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As the Detroit Lions opened training camp on Friday, they had to be pleased with the sight of safety Louis Delmas being on the practice field. He missed their entire offseason program to rehab his knee injury, and back in June he was pretty frustrated with the lack of progress in his recovery.
On Friday, Delmas was in a much better mood. He had a noticeable brace/sleeve on his left knee, but he was quite happy to be on the practice field with his teammates.
Delmas on his way out to field - all smiles. Said he feels good right now
— Chris McCosky (@cmccosky) July 26, 2013
As he walked onto the field, Delmas struck a pose. He's dancing on the field now. Obviously in good spirits.
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) July 26, 2013
Unfortunately, Delmas didn't make it through the entire practice. Following position drills, Delmas headed to the sideline, according to Chris McCosky. Dave Birkett reports that Delmas had ice on his left knee, and Jim Schwartz had this to say after practice:
Jim Schwartz said after practice today that Lou Delmas probably won't practice tomorrow, will be back Sunday in pads. Preventative medicine
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) July 26, 2013
This is just something we're going to have to get used to. Delmas is going to have a practice schedule where days off are common, and even when he practices, it's possible he may not go through the entire session. It's obviously not a desirable situation, but if that's what it takes for him to be able to play on Sundays in the fall, so be it.