That which doesn't kill us...yada, yada, yada. Lost in the pre-draft hoopla about Sam Bradford's injury was how hard he worked to come back from it. You saw the results at his pro day, but the effort that went into making that day happen deserves mention.
This is from Dr. James Andrews, the A-list surgeon for pro athletes.
He was ready to go. He had been building strength, working 12 hours a day to get his body in shape. He was in excellent shape for Pro Day, and he had a spectacular day. Some (scouts) said he had the best Pro Day since Troy Aikman.
When Sam called me that night, after his workout, he was like a kid on Christmas day. Very excited. He knew he had done a good job. Sam is a wonderful kid and very deserving of everything he's gotten. He's the kind of kid you'd like to have as a son.
That Bradford was able to get himself back into consideration for the top pick in the draft after barely playing in 2009 is a feat in and of itself. And it didn't come easy. Having been burned drafting QBs in the first round before, St. Louis Rams GM Billy Devaney had a long list of things to check out before making Bradford the league's highest paid player. Topping that list was character, and Bradford's efforts to recovery and rebuild his shoulder and his recovery provided some answers to that question.
Speaking of Bradford, ever wonder what happened to the BYU linebacker that took him out? Now you know.