Anmelden » Andrew Luck felt like a different guy as he strolled down

WESTFIELD David Long Jersey , Ind. (AP) — the tree-lined path to the Colts practice field Thursday.The recently married quarterback and now expectant father made the short trek, confident in his surgically repaired right shoulder and football future.And despite being limited to individual drills by a strained left calf as training camp opened, even the Indianapolis Colts quarterback took a few moments to reflect on how much has changed since he first appeared at Grand Park Sports Campus last July.“I remember walking through that sort of tunnel in the trees. Today I was sitting there thinking about it and how scared I was to go practice and how nervous I was,” Luck said.“I had no idea what the heck was going to happen on this practice field. I remember it being a very powerful feeling and then feeling so happy and almost relieved like I’d survived. Survived practice. My arm is still attached to my shoulder. That’s certainly a much different feeling this year.”Those initial fears gradually dissipated with a steady progression of successful steps — proving to himself the throwing arm could withstand the NFL rigors, leading the Colts back from a 1-5 start to end a three-year playoff drought and eventually winning the league’s Comeback Player of the Year award.Now Luck begins this season with another light workload.In 2016, team officials rested Luck as part of an effort to protect the sore shoulder he initially injured in September 2015. After opting for surgery on the still-ailing shoulder in January 2017, Luck missed all of training camp — and the entire season. Last year, Luck slowly returned with coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard closely monitoring Luck’s passing totals at camp to assure he’d be healthy for the season opener.It worked.This time, it’s different.Instead of talking about his arm, Luck has spent much of the offseason answering questions about the leg injury that kept him out of all of the team’s offseason workouts this spring, prevented him from working out with his teammates on the West Coast between June and July and now has limited his work early in camp.Luck threw Thursday in individual drills and is expected to return to seven-on-seven work Friday. Reich said Luck’s injury would be evaluated each day and hopes his starting quarterback is back in full action by early next week.But with their preseason opener two weeks away and their regular-season opener more than six weeks away, nobody at Colts camp is panicked. Instead http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/bobby-evans-jersey , they’re playing it safe.“When you don’t go the whole spring, I just think it’s the smart thing to do,” Reich said. “We’ve got plenty of time. He’s working hard, he’s dialed in and he’ll get plenty of reps out here.”Besides, the Colts have a pretty good idea of how Luck will play once he is healthy.In his first season under Reich, Luck set career highs in attempts (630), completions (430), completion rate (67.3 percent) and quarterback rating (98.7) while being sacked a career-low 18 times. He flirted with career highs in yards passing (4,593) and touchdown passes (39) and finished with the second-lowest interception rate (2.34 percent) of his career.He played in all 16 games for the first time since 2014 when he led the Colts to the AFC championship game, engineered a six-win improvement over 2017 and made his fourth Pro Bowl appearance.The Colts encouraged Luck to take some well-deserved time off following their divisional-round loss to Kansas City, but sometime before the start of OTAs, Luck injured his lower left leg.So he spent the spring studying playbooks Greg Gaines Jersey , watching game tape and demonstrating his mastery of Reich’s offense by explaining what he liked and didn’t like last season, discussing adjustments and what could be changed in 2019.“He had input last year, but it’s not even close to the same level. We were installing it and it was more listening with a few comments here and there,” Reich said.“I think it has taken the meetings to a higher level and even when it’s the quarterback meetings with (offensive coordinator) Nick (Sirianni), (quarterbacks coach) Marcus (Brady) and myself, but even in the offensive meetings. The voice he has in there making sure he is talking to receivers, tight ends, backs. He has had a real strong presence this offseason.”And it should give the Colts a leg up on their competition when Luck returns.“You can go to bed saying, ‘I wish I didn’t pull my calf. I wish I didn’t feel like this,” Luck said. “I know anybody coming back from any type of injury, it’s the same thing. You’ve got to keep working and getting better and trust that.” ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Cornerback Kevin Johnson required little introduction upon signing with the Buffalo Bills this spring while attempting to put behind his injury-troubled past with Houston Texans.Johnson was already familiar with Bills defensive backs coach John Butler Christian Wilkins Jersey , who held the same role during Johnson’s first three seasons in Houston. And then there was the surprising warm welcome the 2015 first-round draft pick received from Bills starter Tre’Davious White.“I was like, ‘Man, I’m happy you’re here because you remind me so much of myself,'” White said, recalling the first conversation he had shortly after Johnson signed a one-year deal with Buffalo in March. “I was like, ‘That’s what I need. I need somebody that’s going to push me in practice.'”Though the two never played together or knew each other for that matter, White became a big fan after Johnson was selected by Houston with the 16th pick out of Wake Forest. White, then entering his junior season at LSU, was such a student of football he would study each of the top cornerback selections to see how he compared and what he needed to work on to improve his own game.What stood out about Johnson was his remarkable footwork.“His footwork is crazy. He has elite quickness, elite change of the direction,” White said. “It’s just unfortunate the injury stuff that he can’t control has shorted him up to this point and time. But when he’s on the field and he’s healthy, he’s a great http://www.miamidolphinsteamonline.com/michael-deiter-jersey , great corner. He’s going to be good for us.”The sentiment is shared by Johnson, who is competing for the starting job opposite White, and attempting to kick-start a career after a series of injuries limited him to playing a combined 19 games in his past three seasons following a promising rookie year.“It’s frustrating, but through all that I feel like I’m battle tested because of it,” Johnson said, referring to his past.“I don’t necessarily say I feel I have to prove anything. But for me, I want to finish what I started,” he added. “And that’s just something that motivates me.”Johnson’s versatility stood out during his first season with Houston, for whom he had 11 starts in 17 games — including one in the playoffs — while splitting time at all four secondary positions.The troubles began when he missed the final 10 games of the 2016 season after breaking his foot in a 26-23 overtime win against Indianapolis. Johnson was credited with 10 tackles and a pass defended in that game while missing just one snapplaying through the injury — while knowing it would likely be his final game of the season.The following year, Johnson missed four games with a sprained knee. And then came last year, with his season ending during the Texans’ opener when he sustained his second concussion in a month’s span.Houston elected to release Johnson rather than pick up the fifth-year contract option, valued at $9 million.The 26-year-old Johnson met with several teams before signing a one-year contract with Buffalo.Reuniting with assistant coach Butler played a factor Garrett Bradbury Jersey , as did the chance to play in a defense that favors defensive backs, and finished allowing the second-fewest yards in the NFL last season. Getting recruited by White didn’t hurt, either.“That was awesome. This is a respect thing,” Johnson said of having a fan in White. “I’ve got the same mutual respect for Tre’ and his ability to play the game.”While White’s starting spot is locked up, Johnson’s future is less certain. He’s competing with returning starter Levi Wallace and free-agent addition E.J. Gaines, who returned to Buffalo after spending last season in Cleveland.Johnson has shown glimpses of his ability during spring practices, in which he had three interceptions before the Bills opened their three-day mandatory minicamp Tuesday. Butler said he sees the same physical abilities the 6-foot Johnson displayed during his firstthree seasons in Houston. The only question is whether he can stay healthy.Johnson said he’s not once felt sorry for himself over what’s happened.“I believe in myself,” Johnson said. “I don’t think I ever shook my head. I just embraced it all. And I think that’s what makes me me now.”NOTES: C Mitch Morse has begun practicing after having surgery to repair a groin injury shortly after signing with the Bills. … WR Cole Beasley practiced on a limited basis after having a similar operation as Morse. … WR Robert Foster was held out of practice after hurting his foot last week.