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Kennedy's foot has already healed--HES BACK!!!

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  • #1

    Kennedy's foot has already healed--HES BACK!!!

    By Bill Coats
    Of the Post-Dispatch
    10/01/2004

    Defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy returned from a surgeon's examination in North Carolina on Wednesday with good news: The broken bone in his right foot that was operated on in early August has healed, and he should be back earlier than the initial mid-November forecast.

    "He's been completely cleared to resume football activities," Rams coach Mike Martz said. "He's going to start running next week. He's two weeks away, probably, from having some contact, where he'll really to press and drive off that thing.

    "But it's healed very quickly, and he's much further along than you'd anticipate."

    Kennedy, the team's first-round draft choice last year, said: "Everything's good. Now it's just about get used to running and putting weight on it and fighting through the soreness."

    Martz praised Kennedy's conditioning during his layoff, in addition to his offseason work in the weight room.

    "He's really improved his strength remarkably," Martz said. "When he got injured, he was just beginning to learn how to play inside and do the things that we want him to do. So who knows what he'll do? It's up to him."
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Kennedy's foot has already healed--HES BACK!!!

    Definately some good news. Look for him to be ready after the Bye week.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Kennedy's foot has already healed--HES BACK!!!

      I think both Kennedy and Fisher will prove to be valuable reinforcements to the defense.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Kennedy's foot has already healed--HES BACK!!!

        If both Kennedy and Fischer come back playing strong; it will be like making a midseason acquisition that gears you up for a playoff run.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Kennedy's foot has already healed--HES BACK!!!

          I will certainly feel better having Kennedy and Fisher back on the field.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Kennedy's foot has already healed--HES BACK!!!

            Great news !!! Now I'll take the wait and see approach to his improvement from last years play come gameday. He can't hurt things that's for sure.

            Maineram :ramlogo:

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Kennedy's foot has already healed--HES BACK!!!

              Come'on Jimieeeeeee! Do your thing!

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Kennedy's foot has already healed--HES BACK!!!

                With their first pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams select Orien Harris, Defensive Tackle, University of Miami.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Kennedy's foot has already healed--HES BACK!!!

                  What's with you guys wanting JK back as if he is some proven player? He has been a dud since day one, and up to this point must be considered a wasted #1 pick. I say ho hum. I'd love to see him turn into a monster DT, but I ain't got me hopes up. His record, what little there is of it, is dismal. Look, if you guys are lookin to JK to save our DLine, then you should expect to hear a little man shout, "de plane, de plane..."

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Kennedy's foot has already healed--HES BACK!!!

                    We certainly need a run stuffer,proven or not! :ramlogo:

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Kennedy's foot has already healed--HES BACK!!!

                      Originally posted by coy bacon
                      What's with you guys wanting JK back as if he is some proven player?
                      It sounded like he was making real progress this offseason, and I'm anxious to see how that transfers to the field. Plus, I'd prefer having him spell Lewis or Pickett instead of Brian Howard at this point.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: Kennedy's foot has already healed--HES BACK!!!

                        Originally posted by NickSeiler
                        It sounded like he was making real progress this offseason, and I'm anxious to see how that transfers to the field. Plus, I'd prefer having him spell Lewis or Pickett instead of Brian Howard at this point.
                        That's a good point Nick, fair enough.

                        Comment

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                        • RamWraith
                          Comeback Kennedy
                          by RamWraith
                          By HAL PILGER
                          STAFF WRITER
                          Published Friday, August 05, 2005


                          ST. LOUIS - Late during his second season with the St. Louis Rams last year, defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy began making some pretty big strides.


                          That was very significant, considering for the first seven games last season - after breaking his right foot in training camp a year ago - the 2003 first-round draft selection wasn't able to make any strides at all.

                          Now the Rams are hoping the 6-foot-4, 320-pound third-year player out of Penn State picks up where he left off last season. And so far this training camp, Kennedy, 25, definitely has left coach Mike Martz with that favorable impression.

