Su'a Cravens has found happiness
Mason Cole Jersey Cardinals , harmony and himself just in time for his do-over in Denver.
Elated over John Elway's call and Von Miller's text, the former standout safety from Southern Cal celebrated his trade from the Redskins to the Broncos
by posting "A Whole New World" from the Disney movie "Aladdin" on his Twitter
account.
"I felt like it was perfect," said Cravens, who missed all of last season and even mulled retirement while dealing with the lingering effects of a head
injury.
Selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft, Cravens played in 11 games his rookie season but he sustained a concussion in Week 4 and later
suffered an elbow injury. He said he felt off-kilter heading into training camp
last year, and things only got worse after he underwent knee surgery in August
to repair a torn meniscus.
Cravens had to be talked out of retiring in early September during a meeting with team President Bruce Allen, and the Redskins placed him on their exempt
list, forcing him to miss the entire season. They sent him to see sports
concussion expert Micky Collins in Pittsburgh, who had an answer for all of his
mood swings, personality changes and feelings that something just wasn't quite
right: post-concussion syndrome.
"I didn't really know what was going on until I went to see Dr. Collins and he made me fully aware of the situation," Cravens said. "At first I just thought
that something was wrong with me, something's not right and I didn't feel the
same. Once he explained
Uchenna Nwosu Jersey Chargers , 'This is why you feel this way,' he'd ask me questions, I'd tell him, 'Yes,' and he'd say, 'Well that's a correlation to
this.' Everything started making sense and once we started working on it
progressively I got better and better."
Cravens said he never lost his love for the game but did succumb to feelings his football career was finished.
"Certainly. I was going through something that I wasn't even aware I was going through," Cravens said. "The mindset that I had last year was just
completely different from how I am now. Once I got cleared, I took a step back
and looked at the way I was acting and the way I was treating my loved ones. The
way my whole thought process was, it was a stranger.
"It was just crazy that I didn't realize that I was in a predicament I was completely unaware of. So yeah, there was a point that I thought I was done with
football, but that love for it and that need to compete, that need to be on the
field and be with your brothers
Deadrin Senat Jersey Falcons , that never went away."
Cravens even had to deal with accusations that he'd quit on his teammates.
He was finally cleared in December and the Redskins began shopping him during the NFL combine last month.
The Broncos essentially sent a fifth-round selection in this year's draft for the safety-linebacker hybrid whose instincts and athleticism wowed scouts two
years ago.
Cravens is eager to put his past behind him and start anew in Denver.
"I think there's a false narrative on what exactly happened," Cravens said. "Right now my focus is just on being a Denver Bronco. One day I'll be able to
speak a little further on that, but I'm not a quitter. I'm not a guy who lacks
love for the game. I definitely don't know where the 'quitting in college' came
from, but like I said, I'm here to play for the Broncos and do whatever I can to
help this team win games."
He sees himself as a strong safety but is willing to play wherever the Broncos feel he fits best in a revamped secondary that lost standout safety T.J.
Ward last fall and elite cornerback Aqib Talib this spring.
"I'm just grateful to be on the field," Cravens said, adding that last season made him appreciate his chance to play pro football and he has no qualms about
getting right back into the fray.
"We're all grown men and I know what I'm signing myself up for. I'm aware of the situation that I was in and I'm aware of the dangers of the game," he said.
"I've experienced it firsthand and I'm still willing to go out there and put
everything I have on the line. I wanted a fresh start just because I don't like
the way things happened. It wasn't a part of my plan. I never thought at 22
years old that I'd be at the house watching football instead of playing
football."
As he has long desired, DeMarcus Cousins will finally get a chance to play for a winner once he’s healthy from a torn left Achilles tendon.
When Boogie returns to the court this season, the volatile big man will give the Golden State Warriors five 2018 All-Stars in their starting lineup to chase
another title – with Cousins trying for his first after never appearing in the
playoffs. The center, who has had his problems with technical fouls, will sign
with the two-time defending champions after the moratorium period is lifted
Friday
Sam Hubbard Jersey Elite , a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Monday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity
because the contract is yet to be completed.
Cousins is set to join a starting lineup of two-time MVP Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, who is fresh off his second straight NBA Finals MVP, Klay Thompson and
Draymond Green.
”The 3rd splash Brother,” Curry posted on Twitter with a series of happy crying emojis. ”Let’s go (at)boogiecousins.”
Cousins’ Pelicans lost to the Warriors in a five-game Western Conference semifinals while Cousins was injured. The 27-year-old Cousins played in New
Orleans for coach Alvin Gentry, a top assistant for Steve Kerr when the Golden
State won the 2015 championship – the franchise’s first title in 40 years – and
still a close friend and confidant of Golden State’s head coach.
Cousins tore his Achilles in late January and underwent surgery. He has posted regular updates on social media with the hash tags ”The Resurgence” and
”0 Doubt.”
”I been grinding since a youngin in the trenches this ain’t nothing new to me,” he wrote last month on Twitter .
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Warriors would be the first team since Boston in 1975-76 to play five All-Stars from the previous season at the
same time. That group was Jo Jo White, Charlie Scott, Dave Cowens, Paul Silas
and John Havlicek.
Durant has again agreed to a two-year deal with a player option to sign a more a lucrative contract next summer, which also provides the Warriors
financial flexibility as general manager Bob Myers builds the roster to go after
another title. Golden State will play its final season at Oracle Arena in
Oakland before a move to new Chase Center in San Francisco’s Mission Bay
neighborhood.
The Warriors lost center JaVale McGee on Sunday to the Lakers
Youth Kalen Ballage Jersey , who landed LeBron James with a $153.3 million, four-year contract as the NBA’s free agency period began.
Green, for one, is a huge fan of Cousins.
”He’s incredible. He can score the ball,” Green said in January 2017 at Sacramento when Cousins was still with the Kings. ”I think DeMarcus is the best
center in the game. A lot of times people don’t give him that credit. A part of
it is they try to downplay his status because of his reputation or getting
technical fouls or things like that. He is the best big man in the game hands
down. It’s always interesting to watch, interesting to play against, interesting
to play with, because he’s so incredibly talented.”
—
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