During the NFL lockout, when he was banned from working with the Washington Redskins’ training staff, he could’ve hired the best physical therapists around to help him with the left knee that was feeling stiff from surgery in January.
Instead, he figured he would handle it himself. He didn’t think the knee was that bad.
It was a decision that essentially cost him a season, and maybe his career. The knee didn’t recover. He missed almost all of training camp and muddled through five games, unable to run more than 10 yards without pain. He had the knee drained 15 times.
This week, coach Mike Shanahan placed the two-time Pro Bowl tight end on injured reserve.
“I feel 100% that I’m a casualty for the season of the lockout,” Cooley said Thursday. “I think it was a shame that they didn’t let players who had surgery spend time with the doctors and trainers they trust on daily basis, I wish I could’ve.”