                          "He is probably the most dramatic change in any football player that I've ever been around in one year," Martz stated. "From where he was a year ago to where he is right now - he's not even the same person.

                          "I think that the strength that he's gained has been pretty dramatic in terms of allowing him to do things physically on the field. We've allowed him to be a little heavier than maybe what he was in the past - what we wanted him to be in the past - and he's started to be more comfortable with it."

                          That began to manifest itself late last season - after Kennedy had reassessed his career and recommitted himself to the weight room. After totaling just 10 tackles during his disappointing rookie season, Kennedy recorded 40 tackles in the final nine games last season and recorded his first sack in the NFC Wild Card game at Seattle.

                          "The good thing about it was, when I broke my foot, everybody was looking at me coming into the weight room saying that I was getting bigger but my weight was the same," said Kennedy, noting he is only three pounds heavier than his 317 rookie weight. "Coach Martz and those guys saw how hard I was working on getting back. And they said 'He's one of the strongest guys on the team.'

                          "They said, 'How is this guy bigger, faster and stronger?' Because my energy is up. I'm at my regular playing weight."

                          But now his weight distribution, especially in his upper body, is much better suited to the rigors of an NFL defensive lineman.

                          And Martz believes Kennedy's transformation has been psychological as well as physical, noting the two have gone hand in hand.

                          "He's having a lot of fun," Martz said. "I think the confidence that he's gained from his strength has allowed him to do some things physically that he wasn't able to do before.

                          "I think when kids come here with that No. 1 pick like that, there's so much pressure on them. And physically, he wasn't ready to play (in 2003). But there's a pride factor involved, too, so he took it upon himself to get himself physically prepared, and with that came the confidence....
                          -08-05-2005, 06:34 PM
                        • RamWraith
                          Kennedy puts best foot forward
                          by RamWraith
                          By Jim Thomas
                          Of the Post-Dispatch
                          Thursday, Nov. 11 2004

                          For Jimmy Kennedy, half a loaf is better than none. A broken foot in training
                          camp sidelined him for seven games. But after making his 2004 debut in Sunday's
                          40-22 loss to New England, he seems determined to make the most out of the
                          remainder of the season.

                          "It's always great to be back on the field," said Kennedy, the Rams'
                          first-round draft pick in 2003. "It's just tough to come out with this loss."

                          Unofficially, Kennedy was in for 25 plays at defensive tackle against the
                          Patriots, spelling starters Ryan Pickett and Damione Lewis. Kennedy dropped
                          Corey Dillon for a 1- yard loss four plays into the game, and finished with
                          three tackles.

                          Beyond the tackling stats, Kennedy got penetration on a few other plays, and he
                          displayed good hustle trying to chase down Patrick Pass from behind on a
                          19-yard run in the fourth quarter. All in all, it was a solid performance.

                          "I expected to be out there more," Kennedy said. "Ryan, D- Lew, we're all
                          first-rounders. We all want to be out there on the field. I was on the sideline
                          saying, 'Bill, let me get some action.'"

                          Bill Kollar is the team's defensive line coach.

                          "I found that when I was moving around, the foot wasn't bothering me," Kennedy
                          said. "But when I was sitting, my foot just started to relax and it was
                          starting to throb. It was hard to get the blood flowing in it again."

                          After the game, Kennedy said the foot was throbbing a little, but added, "It's
                          nothing I can't handle."

                          Coach Mike Martz liked what he saw of Kennedy against the Patriots, and what he
                          saw Wednesday and Thursday at Rams Park.

                          "This week in practice, he's been exceptional," Martz said. "It's thrilling, it
                          really is, for me to see him come from where he was last year to the point
                          where I think he is right now. I really am anxious to see him on Sunday
                          (against Seattle). ... Everything about Jimmy is moving in the right
                          direction."

                          The same couldn't be said at this time last year. At the end of last season,
                          Martz questioned Kennedy's commitment to becoming a good NFL player. He said
                          Kennedy had a lot of growing up to do.

