Leary Confident His Knee Will Hold Up

[Midswat]

Posted by jellis at 5/3/2012 4:10 PM CDT on dallascowboys.com

Just based on his game tape, the Cowboys graded Memphis guard Ron Leary as a third-round talent, and offensive line coach Bill Callahan believes he is one of the most NFL-ready blockers in this class.

However, because of concerns about his knee following surgery to repair a torn meniscus in 2010, the Cowboys dropped him to the sixth round. They had the opportunity to draft him late, but like other teams, passed on Leary in all seven rounds.

After bragging about signing Leary, team owner Jerry Jones explained that his knee has a degenerative condition that could eventually require microfracture surgery and cut short his career.

Leary said he only found out a couple days before the draft how much the concerns over his knee were affecting his draft stock.

Before he left town for this weekend's minicamp, however, he received a good report.

"My doctor at school who did the surgery, I went and saw him right before I left Memphis," Leary said. "He told me if the knee was going to give out, it would've given out during the season. I played the whole season, no problems. I probably missed nine snaps out of the whole season. I did the Combine, played in the all-star game and everything. Everything is fine right now."

In this weekend's minicamp and throughout the summer, the Cowboys will likely be paying close attention to how well Leary holds up.

 

[Midswat]

I have no faith that Leary will pan out as anything.

It's usually when Jerry is all giddy about an unknown "gem", or when he thinks he's unearthed something, they don't pan out at all.

 

[Jon88]

So everyone was wrong?

 

[jiggyfly]

I have no faith that Leary will pan out as anything.

It's usually when Jerry is all giddy about an unknown "gem", or when he thinks he's unearthed something, they don't pan out at all.

Well he was propping Austin after he let TO go.

 

[Midswat]

Well he was propping Austin after he let TO go.

Yeah, but so was a lot of other people. Hell, I was on the Austin bandwagon for months myself.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

Yeah, but so was a lot of other people. Hell, I was on the Austin bandwagon for months myself.

No they weren't. Because before that, Sam Hurd was the most consistant and better UFDA Wr on our team. Austin just broke out. Everybody was expecting Roy Williams to be the heir-apparent to T.O.

 

[Theebs]

No they weren't. Because before that, Sam Hurd was the most consistant and better UFDA Wr on our team. Austin just broke out. Everybody was expecting Roy Williams to be the heir-apparent to T.O.

wrong.

Austin was ready to go in 08 and got injured then romo got injured and then owens went bonkers.

Austin was running around the field open all through 08 when he played but never got the ball. It drove me insane.

Williams was brought in to do what crayton couldnt do and take the pressure of crayton and allow him to go play in the slot again.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

wrong.

Austin was ready to go in 08 and got injured then romo got injured and then owens went bonkers.

Austin was running around the field open all through 08 when he played but never got the ball. It drove me insane.

Williams was brought in to do what crayton couldnt do and take the pressure of crayton and allow him to go play in the slot again.

Bullshit! Austin had hands of stone. He could run but that was about it. He was in no ways ready to go. He came back that next year and ran better routes and was catching most everything. In fact, Hurd was playing more than Austin. And the reason why he never got the ball much at that time because he dropped so much.

 

[buckup]

Not that you guys are hi-jacking a thread about an OL to talk about WRs, but how does this make any sense?

I have bad hamstrings. My doctor said, "as long as you stretch, your hamstrings will be fine." I stretched like a motherfucker before I played. I tore my hamstring. Off the bone. Right before I did that, I was confident my hamstring would hold up.

 

[Sheik]

Not that you guys are hi-jacking a thread about an OL to talk about WRs, but how does this make any sense?

I have bad hamstrings. My doctor said, "as long as you stretch, your hamstrings will be fine." I stretched like a motherfucker before I played. I tore my hamstring. Off the bone. Right before I did that, I was confident my hamstring would hold up.

I've seen your game film. Impressive hamstrings.

 

[buckup]

I've seen your game film. Impressive hamstrings.

When I walk through a door, my hamstrings touch both sides of the door frame.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Bullshit! Austin had hands of stone. He could run but that was about it. He was in no ways ready to go. He came back that next year and ran better routes and was catching most everything. In fact, Hurd was playing more than Austin. And the reason why he never got the ball much at that time because he dropped so much.

He dropped 2 passes I believe. I remember because on CZ people kept saying that he was dropping all of these balls.

 

[NoDak]

Whoops. Wrong thread.

~smacks self~

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

He dropped 2 passes I believe. I remember because on CZ people kept saying that he was dropping all of these balls.

He dropped more than two passes, in addition to running lousy routes. I know this for a fact, because I was one of Austin's biggest critics at the time. I think you are talking abo9ut the times Austin fumbled while on KO returns. All Austin had was just speed at the time. But that next season, it all just clicked. Ray Sherman brought it all together for him.

 

[Hoofbite]

Ronald Leary was the most ready OG in the entire NFL draft.

Then he took an arrow to the knee.

 

[Cr122]

Sabin: Cowboys rookie guard Ron Leary on degenerative knee condition: 'I try not to think about it because nothing is wrong with it'
ByRainer Sabin

rsabin@dallasnews.com

IRVING -- Last weekend, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones couldn't wait to reveal that the team had agreed to terms with undrafted free agent guard Ronald Leary. On Friday, head coach Jason Garrett didn't waste any time before praising him.

"He had a good start," Garrett said. "It doesn't seem like he has any physical issues."

But he does. Leary has a degenerative disorder in his left knee called osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) that causes the bone that supports the cartilage to soften because of a discontinuation of blood flow to that area.

When he had surgery to repair a meniscus he had torn last May, Leary's doctor told him something else was wrong. But Leary didn't find out exactly what it was until he underwent exams earlier this year.

Because of his condition, teams expressed reservations during the draft about selecting him.

"Their doctors weren't going to clear me," said Leary, who started all 12 games at Memphis last season. "I try not to think about it because nothing is wrong with it. But I play with a chip on my shoulder. Everybody is doubting me and they're saying I'm not going to make it, so I'm out here to prove everybody wrong."

 

[bkeavs]

What should be expected from an athlete looking to get paid. No my knee is a problem. I think I only have a year or so left.

 

[Midswat]

Leary has a degenerative disorder in his left knee called osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) that causes the bone that supports the cartilage to soften because of a discontinuation of blood flow to that area.

Don't they have machines or whatever that increase bloodflow?

Didn't Owens hyperbolic chamber (or whatever) increase bloodflow, thus aide in recovery times?

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

Jerry, Send his ass to Germany to spin that blood

 

[Jon88]

If he's confident then I'm confident.

How I was raised...