2008 Woodie Awards
Illini Media
WPGU
buzz
Illio
TechnographBears' Brown optimistic about health as season approaches
By The Associated Press
Posted: 6/2/08 Section: Sports
LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Safety Mike Brown managed his third straight day of impressive play in Chicago Bears minicamp Sunday - and an interception of quarterback Kyle Orton - but he refused to get overly optimistic about his future.
"This really isn't football yet," Brown said of the non-contact drills. "We're just in helmets. We've got a long way to go until training camp."
Nevertheless, Brown will take the small victories in his attempt to come back from a major injury for the third time in four seasons - this time a torn right anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL.
The injury occurred in San Diego in the 2007 season-opener after he missed the chance to play in the Super Bowl due to torn right foot ligaments.
A torn Achilles ended his 2004 season early, and in 2005 he missed four games and part of a playoff loss due to a calf injury.
"I guess I'm kind of used to getting back from injury and stuff like that, so it's no big deal for me," Brown said. "I'm mentally tough. I'm able to do it and I know I can do it."
Brown has started only 21-of-64 games since signing a five-year, $17 million contract extension in 2003.
He agreed to renegotiate the final year of his contract this season to help the Bears protect themselves financially in case he has another injury. Brown can still make the $2.44 million he was slated to receive, but his base pay was reduced to $950,000 with $1.49 million now possible based on incentives. If he's injured before the season, his base pay can be reduced to $320,000.
"I think it's fair," Brown said. "I think it's definitely fair because they're giving me an opportunity to make what I signed my contract to make.
"I don't think they're losing out on anything, and I don't think I'm losing out on anything because I feel like I will be able to play."
The former Pro Bowl safety recovered so fast from this injury that he never doubted he'd participate in minicamp. But he not only had to overcome the physical pain, but the mental pain of a third season-ending injury in four years.
"This really isn't football yet," Brown said of the non-contact drills. "We're just in helmets. We've got a long way to go until training camp."
Nevertheless, Brown will take the small victories in his attempt to come back from a major injury for the third time in four seasons - this time a torn right anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL.
The injury occurred in San Diego in the 2007 season-opener after he missed the chance to play in the Super Bowl due to torn right foot ligaments.
A torn Achilles ended his 2004 season early, and in 2005 he missed four games and part of a playoff loss due to a calf injury.
"I guess I'm kind of used to getting back from injury and stuff like that, so it's no big deal for me," Brown said. "I'm mentally tough. I'm able to do it and I know I can do it."
Brown has started only 21-of-64 games since signing a five-year, $17 million contract extension in 2003.
He agreed to renegotiate the final year of his contract this season to help the Bears protect themselves financially in case he has another injury. Brown can still make the $2.44 million he was slated to receive, but his base pay was reduced to $950,000 with $1.49 million now possible based on incentives. If he's injured before the season, his base pay can be reduced to $320,000.
"I think it's fair," Brown said. "I think it's definitely fair because they're giving me an opportunity to make what I signed my contract to make.
"I don't think they're losing out on anything, and I don't think I'm losing out on anything because I feel like I will be able to play."
The former Pro Bowl safety recovered so fast from this injury that he never doubted he'd participate in minicamp. But he not only had to overcome the physical pain, but the mental pain of a third season-ending injury in four years.
The Daily Illini encourages on-topic discussion through article commenting on its articles and blogs. It is our policy not to delete any comments based upon political or ideological point of view. However, we reserve the right to remove comments that are abusive, off-topic or use excessive foul language.
The posting of copyrighted material, including any and all content for which you are not the author, is illegal under Federal intellectual property laws. Such activity will not be tolerated. Comments containing copyrighted material will be removed, and continued violation of copyright law is grounds for being banned completely from commenting on DailyIllini.com.
If you feel any post meets these conditions or merits review, please e-mail our editors at meonline@dailyillini.com.
Be the first to comment on this story