                          For the most part, Kennedy put in the time last offseason in terms of weight
                          training and conditioning. Following the foot injury, which occurred Aug. 5 in
                          a joint practice session with the Chicago Bears, Kennedy got up close and
                          personal with strength and conditioning coach Dana LeDuc.

                          "I'd rather be on the field than in the weight room with 'Duke,' " Kennedy...
                          -11-12-2004, 05:29 AM
                        • RamDez
                          Things are taking shape for Kennedy after wasted season
                          by RamDez
                          Things are taking shape for Kennedy after wasted season
                          By Bill Coats

                          Of the Post-Dispatch
                          08/02/2004





                          MACOMB, Ill. - To some degree, Rams defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy was a victim of bad advice last year as a rookie.

                          "When I was in college, a lot of guys came back - LaVar Arrington and some other players that we had there at Penn State - and told me how easy (NFL) practices were, how I'd dominate on the pro level, and different things like that," Kennedy said.

                          So, he acknowledged, he wasn't even close to being ready for the rigors that lay ahead of him.

                          "When I came into camp last year, I felt weaker because I'd lost a lot of weight, and I didn't really know what to expect from the coaches," he said. "And I can't say my work ethic was as high as it should be. This year, I'm stronger and I know what to expect."

                          And, according to coach Mike Martz, significantly closer to living up to the hype that comes with being a first-round draft pick. "He's much-improved, absolutely, from last year; there's no question," Martz said. "You notice him. He's made some plays out here."

                          As the 12th overall selection in the 2003 draft, the 6-foot-4, 320-pound Kennedy was expected to make a big splash. Instead, he barely created a ripple. Kennedy, 24, played sparingly and in only 12 games, making 10 tackles.

                          If he had a personal highlight, it was a tipped Jeff Blake pass that linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa intercepted in a 30-24 victory at Arizona.

                          But the lows far outweighed the highs. "It was definitely frustrating going out there every game and just standing on the sideline," he said. "But it was a learning experience. I looked at it as a redshirt year."

                          In the offseason, Kennedy devoted himself to the weight room, and the effects are noticeable. "It's paid off," Martz said. "To stand out and move up now, he really needs to kind of pour on the steam. He's moving in the right direction."

                          When tackle Brian Young signed a free-agent deal with New Orleans, an opening was created on the defensive line. For now, Damione Lewis has moved into the first-team slot, but Kennedy is being counted on to at least provide effective depth.

                          "Jimmy did not have a good year last year, but he's had a pretty good offseason," defensive line coach Bill Kollar said. "He's gotten his upper body quite a bit stronger, and we're hoping that he can come on and really help us out this year."

                          Kennedy is getting plenty of reps in camp at Western Illinois University and, Martz noted, has been keeping up with his linemates. "He's up there at the same practice pace and intensity," Martz said.

                          A bout with back spasms kept Kennedy sidelined for one day, but
                          ...
                          -08-03-2004, 11:18 AM
                        • RamWraith
                          Kennedy puts best foot forward
                          by RamWraith
                          By Jim Thomas
                          Of the Post-Dispatch
                          Sunday, Aug. 07 2005

                          Nearly a year ago to the day, on Aug. 5, 2004, Rams defensive tackle Jimmy
                          Kennedy planted during a practice drill against the Chicago Bears, made a cut
                          and felt something pop.

                          Kennedy, the No. 12 overall draft pick in 2003, had fractured the fifth
                          metatarsal in his right foot. After a disappointing rookie season, it looked
                          like Year 2 was down the tubes as well and that Kennedy was on his way to being
                          a first-round bust.

                          Surprisingly, Kennedy now says that the foot injury was "good for me."

                          In fact, he added: "I think that's the best thing that ever happened to me
                          since I've been a Ram, is me breaking my foot."

                          Huh?

                          "It allowed all the attention to be on me," Kennedy said. "And I needed that.
                          In terms of rehab, it allowed the coaches to say, 'Damn, this dude really
                          works.' Because when you come out of college, you get labeled."

                          For Kennedy, that label included having weight problems, not always running to
                          the ball, and being something less than a workout warrior.

