Training Camp Injuries

There's never a good time for an injury in football. Injuries in training camp just seem especially harsh. You get rocked just as you're getting started. This happened Saturday night during a Minnesota Vikings scrimmage in Mankato. Rooke receiver Greg Childs tore the patella tendons in BOTH knees while going up for a reception. That's just not right. This is especially scary as Childs suffered the same injury to only his right knee during his 2010 season at Arkansas. This injury has a nearly 2-year recovery estimate. Childs had just recovered from that first injury. Both knees. Incredible. The good news is that Vikings trainer Eric Sugarman and his staff is on the job. "Sug" could be the team's most valuable person. He's shown his importance in the incredible recoveries of Chad Greenway, Heath Farwell, EJ Henderson and now Adrian Peterson from serious injuries. Greenway's injury, in particular, comes to mind. He tore his ACL on the opening kickoff of the first preseason game of his rookie year in 2006. Just when he was getting started he was set back. It's rough. It's football. The good news with Greenway is that he's been 100% ever since. No loss in speed, quickness or movement. In 2006, the recovery from an ACL tear was thought to exceed one year. Greenway made the return in closer to eight months. Peterson is shaving time off of that schedule in his return from an even more extensive knee injury. Henderson's career was thought to be in jeopardy with a gruesome broken femur. He was back for his next training camp. Advances in medicine, procedures and rehabs have made recoveries more efficient and quicker. Those advances and Eric Sugarman are a nice place to start for Greg Childs. As important is the player himself. The dedication of Greenway, Farwell, Henderson and Peterson to get better brought it all together. Childs has to want this. I can not imagine the rehabilitation of significant injuries to both knees. It seems like you'd need one healthy knee to help get the other healthy. This could be a long one. Best of luck, Greg Childs.

The Vikings and Childs aren't the only ones to be rocked by injuries in training camp. It's unfortunately unavoidable. On the same day that Childs went down, Cleveland Browns linebacker Chris Gocong was lost for the season with a torn achilles tendon. Jason Peters and Terrell Suggs didn't even make it to training camp. Both of their 2012 seasons are in question, likely unlikely. I remember a few years ago that Browns center LeCharles Bentley was lost on, what I think was, the very first snap of training camp. He never completely recovered. It sucks. Part of football is bouncing back from injuries.

The Flea Flicker is wishing fast and complete recoveries for Greg Childs, Chris Gocong, Jason Peters, Terrell Suggs and anyone else that doesn't make it out of training camp. And, of course, to the continued recovery of the incredible Adrian Peterson. Also, here's hoping that all those football players still standing remain standing.