Andre Wadsworth on XTRA

[football karma]

Andre sat in the studio for about an hour-- pretty interesting:

He had a total of 12 surgeries on both knees (I think almost all micro fracture) --

where Amare had a dime sized defect in one knee -- AW had quarter sized and larger defects -- started with one knee and played on it the whole season -- thinks he screwed up the other by over compensating during that time.

ended up blowing out BOTH achilles tendons during rehabs in an attempt to come back (this was after the Cards released him)

Spent about 2.5 years on crutches continously -- finally has gotten back to where he can walk around un-aided.

Expressed a bunch of dissapointment in how things turned out -- both team and his situation -- thought that after the 98 season, things were only going up.

Still lives here in the valley and is a Cards fan -- doesnt see how they wont be in the playoffs this year. Looking forward to the season.

AW certainly ranks up there as huge draft busts -- but it was more a function of a guy whose knees just couldnt last rather than bad attitude or lack of talent. Sounded like a very smart guy -- doing well in business, etc.

 

[seesred]

I still have his jersey..Could have been....You know the rest. Many ptebtially great players are lost to injuries every year in all sports. I really liked the pick and the person.

GBR
40

 

[joeshmo]

He trains prospects during the offseason for one of the many training facilties that most of the prospects use to train for the combine and pro day. I think I heard that half of all the prospects that get drafted trained in AZ. For example he was Kenechi Udezes trainer heading into the draft. He trains them for the positional drills.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Andre sat in the studio for about an hour-- pretty interesting:

He had a total of 12 surgeries on both knees (I think almost all micro fracture) --

where Amare had a dime sized defect in one knee -- AW had quarter sized and larger defects -- started with one knee and played on it the whole season -- thinks he screwed up the other by over compensating during that time.

ended up blowing out BOTH achilles tendons during rehabs in an attempt to come back (this was after the Cards released him)

Spent about 2.5 years on crutches continously -- finally has gotten back to where he can walk around un-aided.

Expressed a bunch of dissapointment in how things turned out -- both team and his situation -- thought that after the 98 season, things were only going up.

Still lives here in the valley and is a Cards fan -- doesnt see how they wont be in the playoffs this year. Looking forward to the season.

AW certainly ranks up there as huge draft busts -- but it was more a function of a guy whose knees just could last rather than bad attitude or lack of talent. Sounded like a very smart guy -- doing well in business, etc.

The guys was injured. I don't consider that being a bust.That's just bad fortune.Guys like Ryan Leaf and Akili Smith are busts.

 

[SuperSpck]

He had a total of 12 surgeries on both knees (I think almost all micro fracture) --

I'm not suprised that he spent some time on crutches because of this, but 2 and a half years?
That's more work, pain, and frustration than I'll ever know.
I have great respect for Mr. Wadsworth after learning that.

 

[ajcardfan]

I never thought the way so many fans smeared his character was fair. He was undoubtedly the nicest Cardinals player I've ever personally talked to.

 

[Stout]

Wow, that is sad. I personally am feeling much of the suffering an athlete gets from sports injuries, and I hate my body for it, but it's not near what Wads has gone through. Wow.

 

[NEZCardsfan]

I never thought the way so many fans smeared his character was fair. He was undoubtedly the nicest Cardinals player I've ever personally talked to.

I agree. Sad, but that is the relationship between fan and athlete nowadays. Run into him quite often in my neigborhood....always quiet, friendly. Told my son he liked his hat and gave him a five.

 

[Trey]

My negative (and in hindsight, uninformed) opinion of AW was also radically changed by this interview. 15 total surgeries (6 on each knee, hand, and both achilles), plus the time, sweat, pain, and money he invested, all with the hope of maybe one day playing again. He estimated that he spent over $250,000 of his own money on all of the rehab, and while is general health was the driving force, he did say that he always hoped he could get healthy enough to return.

It's a shame that his football career was cut short, but it sounds like he's still living a great life, is thankful for all that he has, and is enjoying his family while still being very successful in other business ventures.

My apologies Andre, for all the times I thought you gave rehab a half-assed effort, and then decided to take the money and run...

 

[GreenCard]

Speaking of pain-I heard Jake Plummer talk of getting in a tub of ice and water after a game.He said you not only get used to it,you look forward to it.

 

[ARZCardinals]

AW was the 2nd biggest bust behind Leaf.

Wadsworth was rated HIGHER THAN MANNING AND LEAF.

