Interesting read on Dr Andrews re: Adrian Peterson

[Hate]

Dr. James Andrews is the renowned orthopedic surgeon many athletes call when they need their knees repaired. He put Adrian Peterson's left knee back together after Peterson tore anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in December 2011.

Andrews has written a book with Don Yeager about injuries in youth sports, "Any Given Monday: Sports Injuries and How to Prevent Them, for Athletes, Parents, and Coaches -- Based on My Life in Sports Medicine."

I talked to Andrews on Thursday, Jan. 3, about the book. He also talked enthusiastically about the recovery of Peterson, who led the NFL in rushing with 2,097 yards and finished just 9 yards short of breaking Eric Dlckerson's league record for rushing yardage in a single season.

BS:
Are even you amazed at what Adrian Peterson has done?

JA:
He has defied all odds. Somebody asked me about him a bunch of different times with all he's been able to accomplish. My pat answer is, "If you operate on the right athlete, it makes you look pretty darn good as a physician." Adrian was that genetic athlete who could do what he's done. There are a few I've treated. One of them was Bo Jackson. Bo was a natural athlete. He didn't have to lift weights growing up. Adrian Peterson is like that. I was a nervous wreck watching him play game after game this season. I was on the Washington Redskins' sideline when the Vikings played them, and every time he'd get tackled I'd shudder. He'd get up and be OK. He kept on ticking and ticking. He's amazing, absolutely amazing. He had a really good therapist working with him in Houston during the offseason, Russ Paine, and the trainer with the Minnesota Vikings (Eric Sugarman) managed him perfectly. I sent Sugarman a text saying he should be very proud.

BS:
Did Peterson return a lot quicker than most athletes?

JA:
Running backs don't come back within the first year like that in the NFL. They may come back and play a little bit. They don't do what he did. Nobody's ever done that if you look at the statistics of players returning to the NFL. We did a study. Running backs are the hardest to get back, period. The average NFL player ... only about a little over 50 percent are still playing after two years. We say we have 90 to 90-plus percent success with (knee) surgeries (in non-NFL cases). But we're talking about playing in the NFL. It's not 90 percent, believe me.

BS:
Were you rooting for Peterson to break **CENSORED**erson's record?

JA:
Oh, hell, yeah. I was with the Redskins Sunday night. (Andrews is the team doctor for the Redskins.) We were watching him play. The training staff and everybody was glued to the TV in the locker room. Can you imagine nine yards during the season he could have picked up? That's an unbelievable accomplishment.

BS:
Is Peterson fully recovered or technically still healing?

JA:
I asked Sugarman how his knee was doing. He said (Peterson is) beat up in a couple of other areas but the knee was absolutely perfect. I say an athlete after ACL is much better the second year back than the first year back. First year back is a wash. It hasn't been a wash for him, obviously. After 24 months, (an athlete is) a lot more mature and confident. Who knows? Adrian may be better next year than this year.

BS:
He said he wants to gain 2,500 yards next season.

JA:
He might do it, too.

BS:
What did you tell Peterson after surgery?

JA:
I said, "Hey man, you're fixed. Go after it."

BS:
He went after it.

JA:
Yeah, no kidding.

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_22306929/adrian-petersons-surgeon-james-andrews-says-vikings-back

[bradentonian]

Cyborg!

[J-Train]

[The Anti-Java]

Better next year?    Damn

[tripblood]

I didn't know James Andrews was the team doctor for the Redskins...

Snyder must be paying him more than Shanahan.