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By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
08/16/2004
MACOMB, Ill. - The left ankle problem cropped up in Lamar Gordon's first training camp with the Rams, in 2002. Before long, it became a recurring theme: Just when it seemed Gordon was laying the groundwork for a solid NFL career at running back, the ankle problem returned and he returned to the sideline.
It got to the point that some questioned his durability and toughness. Count coach Mike Martz in that group.
"I'm embarrassed and ashamed in my attitude towards him, because obviously he was in a great deal of pain," Martz said Monday. "When a guy is (complaining of pain), you've just got to trust what he's telling you. And this is one of the times in my career, I feel humiliated and feel stupid. I owe him an apology, because he certainly is very tough."
Trouble was, several medical examinations never showed anything that could be causing the pain that Gordon said he felt.
"We MRI-ed it. We did the X-rays. We did every diagnostic test we could," Martz said.
Yet Gordon would complain of pain, even though there often was no swelling in the ankle. Even Gordon began to doubt himself.
"We did all these tests, and they didn't find anything," Gordon said. "So I'm really thinking, 'I'm making this up myself.'"
Frustration sets in
The situation grew particularly frustrating in the current training camp.
"It really flared up as camp went on," Gordon said. "I was watching myself on film (of practice), and I was looking terrible. I was hurting so bad, I knew something was wrong. I couldn't even take it any more."
But finally, a bone scan was performed on the ankle, and it showed enough of an irregularity that surgery was necessary.
What Martz called a significant bone chip was found and removed from the ankle in surgery on Aug. 10.
To say that Gordon and the Rams were relieved to find the cause of the pain - and hopefully, eradicate it - would be big understatement.
"I'm just excited to go through the surgery process, get this healed up, and move on and play some ball," Gordon said.
Gordon returned to Macomb on Sunday, with his left leg encased in a small cast, and wielding a crutch to help him get around.
"I can pretty much walk around without it, but they're worried about my ankle swelling up, and splitting the stitches," Gordon said. "Because there's no pain when I walk."
Back by opener?
The cast comes off Friday, after which Gordon still has about 2 1/2 weeks of rehab time before he's ready to play. So is it realistic to think he could be ready for the season opener, Sept. 12 against Arizona?
"I think so," Gordon said. "I'm going to push myself, but at the same time, it's still surgery. You've got to let the body heal from it. It was nothing like reconstructive surgery or anything. So that's not the problem. Everything in there, I think, is fine. It's just actually the cut, and the muscle they had to go through (to remove the chip.) So I just have to let that get back strong."
Steven Jackson and Arlen Harris have started strong in training camp. Marshall Faulk is starting to round into form. So the sooner he's back the better for Gordon, unless he wants to get buried on the depth chart.
Facing a challenge
Gordon, who had wrist surgery early in the offseason to repair torn ligaments, took the selection of Jackson in the first round of the draft as a challenge. A big challenge.
Gordon might have missed his best opportunity to be Faulk's heir apparent.
But Martz insisted Monday that Gordon can work his way back into the picture at running back.
"Absolutely," Martz said. "He's so talented. Look back at what he's done with that bad ankle. We all got excited about him with that bad ankle. He might be pretty good without the bad ankle, don't you think?"
Gordon finished as the Rams second-leading rusher in 2002 and last season, albeit a distant second to Faulk with 298 yards last season and 228 yards in '02. But Gordon look much more polished in '03 before aggravating - surprise - the ankle Oct. 19 against Green Bay.
Up to that point, he looked quicker than ever, was much more patient in his run reads, and had improved noticeably in his blitz pickup.
Who knows what lies ahead if Gordon now is truly healthy, and has two good ankles to stand on?
"There's a moral to the story," Martz said. "You know he's got great character and he's a tough kid."
That is something Martz probably wouldn't have said even two weeks ago, at least not wholeheartedly.
"Like I said, I'm embarrassed to be honest with you," Martz said. "I'm embarrassed and ashamed about how I treated the situation."
