Emotional Nick Gates Reflects on Journey Back from Broken Leg

It's been a long haul for Nick Gates, who never gave up on his goal to resume his NFL career following a serious broken leg.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Oct 6, 2022 10:30 AM EDT

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New York Giants

New York Giants offensive lineman Nick Gates doesn't know what "quit" means, and if you're not convinced of that, simply go back and look at his amazing NFL journey.

An undrafted free agent out of Nebraska, where he played offensive tackle, Gates signed with the Giants in May 2018, and immediately began impressing coaches with his work ethic, demeanor, and grit.

Asked to make a position switch from tackle to guard, Gates attacked the challenge with a trademark gusto that would become a staple of his on-field character. He seemed well on his way toward securing a roster spot in his rookie campaign until a season-ending injury put him on the shelf.

The following year, Gates again came in as an underdog--camp fodder in many people's eyes. But the Las Vegas native had a thing or two to say about that, as he again battled and won the coaches over with his play along the interior as a reserve guard.

In his third season, Gates again asked to play a position that he had never played before: center. Having practiced the spot the year prior and having picked the brain of then-center Spencer Pulley, whose locker was nearby, Gates wrapped his arms around the challenge and immediately quelled any concerns about being a first-timer in such a critical spot with his play and command of the line.

Having earned himself a contract extension, Gates was on top of the word--that is, until a devastating broken leg suffered in Week 2 of the 2021 season brought his football world to a screeching halt.

Through it all, Gates never abandoned hope that he'd one day be back on the field playing again. And today, seven surgeries and a lot of hardware later, Gates will get that chance after being removed from the PUP list, where he now has a 21-day window to complete his remarkable comeback story.

"I was just excited to be back out there," Gates said this week. "I just wanted to go out there and just play football again. Not have to think, not have to worry about making calls – just go out there and play football. It was fun; it was fun to be back out there with the guys. That comradery--you don’t get that when you’re just by yourself doing indy or off to the side. It was good to be back in there with the guys."

Gates, voted a team captain last year, has remained in the loop with his teammates even with the new coaching staff. He has participated in all the activities he's allowed to, has been in the locker room, and was even asked by head coach Brian Daboll to break down the post-practice huddle.

But he admits not being able to do everything, such as practice and play, has been tough.

"It gets a little lonely," Gates said. "All the guys in the locker room have my back. They tried to include me as much as they could, but it was a roller coaster of emotions, I’m not going to lie."

There were also setbacks along the way, such as when an infection popped up that required a seventh surgery about six months ago, thus pushing Gates' return target date back.

"At one point after I had my last surgery, which was No. 7, they had to take the rod out because I had an infection in my bone and put another rod in," he said. "I thought I wasn’t going to be able to play this year, at least not until midway, so at least open my date up to that mid-Week 9."

As determined as Gates was to return to the field, he admitted there were times when he had questions about whether the journey was worth it.

"I feel like any injury you have, those thoughts are natural. I talked to (Director of Wellness and Clinical Services, Player Engagement) Dr. Lani (Lawrence), our sports psychologist, a little bit, and she was like, ‘Yeah, that’s normal. That’s part of an injury and part of the process of healing and moving forward,’" he said.

So what kept him going?

"I just wanted to play football again to be honest with you," he said. "Just being out there is fun. I don’t know how else to explain it, but I was watching the last game up in the box the last couple of weeks we were playing and I’m like, ‘I just want to be back out there again with the guys and just have fun.’ What other job lets you hit people and basically do whatever you want?"

In his first practice, Gates said he got about four plays in the team part of practice, about half the reps.

"It was huge to get that damn red jersey off," he added. "That thing--I felt like a quarterback."

Gates admitted he's still unsure what the future holds for him if he'll be ready in the 21-day window.

"I feel good. It’s nice to be back out there on the field. It’s nice to run around with the guys. It was a good time. It was a good feeling to be back out there. I didn’t think I was going to be back out there this fast," he said.

"I’m putting my best foot forward the next three weeks and give them any reason not to be able to cut me."

And if things don't work out this year?

"I don’t know, I don’t want to jump that far ahead," he said. "I’ve just got to take it day by day and get myself back up to where I was before I got hurt. I’m just thinking of the next day ahead."