IRVING, Texas - To say that Terence Newman is usually in good spirits, is quite the understatement.
The Cowboys sixth-year cornerback is one of the friendliest, most easy-going and perhaps the silliest players on the roster.
If there is a joke or a prank to be had, Newman is probably involved.
But lately, there hasn't been much for Newman to get rather excited about. Undergoing surgery on Oct. 10 to repair a sports hernia has turned Newman's life upside down and has certainly dampened his spirits. He hasn't been in uniform in three weeks and probably won't be back for another three more.
The good news for Newman is that he is expecting to return for the Nov. 16 rematch with the Redskins. But that's basically just a silver lining considering such high hopes Newman had for himself this season.
Here's a guy coming off his first Pro Bowl after five seasons in the league, fresh off a new seven-year, $51 million contract he signed over the summer. He's eager to prove he deserves mentioning among the best corners in the league, yet he has been limited to just three games in the first half of the season.
That alone is enough to sour anyone. But Newman is fighting through it.
"I work so hard in the off-season not to get injured, so when an injury happens, it makes me mad," said Newman, who initially suffered a groin injury in training camp that developed into an abdominal strain, also known as a sports hernia. "The injury that I had, it was just a freak accident where somebody fell on my leg and almost forced me to do the splits - where you're supposed to tear something.
Newman said the injury occurred early in training camp when got tangled up with a wide receiver during a drill that was supposed to have little-to-no contact at all.
"It was one-on-one (drill) and somebody fell on my leg and my body was turning away from them," Newman said. "My leg was pinned but my body was going away from them."
As it turned out for Newman, that was just the start of the problems. Initially diagnosed as a two-to-four week setback, the cornerback never returned to training camp and missed all four preseason games.
But just when it appeared he would be ready to go for the Sept. 7 season opener in Cleveland, Newman suffered a setback in practice. In fact, Newman said that this is when he believes his groin injury started to develop into an abdominal strain.
"The doctor said that when I tore my groin, I've been compensating by using the other muscles. I've got overworked muscles by my abdomen and that was the main reason why it was probably torn," Newman said. "So I tried to go on it, but that really led to more problems."
Newman visited Dr. William Meyers in North Carolina nearly two weeks ago to meet with one of the nation's top sports hernia specialists. Newman said it didn't take long for Meyers to get to work.
"I flew out to North Carolina to see this specialist," Newman recalled. "He comes up to my hotel room . . . gets there at 5 o'clock. He's examining me. By 5:30, we're talking to (Cowboys head trainer) Jim Maurer and he says this is a procedure we can do tonight. By 7:00, I'm knocked out in the hospital and I'm getting chopped up. Within two hours of meeting the third doctor, I'm having surgery."
But Newman wouldn't want it any other way. He knows the quicker he gets the procedure completed, the quicker he can return to action.
"We're going to increase my workload this week in my rehab," Newman said. "I tore this muscle so he had to go in and stretch the muscle back out. And stick it back together. It was well worth it. Cleveland game, keep trying to practice, it just got worse and worse."
And that was a scene Newman has experienced before. Just last year, Newman suffered a plantar fasciitis injury in training camp, forcing him to miss two games and two other starts.
Still, he returned in time to have his first Pro Bowl season, joining 12 other teammates.
However, Newman knows it will be difficult to build on last year's success, especially having already missed four games this season and probably two more.
"Yeah, I felt each year, if I kept building on what I did in the previous years, everything would work out good for myself," Newman said. "I only gave up one touchdown last year and was consistent in pass coverage and supporting the run. Me not being out there on the field right now is killing me just as much as it's hurting the team. It's killing me to sit out there and watch these guys play."
The guy Newman is obviously watching the most is his replacement, rookie cornerback Mike Jenkins. While Newman gave his first-year teammate high praise, he wasn't as complimentary about the rest of the defensive unit.
"(Jenkins) is playing pretty well, but you have to look at our entire defense," Newman said. "A corner is as good as the front seven. If they're getting constant pressure on the quarterback, usually it gets them uncomfortable and forces them to throw errant passes.
"But Jenkins is making some plays. He made some nice (pass break-ups) in the Arizona game and he had good coverage in this last game. But teams are going to make plays on him; they get paid as well."
But Newman also knows the Cowboys paid him rather well in this last off-season, too. And that's why he is chomping at the bit to make his return.
Who better for Newman to return against than the Redskins, the last game he played and one that certainly wasn't his finest three hours of football? Newman allowed a touchdown pass in the first half and another long pass play to Santana Moss that led to another score.
So when the Cowboys head up to FedEx Field on Nov. 16, Newman will likely have done all he can to be included.
"That will definitely be the game I'd like to get back to," Newman said. "Yeah, it is what it is. It wasn't my first bad game I've ever had in my career. There are a lot of things to prove. But we need to prove things this week and not wait for three weeks."
If so, maybe then Newman can get back to his fun-loving self once again.
Home | Email | Print | Register for New Alerts | RSS
Nick Eatman - 