Of the Post-Dispatch
08/16/2004
MACOMB, Ill. - The left ankle problem cropped up in Lamar Gordon's first training camp with the Rams, in 2002. Before long, it became a recurring theme: Just when it seemed Gordon was laying the groundwork for a solid NFL career at running back, the ankle problem returned and he returned to the sideline.
It got to the point that some questioned his durability and toughness. Count coach Mike Martz in that group.
"I'm embarrassed and ashamed in my attitude towards him, because obviously he was in a great deal of pain," Martz said Monday. "When a guy is (complaining of pain), you've just got to trust what he's telling you. And this is one of the times in my career, I feel humiliated and feel stupid. I owe him an apology, because he certainly is very tough."
Trouble was, several medical examinations never showed anything that could be causing the pain that Gordon said he felt.
"We MRI-ed it. We did the X-rays. We did every diagnostic test we could," Martz said.
Yet Gordon would complain of pain, even though there often was no swelling in the ankle. Even Gordon began to doubt himself.
"We did all these tests, and they didn't find anything," Gordon said. "So I'm really thinking, 'I'm making this up myself.'"
Frustration sets in
The situation grew particularly frustrating in the current training camp.
"It really flared up as camp went on," Gordon said. "I was watching myself on film (of practice), and I was looking terrible. I was hurting so bad, I knew something was wrong. I couldn't even take it any more."
But finally, a bone scan was performed on the ankle, and it showed enough of an irregularity that surgery was necessary.
What Martz called a significant bone chip was found and removed from the ankle in surgery on Aug. 10.
To say that Gordon and the Rams were relieved to find the cause of the pain - and hopefully, eradicate it - would be big understatement.
"I'm just excited to go through the surgery process, get this healed up, and move on and play some ball," Gordon said.
Gordon returned to Macomb on Sunday, with his left leg encased in a small cast, and wielding a crutch to help him get around.
"I can pretty much walk around without it, but they're worried about my ankle swelling up, and splitting the stitches," Gordon said. "Because there's no pain when I walk."
Back by opener?
The cast comes off Friday, after which Gordon still has about 2 1/2 weeks of rehab time before he's ready to play. So is it realistic to think he could be ready for the season opener, Sept. 12 against Arizona?
"I think so," Gordon said. "I'm going to push myself, but at the same time, it's still surgery. You've got to let the body heal from it. It was nothing like reconstructive surgery or anything. So that's not the problem. Everything in there, I think, is fine. It's just actually the cut, and the muscle they had to go through (to remove the chip.) So I just have to let that get back strong."
Steven Jackson and Arlen Harris have started strong in training camp. Marshall Faulk is starting to round into form. So the sooner he's back the better for Gordon, unless he wants to get buried on the depth chart.
Facing a challenge
Gordon, who had wrist surgery early in the offseason to repair torn ligaments, took the selection of Jackson in the first round of the draft as a challenge. A big challenge.
Gordon might have missed his best opportunity to be Faulk's heir apparent.
But Martz insisted Monday that Gordon can work his way back into the picture at running back.
"Absolutely," Martz said. "He's so talented. Look back at what he's done with that bad ankle. We all got excited about him with that bad ankle. He might be pretty good without the bad ankle, don't you think?"
Gordon finished as the Rams second-leading rusher in 2002 and last season, albeit a distant second to Faulk with 298 yards last season and 228 yards in '02. But Gordon look much more polished in '03 before aggravating - surprise - the ankle Oct. 19 against Green Bay.
Up to that point, he looked quicker than ever, was much more patient in his run reads, and had improved noticeably in his blitz pickup.
Who knows what lies ahead if Gordon now is truly healthy, and has two good ankles to stand on?
"There's a moral to the story," Martz said. "You know he's got great character and he's a tough kid."
That is something Martz probably wouldn't have said even two weeks ago, at least not wholeheartedly.
"Like I said, I'm embarrassed to be honest with you," Martz said. "I'm embarrassed and ashamed about how I treated the situation."
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