Thomas Davis on Panthers Pulse @ Noon

[Snake]

Just so you guys know his ACL injury last year wasn't just his old one giving out.

Someone rolled into his knee in a fashion that would have torn anyone's. It was one of those "moment after the play he stands up while a lineman falls down" kind of things. Just unfortunate.

WTF Fiz being positive today? Say it ain't so.

[carolinarolls]

I am not saying he came back too early or that since he is cleared he should be invincible.

Just saying that the staff knows more than us and they don't pay guys six and seven figure salaries based on a roll of the dice in a broom closet somewhere.

Also, common sense tells us that with each rehab, eyes on his condition become more skeptical, not optimistic.

I am not a doctor but I have blown my knee. Doctors, PT's, and trainers will tell you that you are your own best judge and a comfort level dealing from confidence with the repair is best known by the patient.

If he passes the scope, all the drills, and the swell test after each workout and still comes out all smiles then he is probably ready. Point being that the guy is not going to be able to fool the medical staff into putting him out there on a glass drummy.

[carolinarolls]

They sure showed how much they know last year letting him come back early. Yeah boy they are sure experts. How many times did he tear it while under their care. I wonder why he went outside this time to Andrews. Must be all the faith he has in them.

They are not perfect by any stretch and I'm not sure that the injuries were similar or the second pop was avoidable regardless.

If he did in fact push it and come back early and "they" assisted in the early comeback then at the very least we have to think that better judgment will be used this time around.

I don't think this is a Shark situation from Any Given Sunday where he is throwing caution to the wind and signing some waiver. I think he is ready.

Well at least I hope he is. I just don't understand why so many think he is gonna snap his knee on the first play from scrimmage this camp based on nothing more than two previous knee injuries and without any knowledge of his actual condition.

[Cat'sGrowl]

Am I the only one whose noticed this show gets shorter and shorter literally every week?

"And as always, we promise to stop talking before you stop listening.."

Yeah, actually I was still listening. Since you know, the organization hasn't given us anything to talk about in weeks (and the one thing they did give us was by mistake), it's nice to hear something Panther related. I was still listening, and then you went off the air faster than you did last week. So, like yeah.

[Ruff]

Am I the only one whose noticed this show gets shorter and shorter literally every week?

"And as always, we promise to stop talking before you stop listening.."

Yeah, actually I was still listening. Since you know, the organization hasn't given us anything to talk about in weeks (and the one thing they did give us was by mistake), it's nice to hear something Panther related. I was still listening, and then you went off the air faster than you did last week. So, like yeah.

lol. This week it was funny, because I honestly didn't know the show was going off. Mike Craft did some sort of weird semi-ending, but I thought the show might be going to some commercial break/break for ads, but nope, it never came back. I literally refreshed like three times.

[panthers55]

No offense, but how did he come back early?

was he not medically cleared to play?

You can speculate all you want to.

If he is medically cleared to return, then it was time for him to return.

No one can say with authority that a few more months of rehab would have prevented another tear.

If they cleared him to play and he hurts his knee in practice the first week then he shouldn't be cleared to play or he came back too soon. Lets be real here, if you are playing and a guy comes running over and nails you on the knee and it buckles again you can say it couldn't be prevented but when he is simply backpedaling all by himself and it goes out, he wasn't ready to play. And yes I had the surgery and you know when your knee is stable and when it is not. Davis was likely at fault as well because he might not have told them it was as unstable as it was. Still there are tests and exercises which measure strength stability and all the variables.

For what it is worth there are some athletes who play at a high level without ACLs. DeJuan Blair in basketball and Hines Ward in football come to mind.

[panthers55]

Just so you guys know his ACL injury last year wasn't just his old one giving out.

Someone rolled into his knee in a fashion that would have torn anyone's. It was one of those "moment after the play he stands up while a lineman falls down" kind of things. Just unfortunate.

