Ravens operating again J.Ok. Dobbins stated Friday that he feels “amazing” greater than a yr after struggling a critical knee damage, and indicated that his 2022 debut might come quickly.
Dobbins, the workforce’s most proficient operating again, is taken into account questionable for Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Miami Dolphins. Asked whether or not he expects to play Sunday, Dobbins crossed his arms as a smile creased his face.
“We’ll see,” stated Dobbins, who practiced totally Thursday and Friday for the primary time since returning to observe. “That’s the answer I got to give you. But I don’t know. I truly don’t know. Maybe I am, maybe not. We’ll see.”
In his first assembly with reporters since tearing the ACL, LCL and meniscus in his left knee, alongside along with his hamstring, throughout the Ravens’ 2021 preseason finale, Dobbins was upbeat and candid. He referred to as his season-ending knee damage “one of the toughest injuries I’ve had” and acknowledged the psychological toll it had taken.
“I’ve never been injured like this before,” he stated. “It’s super hard to be patient. My work ethic is the thing that makes me not patient. I always want to be out there, I always want to be working. When I’m not, I feel like I’m missing something. Being patient is part of this process. I’m getting better at it each day and learning, which is a part of this process and this long career that I hope and pray that I have.”
Dobbins, who led all NFL operating backs in yards per carry as a rookie, was cleared to observe in coaching camp in early August and has been slowly ramping up. He stated he understands the Ravens’ warning; conversations with New York Giants operating again Saquon Barkley, who tore his ACL early within the 2020 season, helped him preserve perspective.
“I’m always optimistic,” he stated. “I feel like I can go out there and play anytime. That’s how optimistic I am. Getting out there for the first time felt great. I’m always confident, too. The first day, I feel like I could have been out there a week earlier or two weeks earlier. The guys had to stop me, pull me back. That’s why the Ravens organization, they know what type of person I am. I want to go, go, go. But with this knee injury, you got to take it kind of slow sometimes. You’ve got to learn a little patience.”
Dobbins’ persistence might be rewarded Sunday. As a rookie, throughout the coronavirus-warped 2020 season, he performed in empty and limited-capacity stadiums. Returning to motion inside a packed M&T Bank Stadium, he stated Friday, can be “surreal.”
“I’m excited for that,” he stated. “A lot of doubters in my mind. A lot of people see the Michael Jordan thing, where he takes everything personal. That’s me. Not to compare myself to Michael Jordan, but I take every little thing I see, everything. The grass could move wrong and I could think it’s talking about me. I can’t wait to do that.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com