azdad1978
Championship!!!!
With almost a week into camp, cornerback Duane Starks and defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch are making strides to prove that they’ve both recovered from their reconstructive knee surgeries that ended their seasons almost a year ago.
Although held out of Friday’s scrimmage and Saturday’s Mock Game as a precautionary measure due to the artificial turn in NAU’s Walkup Skydome, both say they don’t worry about their knees.
Starks, who participated in team drills during the final week of organized team workouts already had confidence that his knee would react fine once the pounding of camp began.
“I don’t have any hesitancy,” said Starks. “I don’t think about my knee when I’m in there. Afterwards I’ll think about it maybe, but not during.”
Vanden Bosch’s knee hadn’t truly been tested until earlier this week, but besides some normal post-practice swelling, his knee also seems close to 100%.
“It swells so I have to keep icing it or wrapping it but that is part of the deal,” said Vanden Bosch. “My knee feels good. It seems like the more I practice the better my knee feels and that is what I needed. I needed to test it with pads on.”
Recovering from their surgeries is only half the battle for these two defensive players. It will also be a test as to whether they can stay healthy and become productive players.
Vanden Bosch, a former second-round pick in 2001 spent two of his three seasons with the team on injured reserve with knee injuries. During 2002, he also fought through an ankle sprain and a pulled muscle in his rib cage to finish the season with 66 tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. Despite his injury-plagued career, Vanden Bosch still displays the same high motor and intensity that earned him second-round consideration by the Cards.
“It is always in the back of your head that something else could happen and that the next time, you could be done,” he admitted. “I try not to think that way though. In this league, you have to live in the moment and give it all you can. If you try to preserve yourself or try to save your body to take it easy, I just don’t think that is the way football is meant to play and it is not how I like to play.”
Following four standout seasons with the Baltimore Ravens where Starks amassed 175 solo tackles, 34 assists, 20 interceptions, and 87 pass deflections, the former first round pick signed a five year multi-million dollar deal with the Cardinals in 2002.
Since signing, Starks has been hampered with injuries and has yet to show why he was such a coveted corner in free agency. In his first year with the team, Starks started only 10 games and was inactive for the rest because of groin, knee and leg injuries. He had only 60 tackles, 2 interceptions and 6 pass deflections in 2002 before spending all of 2003 on injured reserve with the torn ACL.
“Ever since I got here, nobody really believed that I can do what they say I can do because they haven’t seen it,” stated Starks. “I know I can play well. The best guys have bad years. I have been hurt since I’ve been here and that is unfortunate because it is not something that I’m not doing. I’ve been working out, running, lifting weights, doing everything a player should do, and even more. But, I know I can play well and it drives me to make me want to go out and not give up a catch and not have give anyone antyhing negative to say about me.”
While fans may still be questioning whether or not Starks warranted such a large contract, Head Coach Dennis Green and staff saw enough athletic ability and cover skills in the off-season to name Starks as the starter.
“I think Coach gave me the starting job based on what I did in the last mini camp,” said Starks. “I had played against him plenty of times in the past, but I think that he saw in the last camp that I wasn’t being slowed down by my injury and that I could get the job done. Ever since I came back, Coach Solomon is always telling me that the backs have picked up their games, so if they look at me as a silent leader like that, that’s great.”
Green commented earlier this week that both Starks and Vanden Bosch could be important elements to the Cards defense.
“They are two defensive guys that if they are healthy, they are going to play a major role for us,” he stated.
Starks may have secured his starting spot, but what Vanden Bosch’s role may be hasn’t been defined, and he isn’t certain where he fits into the scheme of things. His starting role had been reserved for him when he returned from his first season-ending knee surgery, but this time around, things are different. Green has endorsed defensive end Fred Wakefield as the starter at left end and has been exuberant in his praise of the undrafted free agent.
“Having not played all last season, I didn’t expect them to give me the starting job back and I don’t want that,” said Vanden Bosch. “I want to earn a spot whether it is a starter or a backup.”
Vanden Bosch has shared reps with Wakefield on the first-team unit, but he has not been given any indication as to any change in the depth chart.
“They haven’t said anything to me,” said Vanden Bosch. “It is early in camp and I think they are trying things out. I don’t try to read into what the coaches’ decisions are right now. I don’t know where I stand. I just have to keep working. Even if I did know, it wouldn’t change how I would practice. I have to have the same attitude whether I was first, second, or third string.”
“As a player, it is tough for it to be fun when you are not winning and I see some things with our team that we are headed in that direction,” he continued. “I don’t know what my role is going to be, but if it is a backup, I’ll do the best I can wherever they put me because I want to be part of what is happening here.”
According to Starks, the winning mindset that Vanden Bosch referred to reminds him of his time spent with the Ravens when the team won the Super Bowl.
“It reminds me of when I was in Baltimore,” shared Starks. “Guys are holding themselves accountable now instead of depending on someone else. I think we are really pushing ourselves to be better. That is the difference to what I’ve seen in the past.”
