Rams News

Wright's back after nightmare
06/12 10:58 PM

By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch Staff

Short of a Reggie Brown-type neck injury, it was a football player's worst nightmare. On Jan. 10, safety Toby Wright walked into Barnes West Hospital for what he thought was routine arthroscopic knee surgery.
``Clean my cartilage, outpatient, 45 minutes,'' Wright said. There have been longer waits in the fast-food drive-through lane.
But four hours after undergoing anesthesia, he awoke to a crowded hospital room, surrounded by his brothers, two doctors and Rams head trainer Jim Anderson. It wasn't as if they were administering last Wrights to his football career. But it was close.
``It was more than we thought. We had to reconstruct your ACL.''
Tired, groggy, and still feeling the affects of the anesthetic, Wright turned his head and began weeping. Then he wiped away the tears . . . and started cursing.
``I had (harsh) words for everybody, because that's just not fair,'' Wright said, the emotional leader of the Rams defense. ``Why were they as clueless as I am? I had three MRIs taken. I don't care if I found out hours before surgery. If they would have let me know right then -- maybe you've got an ACL -- I could've prepared myself for it.''
Anderson, in his 15th year as Rams trainer, is sympathetic. Arthroscopic surgery usually means a three- to four-week recovery process. But a torn anterior cruciate ligament? A decade ago, it often was a career-ending injury. Even today, reconstruction of a knee often means nine months of grueling, monotonous rehabilitation.
In fairness to the Rams' medical staff, Wright admits he was told the day before surgery that a torn ACL was a possibility.
``I think he was kind of in denial,'' Anderson said.
Before surgery, the magnetic resonance imaging exams -- or MRIs -- were inconclusive.
``It showed some questionable areas of the knee as far as the ligament structure,'' Anderson said. ``But it wasn't an obvious, `Oh no, there's a torn ACL.' It was more of a, `Well, it's kind of gray, it's kind of fuzzy in there. It's got some swelling in it. Let's sit on it a couple of weeks and see if it calms down.' ''
But the knee, originally injured in the Rams' Dec. 7 game in New Orleans, still didn't feel right after several weeks. Hence the surgery -- and the surprise ending. Dr. Robert Shively of the Rams' medical staff, who performed the surgery, discovered an ACL that was about 80 percent torn.
Wright's initial reaction went beyond shock and anger, to the edge of a nervous breakdown. ``I'm serious,'' he said.
After a Pro Bowl caliber season in 1995, Wright had seen much of his '96 and '97 seasons marred by severe hamstring pulls. And now this. But he gradually regrouped -- first mentally, and now physically.
He has even been a model patient during the rehab process. At least by Wright standards.
``You can't ask an athlete to do any more than Toby Wright's done,'' coach Dick Vermeil said.
Wright hasn't missed a rehab session in the five months since the surgery. ``He's been late a few times, but he has not missed a day,'' Anderson said.
Not that Wright was always glad to see assistant trainer Ron DuBuque, who supervised the rehab process.
There were mornings that Wright wanted to be anywhere but Rams Park for the six-hour sessions.
``I griped, grumbled, cussed everybody out,'' Wright said. ``Ron stayed with me. He said, `Call me every name you want. I'm going to be here.' ''
Wright didn't start lifting weights with the injured leg -- his left -- until nearly two months after surgery. He didn't start jogging for three months.
``I've never had to work so hard to save my career,'' said Wright, who suffered a torn ACL in his right knee as a high school senior. ``It seems like all I know is leg extensions and curls and bending. I've done so many exercises during rehab, I could teach a course.''
Finally, as the Rams opened their minicamp Friday, Wright made it back on the field. The plan was to have Wright take part in individual drills this weekend.
Gung-ho as always, Wright had other ideas.
``The trainer wasn't there, so I just jumped in and did some nine-on-seven,'' Wright confessed after the morning workouts.
That would be the Rams' nine-on-seven passing drills. Covering receivers. Something he wasn't supposed to do until a couple weeks into training camp. Where was co-defensive coordinator Peter Giunta?
``He was on the other side of the field,'' Wright said, grinning. ``No one said anything. So I went in and did it.''
Much to the surprise of his defensive teammates. ``When I got in the huddle, everybody (said), `Oh! No. 32!' '' Wright said. ``Nobody really knew I was going to come in.''
Wright isn't supposed to go full bore until August. Vermeil said Wright probably will start training camp on the team's physically unable to perform list. Wright insists he's not trying to set any records for recovery time. ``I'm still missing a gear,'' he said.
Then again, Wright is Wright. He has his own little blueprint.
``Toby would rather be back sooner than later,'' Anderson said.

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