Can Leshoure recover from his achilles injury?
by Strawboss on Jan 20, 2012 7:59 PM EST
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Print<!-- I did some research on how easy/hard it is to recover from a surgically repaired Achilles tendon and there isnt a lot of data to draw a conclusion one way or the other. It just isnt a very common injury like an ACL or a shoulder.</p>
Another factor that skews the data is the fact that it is the type of injury that is more common for an older athlete to have. With the older players getting the injury - they have a harder time recovering but, you dont know if their inability to return to previous levels of effectiveness are directly related to the injury or just the fact that they are in the decline of their careers anyways... With that as the backdrop - there is really no way to know whether or not he will be able to come back and be effective. Because of that lack of knowledge - it really puts Mayhew in a predicament which he alluded to in his post season press conference. He mentioned that we may have an "embarrassment of riches" at the running back position - or we might need to bring some new talent on board. So - that coupled with Javhid Best having concussion issues - do we make an investment in another running back in the draft or do we roll the dice and use our picks on defense and OL?-->
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Ask this guy
He tore his Achilles tendon in September of 2010 and is now playing at what seems to me to be exactly his same level of explosiveness. It’s definitely an injury that you can recover from these days.
by Trysdor on Jan 20, 2012 9:53 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
I'm thinking that since he tore it before the season even started
that a full recovery process can happen. If it were to have happened in the middle of the season, I’m not sure if he would be ready or they might have rushed him back. Hopefully its healed now or will be in the next couple months so he can get his strength back up in his legs. I’m hopin the guy makes it back strong though, I think he can be a good back.
I am going to answer you with just one name...
Curtis Martin.
He tore his Achilles tendon in his second year at Pitt (1992), then went on to finish his NFL career with the third best rushing yardage total in NFL history.
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by TuffLynx on Jan 20, 2012 11:11 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Good thing you didn't use...
Dan Marino…lol…. Yes he could still throw, but he couldn’t move worth jack after that.
http://twitter.com/#!/rumbulls
I would hope the medical techniques have progressed since the Marino days
Lion fan in the Great Land!
Kalin Lucas - MSU
It took him half the season but eventually he got everything back except the ability to play intelligent basketball.
they said he is on schedule
with his rehab and should participate in the off season program. it’d be nice to have one where guys could get conditioned so nothing like this happens again before the season starts.
From what I have heard from Mayhew and Schwartz they have a lot of confidence that he would be back next year.
I think there is plenty of examples of young players coming back from this injury and having successful careers. I would be more worried if he was older or had a history of knee injuries.
"I’m sorry for all the people who want us to run the ball 40 times a game, but we’re going to put the ball in No. 9’s hands and he’s going to make plays for us like he did today," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. Amen to that Jim!
Maywartz has a pretty good poker face
I don’t know if I trust their word until I see Leshoure on the field.
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by Latif Masud on Jan 21, 2012 11:27 AM EST up reply actions
Is "Maywartz" kind of like Brangelina?
or Bennifer?
or Aarob Gronkandez? (Thanks @sportsguy33)
I hope Maywartz becomes a portmanteau for many years of Superbowl victories.
I also hope against hope that we will be able to boast “LeBest” running back tandem in the league. That would be awesome.
by SuhSuhSuhdio on Jan 26, 2012 10:28 AM EST up reply actions
David Beckham is older and he seems to have healed well
I think with the attention and therapy professionals get they have a much better chance at full recovery
"My Mama once told me don't argue with fools, cause people from a distance can't tell who is who" - Jay Z
the lions will draft a rb in this draft icanot sea the lions gm tackeing a chance on not haveing his 2top rbcs ready to play at 100%next year .the lions might have won thier playoff game with some soild play out of the rbc spot last year .as you said in your post the lions gm said the he might have be set at rbc but ithink he trying not let it out if lamar miller or david wilson ourthier at the 23pick in the 1srt rd that will be thier pick unless a ot or bpa at center falls to them at 23pickin the 1srt rd .
Trent Richardson is only Rb Lions would take at 23.
