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- Jun 20, 2010
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Nick Wagoner
http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-eve ... 8a3dfecbf0
Danny Amendola has faced plenty of adversity in his many years playing football but never has that adversity extended to his health and well-being.
Never, that is, until last year when Amendola suffered the first serious injury of his football career when he went down with a torn triceps in the season opener against Philadelphia.
The injury ended Amendola’s season before it ever really got started and by his own admission had him down in the dumps.
“It was really, really hard,” Amendola said. “It was the hardest thing I’ve had to do so far in my career and my whole life, really. It was the first time I ever missed a practice, first time I ever missed a game and I ended up missing the whole season. It was really hard.”
Ever the optimist, Amendola tried to find things to do to stay in shape and stay sharp mentally. If he couldn’t improve on the field physically, he wanted to find ways to get better at the mental side of the game.
“There were a couple of positive things,” Amendola said. “I got to get in the film room and try to study a lot more just the game and how to play. I got better that way.”
But nothing Amendola did could compare to the feeling of being on the field playing the game he loves, a feeling that came rushing back to him over the past two days as the Rams stepped on the field for their voluntary minicamp.
Amendola was back on the practice fields at Rams Park, running routes, catching passes and generally enjoying the game again.
“I was excited,” Amendola said. “I have to get used to it a little bit. I know we weren’t full speed today but it was fast and it felt fast. I have to get used to playing again. I’m just looking forward to the next one.”
Soon after having the procedure that ended his season, Amendola set out to get healthy again. He attacked a vigorous rehab program with childlike abandon and hasn’t allowed himself to focus on much of anything else.
Even all the changes that have occurred at Rams Park in the offseason haven’t really fazed Amendola. He didn’t even get a chance to chat with new coach Jeff Fisher about his rehab.
“I did my rehab since the season ended,” Amendola said. “That’s really all I’ve been doing. I really haven’t talked to him about it. I’m just really ready to get back on the field. I just want to win every game. First I want to establish a role on the team and fulfill that the best I can and help the Rams win football games. That’s what I am going to do.”
Amendola had certainly established his role in a breakout 2010 season when he led the Rams in receiving and emerged as quarterback Sam Bradford’s favorite target. He figured to expand on that role last year but the triceps injury set back that progress.
Now, Amendola is back to square one a bit as he joins his teammates in learning a third offense in three years, this time one helmed by new coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
Not that any of that bothers Amendola, who said he doesn’t plan to be satisfied until he’s as good a receiver as you’ll find in the NFL.
“I want to be the best I can be,” Amendola said. “That’s really all I can ask for. I know that a cliché response but that’s all I can try to do and control. I am just trying to get better every day.”
Amendola is a restricted free agent whom the Rams tendered at the second-round level in the offseason but the deadline for teams to make offers on restricted free agents is expected to come and go tomorrow without an outside offer.
Most likely, Amendola will sign his one-year tender with the Rams, get back to work and give all he can to prove he’s worthy of a more long-term extension next offseason.
In the meantime, Amendola figures to slide back into his old role as the team’s primary slot receiver and possibly do some punt returning on the side. There has been plenty of chatter about the Rams’ drafting a receiver or two in next week’s NFL Draft but Amendola doesn’t concern himself with things out of his control.
“I don’t really care,” Amendola said. “That doesn’t affect me. That doesn’t affect the way I come to work. It doesn’t affect how I perform so I am just going to come to work and try to get better every day.”
http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-eve ... 8a3dfecbf0
Danny Amendola has faced plenty of adversity in his many years playing football but never has that adversity extended to his health and well-being.
Never, that is, until last year when Amendola suffered the first serious injury of his football career when he went down with a torn triceps in the season opener against Philadelphia.
The injury ended Amendola’s season before it ever really got started and by his own admission had him down in the dumps.
“It was really, really hard,” Amendola said. “It was the hardest thing I’ve had to do so far in my career and my whole life, really. It was the first time I ever missed a practice, first time I ever missed a game and I ended up missing the whole season. It was really hard.”
Ever the optimist, Amendola tried to find things to do to stay in shape and stay sharp mentally. If he couldn’t improve on the field physically, he wanted to find ways to get better at the mental side of the game.
“There were a couple of positive things,” Amendola said. “I got to get in the film room and try to study a lot more just the game and how to play. I got better that way.”
But nothing Amendola did could compare to the feeling of being on the field playing the game he loves, a feeling that came rushing back to him over the past two days as the Rams stepped on the field for their voluntary minicamp.
Amendola was back on the practice fields at Rams Park, running routes, catching passes and generally enjoying the game again.
“I was excited,” Amendola said. “I have to get used to it a little bit. I know we weren’t full speed today but it was fast and it felt fast. I have to get used to playing again. I’m just looking forward to the next one.”
Soon after having the procedure that ended his season, Amendola set out to get healthy again. He attacked a vigorous rehab program with childlike abandon and hasn’t allowed himself to focus on much of anything else.
Even all the changes that have occurred at Rams Park in the offseason haven’t really fazed Amendola. He didn’t even get a chance to chat with new coach Jeff Fisher about his rehab.
“I did my rehab since the season ended,” Amendola said. “That’s really all I’ve been doing. I really haven’t talked to him about it. I’m just really ready to get back on the field. I just want to win every game. First I want to establish a role on the team and fulfill that the best I can and help the Rams win football games. That’s what I am going to do.”
Amendola had certainly established his role in a breakout 2010 season when he led the Rams in receiving and emerged as quarterback Sam Bradford’s favorite target. He figured to expand on that role last year but the triceps injury set back that progress.
Now, Amendola is back to square one a bit as he joins his teammates in learning a third offense in three years, this time one helmed by new coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
Not that any of that bothers Amendola, who said he doesn’t plan to be satisfied until he’s as good a receiver as you’ll find in the NFL.
“I want to be the best I can be,” Amendola said. “That’s really all I can ask for. I know that a cliché response but that’s all I can try to do and control. I am just trying to get better every day.”
Amendola is a restricted free agent whom the Rams tendered at the second-round level in the offseason but the deadline for teams to make offers on restricted free agents is expected to come and go tomorrow without an outside offer.
Most likely, Amendola will sign his one-year tender with the Rams, get back to work and give all he can to prove he’s worthy of a more long-term extension next offseason.
In the meantime, Amendola figures to slide back into his old role as the team’s primary slot receiver and possibly do some punt returning on the side. There has been plenty of chatter about the Rams’ drafting a receiver or two in next week’s NFL Draft but Amendola doesn’t concern himself with things out of his control.
“I don’t really care,” Amendola said. “That doesn’t affect me. That doesn’t affect the way I come to work. It doesn’t affect how I perform so I am just going to come to work and try to get better every day.”
Hope all is going well with you !
