Rodger Saffold limited in practice... but practices!

[tomahawk247]

From Rotoworld:

Rams LT Rodger Saffold (neck) was a limited participation in Wednesday's practice.
It's an extremely positive development after Saffold was briefly hospitalized following Sunday's loss, and suggests he might suit up against the Redskins. It would be far from surprising if the Rams played things safe and opted to hold Saffold out for a week, however. If Saffold suits up, he may rotate snaps with Wayne Hunter.

Source is this Tony Softli tweet:

Rams OT Rodger Saffold was back on the field today in what Coach Fisher called a Limited role

Awesome, awesome, awesome news. Hopefully he can take the field against the Skins, but even the week after would be great after a scary looking injury

[berg8309]

Awesome, awesome, awesome news. Hopefully he can take the field against the Skins, but even the week after would be great after a scary looking injury

Good news indeed. Hopefully it only looked scary because Saffold was taught well, that if you suspect a neck injury, just lay still and wait for help.

[sosa39rams]

Amazing news. Last week Saffold had a terrific game. He's been lights out this entire year (pre-season included). Hopefully he can play, and we can get the LG / C spots fixed quickly.

[Rambos]

Amazing news. Last week Saffold had a terrific game. He's been lights out this entire year (pre-season included). Hopefully he can play, and we can get the LG / C spots fixed quickly.

Not likely we will see him this week....

Saffold appeared to have trouble moving his head while meeting with media after practice. He said his mobility has improved and the pain has subsided.

Saffold didn't know when he'd be able to play again.

"I'm getting movement back more and more every day, and pain is getting less every day," Saffold said. "I've really been putting a lot of work into using all of my off time to get ready."

[RamFan_Til_I_Die]

Injury Scare Can't Slow Saffold
Nick Wagoner

It was only three days ago when Rodger Saffold’s football mortality flashed right in front of his face.

Lying on the turf at Ford Field, Saffold had just crumpled to the ground with a searing pain that began in his neck and shuddered through his arms. Surrounded by athletic trainers, coaches and other medical personnel, Saffold couldn’t help but wonder what was coming next for him.

Of course, the humble Saffold didn’t allow himself to spend too much time thinking about himself.

“I immediately started thinking about my family and then just ‘Am I going to be able to play? How long is this going to keep me out?’” Saffold said. “The biggest thing I was worried about was I couldn’t finish the game. I really wanted to finish the game and try to help my team win.”

When Saffold was taken away on a backboard to an ambulance and then on to a Detroit-area hospital, it seemed it would be a long time before Saffold would again get to start a game, let alone finish one with his teammates.

But sure enough, as the Rams strolled on to the practice field Wednesday afternoon, there was Saffold in the same practice gear as the rest of his teammates with his helmet on his head.

As the team started the individual workouts, Saffold stayed with his linemates, participating in stretching and the individual technique work. Finally, when the team went to full 11-on-11 work, Saffold throttled down and watched from the sideline.

The mere act of being on the field so soon was undoubtedly a positive step in the right direction.

“He was limited today but a good sign he was on the practice field dressed,” coach Jeff Fisher said.

While Fisher went on to say he was not surprised that Saffold was back to practice even in a limited capacity Wednesday, having Saffold back in the mix put a little extra bounce in the step of his concerned teammates.

Quarterback Sam Bradford, in particular was happy to see his blindside protector back in uniform so soon after the injury.

“It’s great to see him out there,” Bradford said. “It’s extremely scary anytime you see someone get put on a stretcher and taken away in an ambulance. You never know with a head or a neck injury how serious it could be so to see Rodger back out there today is definitely a good thing.”

To say it was a bit touch and go with Saffold’s injury on Sunday might be overstating things a bit but by his own admission, Saffold had concerns about what was going to come next, nevermind the long day that awaited him at the hospital upon arrival.

Saffold couldn’t help but laugh when he was informed that Brandon Gibsonhad caught a 23-yard touchdown pass on the play in which he was injured. Saffold said he was blocking his man behind the play and suddenly felt the stinging pain surge through his body.

When Saffold fell to the ground, he turned over face down and writhed in pain but even as that was happening, he said he was able to take some solace from the fact that he was able to move.

“I was just kind of wincing in pain and that’s when I heard (head athletic trainer) Reggie Scott and then flipped over and saw the guys and everybody there,” Saffold said. “It was definitely a good feeling but I was just glad I was able to see, nothing was really blurry and I was able to move all of my limbs.”

As the medical personnel stabilized Saffold, he was instructed not to move his head and said he had a hard time avoiding the natural instinct to nod his head or shake it one direction or the other when he was asked a question.

Meanwhile, Saffold acknowledged he was probably getting on the nerves of the medical personnel helping him out because he kept asking for updates on the game. By the time he was in the ambulance, he even asked if they would put the game on the radio.

“I was asking them what was going on with the plays,” Saffold said. “I really was. I’d say ‘OK, what’s going on now?’ They definitely wouldn’t let me (put on the radio).”

Upon his arrival at the hospital, Saffold was put through a battery of tests so long and complete that he doesn’t even remember what he had to do. All he remembers from his time at the hospital was a whole lot of lying down and a whole lot of tests.

Despite an estimated five to six hours of tests, Saffold said he didn’t mind the extra precaution.

“I don’t really know,” Saffold said. “I think they did everything, everything known to man. They definitely took care of me and I appreciate them for that too.”

After spending most of the evening laying down going through tests, Saffold was excited just to sit up when it was all done. The CAT Scans, the MRIs and whatever else he had done came back negative and he was discharged from the hospital at around 8 o’clock Sunday night.
Saffold checked into a Detroit hotel, grabbed some dinner and went to bed before returning to St. Louis on Monday morning.

When he arrived home, Saffold watched the tape of the play and saw pretty much what he expected.

“I watched it and basically it was just like how I felt,” Saffold said. “I kind of saw it happening already and when I looked at the film it kind of confirmed it for me. It’s in the past now.”

Saffold said he has felt better with each passing hour of each passing day since the injury occurred. He is taking his cues from the Rams athletic training staff and is slowly but surely gaining full range of motion back.

Likewise, the pain is beginning to subside.

“Right now, it’s just taking it day to day,” Saffold said. “I really have been putting a lot of work in to using all of my off time to get ready.”

It remains unlikely that Saffold would be able to return and start this week’s game against Washington as Wayne Hunter worked in his place during Wednesday’s practice after replacing him in Sunday’s game.

Although Saffold is eager to return to the game and help the team out, he also knows he can’t do something that might put him at risk of something worse.

“I think that’s why it’s so important to trust the trainers,” Saffold said. “Pretty much, I go on what they think I can do. They give me a goal and I go hard 100 percent and I don’t want to hesitate because that’s when other bad things happen.”

At the end of the day, though Saffold’s football career doesn’t appear to be in any jeopardy, that fleeting moment where he thought it might helped him gain a little perspective that goes well beyond the game.

“I definitely thank everybody for their prayers and thoughts during this time and I am just glad to be out here walking,” Saffold said.

[laram0]

This news make me wonder if Fisher is behind this sudden return? Meaning our boys are buying into what Fisher is selling and want to support that 100%.

[Rambos]

Meanwhile, Saffold acknowledged he was probably getting on the nerves of the medical personnel helping him out because he kept asking for updates on the game. By the time he was in the ambulance, he even asked if they would put the game on the radio.

“I was asking them what was going on with the plays,” Saffold said. “I really was. I’d say ‘OK, what’s going on now?’ They definitely wouldn’t let me (put on the radio).”

Dude is unreal, gotta love this.