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- Jun 20, 2010
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- The Dude
KATHLEEN NELSON
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football ... z1zfTMNfhJ
[wrapimg=left]http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/ad/9ada000d-3bdf-57ca-a22a-a80a2e399a05/4ff3a64ba71b1.preview-300.jpg[/wrapimg]Given that he lines up at left tackle for the Rams, Rodger Saffold is pretty used to being the biggest guy in the room. But he was surprisingly at ease recently as a member of a panel convened to share best practices for preventing athletes from suffering sudden death by overexertion in conditioning.
Saffold towered over his colleagues du jour, including a Ph.D., an M.D., a lawyer and an athletics director, who gathered to present their recommendations at the National Athletic Trainers Association.
He was there to offer his testimony on the need for better education of coaches as well as trainers.
"I've always looked to push the limit," he said. "I thought that if I did what the coaches said I'd be in their good graces."
Saffold recalled a training session between his sophomore and junior years at Indiana University, when he was juggling the rigors of classes, work and an early-morning weightlifting session. Following the workout, he said, "We decided to do bleachers," running the steps at Memorial Stadium.
After 10 sets, Saffold said, "I had chest pains, which I thought were just part of being tired."
The trainer wasn't so sure. After asking Saffold a few questions, the trainer concluded that Saffold could be on the verge of cardiac arrest and went into action, putting Saffold in a cold shower and steadying his breathing.
Only after 15 minutes did Saffold's heart return to normal, but the trainer's quick response helped save him from adding to an alarming statistic: [hil]Since 2000, 21 NCAA football players have died during conditioning workouts.[/hil] Subsequent testing revealed that Saffold's rapid heart rate stemmed from fatigue, overexertion and an abundance of caffeine-laced energy drinks.
"It helps you understand how important it is for athletic trainers to have education to point out things that student athletes can't see," Saffold said. "Sometimes an ache can be a broken bone. (Trainers) have to know what you're doing and tell the players how to take care of their body. (Players) have to listen to your athletic trainers. "
Listening to trainers and curbing his urge to push seems to have paid off for Saffold, 24, in his rehab from surgery on his pectoral muscle, suffered in November while lifting weights. He was one of three starters on the offensive line to hit the injured reserve list and put an end to a disappointing second season.
Saffold, a second-round pick in 2010, had a strong rookie year upon which he hoped to build. But he struggled in pass protection early in 2011 and was improving before suffering the injury.
Doctors predicted a recovery time of four to five months, which, at times, has been difficult to adhere to for him.
The rehab meant that Saffold had to skip on-field activities through minicamp and organized team activities.
"I was always ahead, doing a lot of things with flexibility and strength. Things started happening really fast and I had to slow down," he said. "I try to push it to the limit and get back as soon as possible. I was real frustrated that I couldn't participate in team exercises, but in the end it's all for the better. I wouldn't have been of any use to them for training camp."
The good news, according to Rams head trainer Reggie Scott, is that the rehab is complete and that Saffold's conditioning has returned to the pre-injury level.
"He's doing great with his rehab. He's pretty much cleared to play," Scott said. "He's returned to the normal standards, so we know when we have those standards it's time to return to play. At training camp, we'll still kind of phase him in to get him up to speed. Then, he'll be ready to go."
To make sure he's ready, Saffold has decided to stay in St. Louis through the summer doldrums, working out almost daily at Rams Park so the team can continue to monitor his progress.
"Since I couldn't participate in team exercises, I'm using these next six weeks to work out with the strength coaches, so nobody has worries and they know that I'm doing the right thing," he said.
Watching from the sidelines, though, gave him extra incentive to join the players on the field, a mix of veterans from the Steve Spagnuolo coaching era and new acquisitions brought in under coach Jeff Fisher and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
"Everything is going great, smoother than you could expect with so many changes," Saffold said. "Even with so many new people they get along almost instantly with the rest of us. We've learned the little things we need to do the big things we want to do.
"So, overall, it's been fantastic. I've been blessed to work with a staff that's letting me get better instead of rushing me out. I hope it's to the point that last year and the surgery is a bad memory."