He dragged the Cards throught the mud during his first contract talks, missed most of training camp. His attitude coming here was he can walk on the field and dominate.

He got dominated.

I feel bad for how things worked out for him, but he had NO HEART in AZ.

 

[RedViper]

Wadsworth was a monumental bust. There is no way around it. The expectations and the end result have an enormous expanse between the them. That is simply a fact.

Nevertheless, I've never personally held that against the guy. I think his injuries were just hard luck. No honest person can personally hold it against him that he profited enormously from the fact he was a very high draft pick. Its not like anyone else would have given the money back. Everything was fair and square as far as I can tell. And I'm sure he gave it his best, to try to rehab and make everything work out.

Its cool that he lives here and pulls for the Cards. I remember seeing him at a Dbacks game a few years ago and thought it was cool then, he adopted the valley's teams as his own. Sounds like the kind of sportsfan this area sorely needs more of. I'm glad he's doing alright. Wish I heard the interview. He seems like a bright guy with a lot of interesting things to say.

 

[Chainthroer]

In his first year 1998, Wadsworth was decent. He had something like 5 sacks. Those were the days. Simion Rice had something like 10 sacks and I think Mark Smith was here and he had 8 or 9. Adrian Murrell ran for over a 1000 yds and Kwamie Lassiter had something like 8 interceptions. And, we had Aeneas at CB.
I didn't feel Wadsworth was a bust. It was an unfortunate injury, similar to what happened to Eric Swann.

 

[Divide Et Impera]

Yeah, but half of Kwamie's INTs came against San Diego in the last game of the season....

 

[JeffGollin]

The guys was injured. I don't consider that being a bust.
I agree, but, of course, it's all semantics.

If by bust, you mean "a pick that didn't work out" (regardless of the reason), I guess you could call the pick a bust.

But I can only recall roughly half of one season where Wads played healthy, and he played fine during that short period. The rest of the time, he was either on the sidelines or played hurt when he shouldn't have.

The only issue I have with Andre was toward the end of his brief career when he refused to have his knee treated early enough and it cost us a season. (And even then, we probably don't know the entire story behind that).

 

[Jersey Girl]

I still have his jersey..Could have been....You know the rest. Many ptebtially great players are lost to injuries every year in all sports. I really liked the pick and the person.

GBR
40

Ditto.

 

[Lars the Red]

The guys was injured. I don't consider that being a bust.That's just bad fortune.Guys like Ryan Leaf and Akili Smith are busts.

So we can't give Leaf a pass because of his obviously injured brain?

 

[BigRedArk]

Interesting report en fuego. As an out-of-towner I appreciate it.

 

[phillycard]

I'm not suprised that he spent some time on crutches because of this, but 2 and a half years?
That's more work, pain, and frustration than I'll ever know.
I have great respect for Mr. Wadsworth after learning that.

Same here SS. I had no idea. These are the things that you find out after the fact, because I sure was disparaging him when he was a Card.

 

[cards 24-7-365]

Same here SS. I had no idea. These are the things that you find out after the fact, because I sure was disparaging him when he was a Card.

I feel the same way. Just the fact that he was trying to come back after 12 knee surgeries when he blew out his achilles when he was already financially set for life speaks volumes to his passion for the game.

The truth is that we never know the truth until well after the fact. I have always felt the AW was unfairly criticized by media and fans when he was injured. I guess it goes to show that as fans we don't know jack about medicine, and that even though a surgery is labeled as arthorscopic it does not mean it is a minor surgery.

 

[Big Deal]

Wadsworth is a great person, I have run into him before he was injured and after. He is a gracious and polite and doesn't have the attitude that most pro athletes have. Even though it is very dissapointing what happened, I would never believe that guy didn't give 100% to get back on the field and earn that contract.

 

[Big Deal]

Also, calling him a bust is B.S.

 

[football karma]

Also, calling him a bust is B.S.

As stated before -- there are different definitions for "bust" but I get your point --

maybe a better way to describe it was the the pick was a bust, but the person wasnt

 

[golfcardfan]

Seems like a great passionate guy wish him all the best! Too bad he did not pan out for the cards but he was NOT a bust!

 

[brettman82]

I played high school ball against AW for two years down here in S. Florida. The dude was a man amongst boys. He played both ways and dominated every facet of the game. He was truly a class act. Never once did he talk trash even when his team smoked us during my sophomore year (his junior year). We did beat his team the following year though.