When an injured player on another team misses a day of training camp he usually doesn't do much. Maybe take in practice, watch film, get treatment in the trainer's room.
When an injured player like DeSean Jackson misses time at Eagles training camp he flips truck tires.
Thick, heavy, truck tires.
Under a baking hot sun while racing other injured players.
Welcome to Camp Reid, rookie.
“It's almost harder than practice,”
Jackson said with the laugh yesterday.
The Eagles wide receiver/return specialist was back in action yesterday at Lehigh University and to say he looked grateful to be on the field again would be an understatement.
Head coach Andy Reid didn't seem very pleased two days ago when Jackson not only missed an afternoon practice Monday but the entire day Tuesday with another hamstring injury. Jackson also missed time due to the same injury during spring organized team activities, or OTAs.
Reid said Tuesday that rookies like Jackson have to push themselves to play through injuries.
Reid had Jackson and other nicked-up Eagles go through a brutal rehab program Tuesday that included racing each other while flipping over huge tires on a side field.
The Eagles training staff said the rehab is good conditioning for the players' legs. Still, it's grueling work that makes practice seem like a party.
“Like I said the biggest thing for me is that's it's hard not to be on the field and practicing,”
Jackson said. “It just feels good to go out there and push myself. The hammy is feeling good. I just want to stay healthy and get through everything.”
For Jackson, staying healthy and getting in as many practices as possible is vital. The Eagles' West Coast offense is notoriously hard to learn. That's why first-year players usually struggle.
Jackson has certainly missed his fair share of time. But when he's been on the field, he's shown flashes of being exactly the player the Eagles need him to be.
“He's done a good job up to date but there's a long way to go,”
Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. “There's a lot of hard work for him. However, he does play the game in a natural manner, he's got good gut instincts. He's very smart so he learns very quickly. Those things aid him.”
Jackson, who never had a problem with hamstring injures in college, is barely 5-foot-10 and 169 pounds and was a prolific punt returner at the University of California. In 36 career games at Cal, Jackson gained 633 yards with six touchdowns on 38 punt returns.
The Eagles, though, didn't draft him just to be a punt returner. As a flanker at Cal, he hauled in 162 passes for 2,423 yards and 22 touchdowns.
“If he keeps progressing,”
Mornhinweg said yesterday, “then he's got a chance to be a factor with us.”
Chance?
Not exactly a ringing endorsement but it's only July. Things can change quickly.
“Missing a couple of days sets him back a little,”
wide receiver Hank Baskett said. “But he's a hard worker. He's ready to jump back in the groove of things."
“One great thing about DeSean is that he wants to learn. He asks questions, and that's a great thing about him. He asked Greg (Lewis) and I and Jason (Avant) and Kevin (Curtis) and Reggie (Brown), the older guys questions. He's not shy. He's not just going to stand in the back and let something pass him by.”
Jackson certainly looked healthy yesterday.
He was part of the play of the day during the morning practice when he ran down the sideline and past Lito Sheppard and Quintin Mikell for a 35-yard gain.
“I'm out here to make a football team and whatever I need to do to get out on the field is what I am going to do,”
Jackson said.
