JACKSONVILLE, Fla.(AP)—Wearing a brace on his right knee andfeeling a little timid, guard Vince Manuwai returned to practicewith the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday.
Even though he took just three snaps with the first-teamoffense, it was Manuwai’s first full practice since tearing twoknee ligaments more than nine months ago.
“It’s not like they’re trying to throw me in the fire,” Manuwaisaid. “They’re working me in. Am I anxious? Yeah, but I’m nottrying to force it at the same time. I don’t want nothing bad tohappen. Part of it, too, is getting your mind right before thehitting and all that.”
Manuwai, who tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateralligaments in his right knee during last year’s opener, wasinitially scheduled to be back at the start of training campnext month. But he dropped 30 pounds during his rehabilitationand showed enough leg strength and mobility that the trainingstaff cleared him for the final week of organized teamactivities.
“I’m sure we’ll be smart with him as he’s coming back from aknee (injury), but he’s been cleared to practice and that’s thefirst step in the recovery process and him getting back to fullspeed as a dominant football player for us,” coach Jack Del Riosaid.
If Manuwai returns to form, Jacksonville’s power running gamecould follow. With Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew splittingcarries, the Jaguars were one of the best running teams in theleague in 2006 and 2007. But several injuries along the lineproved to be too much for Jacksonville to overcome last season.
Manuwai and fellow guard Maurice Williams (biceps) were placedon injured reserve following the first game. Starting centerBrad Meester (biceps) missed most of training camp, all thepreseason and the first six meaningful games. And backup tackleRichard Collier was shot and paralyzed just days before theopener.
Del Rio blamed the injuries on aging linemen and a pooroffseason conditioning program. He fired the team’s strength andconditioning coordinator and revamped the line through freeagency and the draft.
Jacksonville signed three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tra Thomas,then drafted Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton with their first twopicks.
But the key to getting the line back in shape might rest withManuwai, a 6-foot-2, 330-pound Hawaiian who’s been the team’sbest blocker the last few years.
“It’s great to see him back,” Del Rio said. “He’s really workedhard in the weight room and he’s proud of the fact that he’s gothis weight under control where we’d like it to be, and that’s abig thing. Instead of fighting to get the weight in line, he canwork on becoming a better football player.
“When you bring him back, you’re bringing a Pro Bowl-caliberleft guard back onto your football team, and that helpseverybody.”