The second was obviously more football related than the first where he was simply backpedaling. Still this is football and sure some guys do go down when they get rolled up but just as many don't. Truthfully most times the rehab is designed to build the knee up better than it was before from a strength point of view to compensate for the injury and possible remaining weakness. The fact it went out like it did suggests he still wasn't that stable. The fact that his new procedure went back to the patellar tendon versus the hamstring suggests they are looking for this to be more stable than in the past. Reports from Davis suggest this time his knee feels very different from the past.

[panthersfan085]

No offense, but how did he come back early?

was he not medically cleared to play?

You can speculate all you want to.

If he is medically cleared to return, then it was time for him to return.

No one can say with authority that a few more months of rehab would have prevented another tear.

He came back under a year after 1st tear and tore it in training camp, this last time he had little over year with no off-season due to lockout tore it in week 2. 3rd injury to same knee it may be wise to sit out all 2012 to give it more time and see what happens the following season. Even tho he was cleared to play does not mean he was healthy enough, it pretty evident he wont. I wish TD the best but think he is done. Hope he proves me wrong i enjoyed watchin him.

[I am Hubby]

From everything I have read, or heard, TD is in a much better frame of mind this time around. He is working side by side with Beason. They are pushing each other to be back. They both feel responsible for how the D performed last year. They are both on a mission to turn things around. I ain't gonna argue against that.

I see no reason that they both cannot play well this year? I feel that being allowed to push each other is a great sign. No discomfort from either is the key. They feel good, their rehab is going well, and their competitive drive is second to none. Why not?

Until proven otherwise, I will continue to believe they are both coming back.

I believe that Otah is on his last chance. It is a contract year, so I believe he plays well.

I believe that Gettis was so jealous of last year that he worked himself into a beast.

I believe that if we get a solid CB in the draft, there will be great rejoicing.

I believe I am done. And GOOOOOO CATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

[panthers55]

They are not perfect by any stretch and I'm not sure that the injuries were similar or the second pop was avoidable regardless.

If he did in fact push it and come back early and "they" assisted in the early comeback then at the very least we have to think that better judgment will be used this time around.

I don't think this is a Shark situation from Any Given Sunday where he is throwing caution to the wind and signing some waiver. I think he is ready.

Well at least I hope he is. I just don't understand why so many think he is gonna snap his knee on the first play from scrimmage this camp based on nothing more than two previous knee injuries and without any knowledge of his actual condition.

I was talking with my daughter who is an athletic trainer and is finishing up her PhD in physical therapy. She has seen a bunch of these done and said that three surgeries is it. If he goes down again he is likely done. Most people don't come back because each surgery impacts the knee bone structure. It isn't the replacement tendon but the points to which it is attached. You can't keep doing it over and over again. The chances he comes back at 100% are not great. His best chance is really building up the musculature to help compensate for any structuural weakness and reduce the chance of further injury.

[L-TownCat]

His hamstring wont be, but he will.

Hamstring?

[carolinarolls]

I was talking with my daughter who is an athletic trainer and is finishing up her PhD in physical therapy. She has seen a bunch of these done and said that three surgeries is it. If he goes down again he is likely done. Most people don't come back because each surgery impacts the knee bone structure. It isn't the replacement tendon but the points to which it is attached. You can't keep doing it over and over again. The chances he comes back at 100% are not great. His best chance is really building up the musculature to help compensate for any structuural weakness and reduce the chance of further injury.

That is about as good a third party opinion as we can expect in my opinion. I have yet to hear a better one that is more qualified.

I trust that at this point in time with everything as it is with his history as well as his contract, age, etc. that more eyes than ever are on that knee, his rehab, and his level of confidence. That said, DWill could whip out of an alley on his scooter on move in day in Spartanburg causing TD to jump back and end his career with a 4th tear.

We don't know. My thinking is that we can't base his future success simply on how many tears he has had. Hopefully he has an injury free couple of years to contribute on the horizon. My confidence lies in the obviously skeptical yet well trained eyes on him mainly. Additional but less important factors this go round are the time off/determination(last chance)/rehab-partner this time. Plus he sounds confident and positive in everything I have seen or read. Here's to hoping.

But yeah, I'm all for a contract restructure which I believe is practically a given anyway.