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football ... z1zfTMNfhJ
[wrapimg=left]http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/ad/9ada000d-3bdf-57ca-a22a-a80a2e399a05/4ff3a64ba71b1.preview-300.jpg[/wrapimg]Given that he lines up at left tackle for the Rams, Rodger Saffold is pretty used to being the biggest guy in the room. But he was surprisingly at ease recently as a member of a panel convened to share best practices for preventing athletes from suffering sudden death by overexertion in conditioning.
Saffold towered over his colleagues du jour, including a Ph.D., an M.D., a lawyer and an athletics director, who gathered to present their recommendations at the National Athletic Trainers Association.
He was there to offer his testimony on the need for better education of coaches as well as trainers.
"I've always looked to push the limit," he said. "I thought that if I did what the coaches said I'd be in their good graces."
Saffold recalled a training session between his sophomore and junior years at Indiana University, when he was juggling the rigors of classes, work and an early-morning weightlifting session. Following the workout, he said, "We decided to do bleachers," running the steps at Memorial Stadium.
After 10 sets, Saffold said, "I had chest pains, which I thought were just part of being tired."
The trainer wasn't so sure. After asking Saffold a few questions, the trainer concluded that Saffold could be on the verge of cardiac arrest and went into action, putting Saffold in a cold shower and steadying his breathing.
Only after 15 minutes did Saffold's heart return to normal, but the trainer's quick response helped save him from adding to an alarming statistic: [hil]Since 2000, 21 NCAA football players have died during conditioning workouts.[/hil] Subsequent testing revealed that Saffold's rapid heart rate stemmed from fatigue, overexertion and an abundance of caffeine-laced energy drinks.
"It helps you understand how important it is for athletic trainers to have education to point out things that student athletes can't see," Saffold said. "Sometimes an ache can be a broken bone. (Trainers) have to know what you're doing and tell the players how to take care of their body. (Players) have to listen to your athletic trainers. "
Listening to trainers and curbing his urge to push seems to have paid off for Saffold, 24, in his rehab from surgery on his pectoral muscle, suffered in November while lifting weights. He was one of three starters on the offensive line to hit the injured reserve list and put an end to a disappointing second season.
Saffold, a second-round pick in 2010, had a strong rookie year upon which he hoped to build. But he struggled in pass protection early in 2011 and was improving before suffering the injury.
Doctors predicted a recovery time of four to five months, which, at times, has been difficult to adhere to for him.
The rehab meant that Saffold had to skip on-field activities through minicamp and organized team activities.
"I was always ahead, doing a lot of things with flexibility and strength. Things started happening really fast and I had to slow down," he said. "I try to push it to the limit and get back as soon as possible. I was real frustrated that I couldn't participate in team exercises, but in the end it's all for the better. I wouldn't have been of any use to them for training camp."
The good news, according to Rams head trainer Reggie Scott, is that the rehab is complete and that Saffold's conditioning has returned to the pre-injury level.
"He's doing great with his rehab. He's pretty much cleared to play," Scott said. "He's returned to the normal standards, so we know when we have those standards it's time to return to play. At training camp, we'll still kind of phase him in to get him up to speed. Then, he'll be ready to go."
To make sure he's ready, Saffold has decided to stay in St. Louis through the summer doldrums, working out almost daily at Rams Park so the team can continue to monitor his progress.
"Since I couldn't participate in team exercises, I'm using these next six weeks to work out with the strength coaches, so nobody has worries and they know that I'm doing the right thing," he said.
Watching from the sidelines, though, gave him extra incentive to join the players on the field, a mix of veterans from the Steve Spagnuolo coaching era and new acquisitions brought in under coach Jeff Fisher and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
"Everything is going great, smoother than you could expect with so many changes," Saffold said. "Even with so many new people they get along almost instantly with the rest of us. We've learned the little things we need to do the big things we want to do.
"So, overall, it's been fantastic. I've been blessed to work with a staff that's letting me get better instead of rushing me out. I hope it's to the point that last year and the surgery is a bad memory."