Chrissy Mauck, azcardinals.com
http://www.azcardinals.com/press/pressdetails.php?sid=2085
Although held out of Friday’s scrimmage and Saturday’s Mock Game as a precautionary measure due to the artificial turn in NAU’s Walkup Skydome, both say they don’t worry about their knees.
Starks, who participated in team drills during the final week of organized team workouts already had confidence that his knee would react fine once the pounding of camp began.
“I don’t have any hesitancy,” said Starks. “I don’t think about my knee when I’m in there. Afterwards I’ll think about it maybe, but not during.”
Vanden Bosch’s knee hadn’t truly been tested until earlier this week, but besides some normal post-practice swelling, his knee also seems close to 100%.
“It swells so I have to keep icing it or wrapping it but that is part of the deal,” said Vanden Bosch. “My knee feels good. It seems like the more I practice the better my knee feels and that is what I needed. I needed to test it with pads on.”
Recovering from their surgeries is only half the battle for these two defensive players. It will also be a test as to whether they can stay healthy and become productive players.
Vanden Bosch, a former second-round pick in 2001 spent two of his three seasons with the team on injured reserve with knee injuries. During 2002, he also fought through an ankle sprain and a pulled muscle in his rib cage to finish the season with 66 tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. Despite his injury-plagued career, Vanden Bosch still displays the same high motor and intensity that earned him second-round consideration by the Cards.
“It is always in the back of your head that something else could happen and that the next time, you could be done,” he admitted. “I try not to think that way though. In this league, you have to live in the moment and give it all you can. If you try to preserve yourself or try to save your body to take it easy, I just don’t think that is the way football is meant to play and it is not how I like to play.”
Following four standout seasons with the Baltimore Ravens where Starks amassed 175 solo tackles, 34 assists, 20 interceptions, and 87 pass deflections, the former first round pick signed a five year multi-million dollar deal with the Cardinals in 2002.
Since signing, Starks has been hampered with injuries and has yet to show why he was such a coveted corner in free agency. In his first year with the team, Starks started only 10 games and was inactive for the rest because of groin, knee and leg injuries. He had only 60 tackles, 2 interceptions and 6 pass deflections in 2002 before spending all of 2003 on injured reserve with the torn ACL.
“Ever since I got here, nobody really believed that I can do what they say I can do because they haven’t seen it,” stated Starks. “I know I can play well. The best guys have bad years. I have been hurt since I’ve been here and that is unfortunate because it is not something that I’m not doing. I’ve been working out, running, lifting weights, doing everything a player should do, and even more. But, I know I can play well and it drives me to make me want to go out and not give up a catch and not have give anyone antyhing negative to say about me.”
While fans may still be questioning whether or not Starks warranted such a large contract, Head Coach Dennis Green and staff saw enough athletic ability and cover skills in the off-season to name Starks as the starter.
“I think Coach gave me the starting job based on what I did in the last mini camp,” said Starks. “I had played against him plenty of times in the past, but I think that he saw in the last camp that I wasn’t being slowed down by my injury and that I could get the job done. Ever since I came back, Coach Solomon is always telling me that the backs have picked up their games, so if they look at me as a silent leader like that, that’s great.”
Green commented earlier this week that both Starks and Vanden Bosch could be important elements to the Cards defense.
“They are two defensive guys that if they are healthy, they are going to play a major role for us,” he stated.
Starks may have secured his starting spot, but what Vanden Bosch’s role may be hasn’t been defined, and he isn’t certain where he fits into the scheme of things. His starting role had been reserved for him when he returned from his first season-ending knee surgery, but this time around, things are different. Green has endorsed defensive end Fred Wakefield as the starter at left end and has been exuberant in his praise of the undrafted free agent.
“Having not played all last season, I didn’t expect them to give me the starting job back and I don’t want that,” said Vanden Bosch. “I want to earn a spot whether it is a starter or a backup.”
Vanden Bosch has shared reps with Wakefield on the first-team unit, but he has not been given any indication as to any change in the depth chart.
“They haven’t said anything to me,” said Vanden Bosch. “It is early in camp and I think they are trying things out. I don’t try to read into what the coaches’ decisions are right now. I don’t know where I stand. I just have to keep working. Even if I did know, it wouldn’t change how I would practice. I have to have the same attitude whether I was first, second, or third string.”
“As a player, it is tough for it to be fun when you are not winning and I see some things with our team that we are headed in that direction,” he continued. “I don’t know what my role is going to be, but if it is a backup, I’ll do the best I can wherever they put me because I want to be part of what is happening here.”
According to Starks, the winning mindset that Vanden Bosch referred to reminds him of his time spent with the Ravens when the team won the Super Bowl.
“It reminds me of when I was in Baltimore,” shared Starks. “Guys are holding themselves accountable now instead of depending on someone else. I think we are really pushing ourselves to be better. That is the difference to what I’ve seen in the past.”
Chrissy Mauck, azcardinals.com
http://www.azcardinals.com/press/pressdetails.php?sid=2085
