Jimmy Graham on injury: ‘It makes me appreciate the game even more than I did’
The Seattle Seahawks’ Jimmy Graham made his return to practice for the first time on Wednesday after rupturing his patellar tendon in his right knee.
The tight end discussed his road to recovery during the press conference.
“There were some dark days,” he said. “It’s been eight months. It’s been a constant eight months. I’ve never been through something that every day you had to do something for it. Every day, you wake up, and until you go to bed, you’re doing some type of rehab. It’s been like that for me for eight months, and it’ll continue to be like that for me for the next eight months.”
Graham played 11 games with the Seahawks last year before his season came to an early end. Head coach Pete Carroll said that Graham should be ready to play in Week 1 of the coming season. At Wednesday’s practice he was able to run routes and catch passes.
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“It's something that I’m always going to have to pay attention to. It’s a part of life now. It makes me appreciate the game even more than I did. Just being out there today, I’m full of passion and full of fire. I get goosebumps just walking out of that door. So it was a great day.”
Graham, 29, was selected in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints. He spent five seasons with New Orleans before being traded to Seattle. Over the course of his career, he’s recorded 5,357 yards for 53 touchdowns.
