In 2008, Hampton failed the conditioning test given to each player at the start of camp, and was placed on the physically unable to perform list.
The Steelers agreed to guarantee the balance of Hampton's contract for the 2012 season, as Hampton agreed to reduce that salary to $2.8 million (from $4.89 million). Essentially, both sides agreed this is likely his last year in Pittsburgh. With the emergence of NT Steve McLendon, and the 4th round selection of rookie NT Alameda Ta'amu, the Steelers have at least some insurance against the possibility Hampton may not be ready to go in Week 1. Maybe longer. Considering his age and years of battling in the trenches, it may just be that Hampton - highly likely to begin training camp on the PUP list - works his way back by the season's quarter pole.
(read more)http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2012/5/7/3004293/rashard-mendenhall-casey-hampton-acl-tear-status-training-camp-terrell-suggs-achilles
_________________
F@(k Wallace.. Throw it to Miller