                          In Kennedy's mind, it wasn't a case of him suddenly discovering the weight
                          room. He claims his upper body strength was always there - it's just that Rams
                          coaches simply noticed it once he was sidelined.

                          "You just don't start going in the weight room and throwing up X amount of
                          weights with reps," Kennedy said. "You've got to work up to that over years.
                          You know what I'm saying?"

                          At the time of the injury, the Rams considered putting Kennedy on the injured
                          reserve list, which would have ended his season. In fact, Kennedy wanted to go
                          on injured reserve after seeing Jason Sehorn struggle to come back from a
                          similar injury.

                          "Coach (Mike) Martz said, 'No, we want you to play (in '04),'" Kennedy said.
                          "It's something I had to fight through."

                          Turns out Kennedy missed only the first seven games of 2004. Despite
                          experiencing soreness in the foot, he played well enough to start the Rams'
                          final five regular-season contests.

                          "It just really worked out good that we didn't put him on IR," defensive line
                          coach Bill Kollar said. "When he came back off of that injury is when he really
                          started to turn the corner."

                          The momentum gained by playing the second half of last season, coupled with a
                          strong offseason in the weight room, has Kennedy poised for a breakthrough
                          campaign in 2005.

                          "It's probably the most dramatic change in any football player that I've ever
                          been around in one year," Martz said. "From...
                          -08-08-2005, 05:01 AM
                        • RamDez
                          Kennedy's stock is rising after unproductive year
                          by RamDez
                          Kennedy's stock is rising after unproductive year
                          By Bill Coats

                          Of the Post-Dispatch
                          12/03/2004


                          *

                          Sure, Rams defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy acknowledged, the surgically repaired fifth metatarsal in his right foot still hurts from time to time. But he has a plan.

                          "We'll make this run to the Super Bowl," Kennedy said, "and then I'll get a chance to rest it up for a little bit."

                          Nice strategy, but perhaps a bit heady, considering that the Rams (5-6) are clinging to playoff hopes as they head into Sunday's contest against San Francisco (1-10) at the Edward Jones Dome.

                          Still, Kennedy's upbeat attitude is understandable. Finally healthy after more than three months on the sideline, and finally making an impact after a highly disappointing rookie season, Kennedy is feeling downright bubbly these days. And if he gets his first NFL start Sunday, his exuberance will go even higher.

                          "I'm not really thinking about" starting, insisted Kennedy, who spent considerable time with the first unit in practice this week. "Since I came back, we've been having a weird rotation. One day I'm with the ones, the next day I'm with the threes. ... I'm just trying to get better every day, and whatever happens, happens."

                          The Rams spent their first-round draft spot, No. 12 overall, last year for Kennedy, a 6-foot-4, 320-pounder out of Penn State. They didn't get much in return: Kennedy appeared in 13 games as a reserve, recording just 10 tackles.

                          He seemed to be making significant strides early in training camp before he was hurt. Martz praised Kennedy for using his down time to bulk up, and he's been a consistent contributor, with increasing playing time, in the past three games since his return.

                          Kennedy had a career-high five tackles, including three solo stops, Monday night in the Rams' 45-17 loss at Green Bay. Rookie Brian Howard started alongside Ryan Pickett in place of Damione Lewis, collecting three tackles, but Kennedy got plenty of work.

                          "He played very well, and he's going to play more," Martz said. "He's done everything we've asked him to do, and he's made outstanding progress."

                          Kennedy, 25, said the rehab and comeback after the injury have "been a battle, a tough battle, fighting through the soreness, scar tissue breaking up and having to go out there and still practice. But the way I feel right now is, I missed so much time that even if it's sore, I still want to be out there on the field."

                          And despite his optimism, Kennedy realizes that the Rams need all the help they can get in their quest for a postseason berth. He issued a challenge of sorts to his teammates.

                          "Right now as a team, our backs are against the wall," he said. "We're going to have to see how we're going to
                          ...
                          -12-04-2004, 01:04 AM
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