Sorry, I think you are wrong. The Lions may take a RB in the late rounds but i do not see a RB being the BPA unless Richardson is there at 23. Best and Leshouse as of now will both be ready by the time camp starts. Mayhew can always resign KSmooth if need be.
You brought up a thought about age where I have not taken into concideration.
I still say no.
It will be hard to guess where he is at once he comes back sine he has never played in the NFL. I will say this, medicine has improved but not much on achilles. I remember at the early part of the season when like 14 people went down due to their achilles. It was said 70% never return and most the rest never return to their former self. Age does make a big difference and I know it is good it happened early as far as timeline for return. That being said, few people return to full form. I know, people were mentioned above but they are the exceptions not the norms. I really hope Leshoure is the exception.
Lions RB's on the roster
Here are the RB’s on the Lions roster:
1. Jahvid Best – Major injury history due to concussions. He has said he’ll be back in 2012, however you have to be concerned about his long-term health and career status.
2. Mikel Leshoure – Tore his achilles in training camp. 1/3 of all players who have a similar injury never play again. As of Dec 9th Leshoure wasn’t even cleared to run yet, and that injury happened on Aug 8th. His health is a huge wildcard in this whole "Will they draft another RB?!?" debate, and only the Lions will know how well he’s rehabbing.
3. Kevin Smith – K Smooth was a great story this year, but don’t forget that he was originally let go by the lions due to his injury history. And even with him on the roster the Lions chose to upgrade and select a RB in the draft 2 years in a row (2010 – Best, 2011 – Leshoure). He’s no lock to be on the 2012 roster.
4. Maurice Morris – He’s been a true professional and provides excellent depth, but at 32 years old he’s over-the-hill in RB years.
5. Keiland Williams – He hasn’t shown much this year, and if brought back in 2012 it would most likely be only in the short-yardage role he’s currently in.
6. Joique Bell – Maybe he sees some time as a special teamer, but he was signed to provide depth and value on special teams.
7. Stefan Logan – Used as a specialty change-of-pace RB in the past couple years, but like many of the guys at the bottom of this list, only serves as depth on the RB depth chart. Logan is on the team to return kicks. Period.
So, after breaking it down, things look pretty dicey on the RB depth chart. Mayhew has shown a BPA draft strategy since taking over as GM, and if a RB is the BPA when the Lions are on the clock, don’t doubt that Mayhew selects said RB. He’s taken a DT in the 1st Round followed by a RB in the 2nd round two years running; and he won’t be afraid to use a high draft pick on a RB again.
BUT, in this upcoming draft class I just don’t see a RB being the BPA with the 23rd selection in the 1st Round. If I had to choose a guy, maybe Doug Martin out of Boise in the 2nd or 3rd?
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it ~Aristotle
Well, technically Jahvid Best was a first rounder
but the main trading piece was the early second round pick we had.
Yes...
I should’ve clarified that. The Lions dealt their second-round choice (34th overall), flipped fourth-round picks and sent a seventh-rounder (214th overall) to the Minnesota Vikings for the 30th overall choice.
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it ~Aristotle
Isn't it unfair to bring up other examples
of athletes who recovered from Achilles injuries in other sports? Or even other positions in football?
When you are 6’0’’ 230 lbs and part of your job is to make explosive changes of direction in cleats for multiple reps, I have to think it is a taller task to return to form than in sports like basketball or even soccer.
I suspect a lot of you saw the ESPN Sports Science segment on Arian Foster, right? (Love that series BTW…now I always think two-car garage when Megatron makes a play). Here’s the part that stood out for me:
"Foster is able to change speed and direction so rapidly, thanks in part of correct ankle flexion," Brenkus said.
Foster explodes out of his cuts with 4Gs of acceleration.
I had no idea what 4Gs really amounts to, so took a look at Wikipedia. The G-force of a stationary object is 1, and high-g roller coasters apply 3.5–6.3 G. My conclusion: healthy ankles are good. Yep, that conclusion is going to get me published in some highfallutin’ science journal. Seriously though, I hope Leshoure is not rushed back into action before his ankle is really ready.
I think Tuffy’s example of Curtis Martin is a good comparison. I never knew that about him. I would love to hear about other running backs who put Achilles injuries behind them and went on to have successful careers.
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