Cowboys notes: Claiborne focused on walking, then returning to football
Injured Dallas Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne still needs a single crutch to get around and has yet to drive because his left knee stiffens up too much.
That’s simply the life for someone less than two months removed from undergoing surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon. He injured the knee in the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints in September.
Claiborne knows he has a long road back to playing football, but his focus for now is on walking.
“It’s about walking so I can go out and play with my son,” Claiborne said Thursday afternoon.
Once he can do that, Claiborne said, then he’ll turn his attention to running and then to football activities. And Claiborne is confident he’ll eventually return and, when he does, he’ll be a better player.
“I don’t feel like anything has changed,” said Claiborne, who has failed to meet expectations as the sixth overall pick in the 2012 draft. “I feel like my career is where it is. I can’t do nothing about where it is; I can’t change it. I plan on coming back from this and being even better than I was.”
Claiborne, 24, was believed to be on track to finally have a breakout season this year, but more injuries derailed it. The torn patellar tendon is the most serious he’s had and the most difficult to overcome.
But Claiborne is staying positive early on in the rehab process and looks at practice squad running back Ryan Williams as someone who has overcome the same injury.
“I’ve talked to him about it, and he’s pretty much told me it’s going to be a rough time,” Claiborne said. “I’m looking forward to that and looking forward to the grind.”
On the mend
Defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford (knee) plans to practice on Wednesday, which would put him in line to play against the New York Giants on Nov. 23.
“That’s the goal,” said Crawford, who sat out Thursday’s practice.
Crawford injured his knee during the Cowboys’ 28-17 loss to Arizona on Nov. 2, being diagnosed with a sprained MCL, and missed Sunday’s game in London.
Crawford has 19 quarterback pressures, but no sacks so far this season.
“This is the greatest time for the bye week to come,” Crawford said, smiling.
The only other player who missed Thursday’s practice was backup cornerback Tyler Patmon, who is also dealing with a strained MCL.
The Cowboys worked out three cornerbacks — Robert Steeples, Lou Young and Jonte Green — as possible practice squad candidates.
Delayed return
Defensive tackle Amobi Okoye will have to wait until 2015 to return to game action.
The Cowboys decided not to activate Okoye off the non-football illness list, which means he won’t be able to play this season.
The 27-year-old last played in 2012 and was diagnosed last year with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, a brain condition that put him in a medically-induced coma for three months.
Briefly
This story was originally published November 13, 2014 at 1:56 PM with the headline "Cowboys notes: Claiborne focused on walking, then returning to football."