[ad_1]
Tim Jernigan worried that his career was over.
The Eagles defensive tackle, who will make his debut season Sunday, suffered a herniated disc requiring surgery in April. Although Jernigan did not explain how he was injured for "security reasons", it seems pretty clear that it was serious.
"S-, I have the chance to play football again," Jernigan said Friday.
"One day, when it's over or I'm going to finish, I'll have more details in every detail. But I have the chance to play football again. "
For months, Jernigan's situation has remained mysterious and has not disappeared yet. We still do not know how he suffered the injury and we do not know exactly how things went before he agreed to a considerably restructured contract after the surgery.
What we do know is that the 26-year-old will play football Sunday after a lengthy re-education process that has prevented him from lifting weights for six months. That's enough to make him smile.
Jernigan admitted that he was scared and nervous before his back surgery in late April. He did not know how things would go. But he said that Dr. Robert Watkins had done a great job in this operation and that things had been going well since.
But being so close to what he thought was the end of his career ensures that he never takes football for granted again.
"Something I just said to myself and that I promised myself to let no one play with more determination and passion than to play this game as long as I play," he said. "It matters a lot more to me. It's really hard to watch. Whether this season was good or bad, it's hard to watch. "
In these difficult times, Jernigan said that he had relied on his family. His mother stepped up. But it's really his daughter Naomi, aged 3, who made the biggest difference.
Naomi told her father that she wanted to return to the Super Bowl.
"She really gave me the elevator to tell her," Get your butt and keep playing football, "said Jernigan.
Jernigan started the 2018 season on the non-football injury list but was officially removed from the list earlier this week. Jernigan has not been allowed to lift weights for six months, but says he is stronger than ever. During this long period away from the weight room, he was allowed to use small dumbbells and do a lot of basic work. He spent many nights at the NovaCare complex.
Will this injury affect Jernigan for the rest of his career?
"It's just a way to find out and it's Sunday," he said. "You can follow tempo practices and a speed of 75%. You can do it all the time, but you will never really know. When you go out on Sunday and face two double teams and face Saquon Barkley, you'll know if you're doing well or not. "
The Eagles have desperately missed Jernigan this season. They started a revolving door of inadequate replacements next to Fletcher Cox all season. Destined Vaeao, Haloti Ngata, Treyvon Hester. All season they have sucked in a player who can win 1 on 1. That's all they need from the guy next to Cox and the Eagles defense was at its best last season when Jernigan did just that.
Jernigan said he would like to play the rest of his career with the Eagles, but "if things go differently, they unfold differently."
For the moment, he is just happy to return to the field.
That's enough.
Click here to download the new NBC Sports MyTeams app! Get complete coverage of your teams and easily play Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games on your device.
More on the Eagles
[ad_2]
Source link
