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SDUT: Chargers Danario Alexander, happy, healthy and productive
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Robin Miller
Nov 14, 2012, 7:27:48 PM11/14/12
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Chargers Danario Alexander, happy, healthy and productive
By By Scott Bair
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Danario Alexander pushed his defender to the left and slanted right. The
Chargers receiver created enough separation to warrant a pass from
quarterback Philip Rivers, which was delivered on time and in stride.
Alexander spun out of one tackle, planted hard off his left leg and
sprinted for the end zone. He got there in no time, crossed his arms in
signature style and joined his teammates in celebration of a game well
started.
The most important part of this sequence wasn’t the excellent route or
tackle broken or its triumphant end. It was a singular emotion. Elation
is all Alexander felt.
No pain, all gain.
That has been rare for Alexander, long before he turned pro. Black metal
bracing his left knee is all that remains of those difficult times, when
one troublesome joint nearly capsized his football dream.
Alexander has had five surgeries on his left knee dating back to his
sophomore year in college. His fourth came after an injury at the 2010
Senior Bowl, and made him an undrafted commodity. The fifth happened
early in his rookie year with St. Louis, and a bum hamstring got him cut
this training camp.
But on Sunday in Tampa Bay, his body worked as it should.
“My left knee felt just like my right knee,” Alexander said. “No thought
goes into how it feels, and no effort is spent trying to baby it. Same
with the hamstring. After everything I’ve dealt with I consider myself
blessed to feel this way.”
Periods of health have been brief, yet incredibly productive. Fully
recovered from three knee surgeries as a senior at Missouri, Alexander
had 113 receptions and an NCAA-best 1,781 yards to pair with 14
touchdowns. He showed flashes of brilliance in St. Louis, with three
games in excess of 90 yards while battling through injury.
Alexander’s last two games as a Charger should rank among his best. He
has eight receptions for 195 yards and a touchdown in that span, and
started Sunday over big-money free agent Robert Meachem after just three
weeks on the job.
The 6-foot-5, 217-pound receiver fits the Chargers’ mold. He’s big and
physical, gets great separation at the line of scrimmage and can win
battles in the air. He’s integrated well and is already seeing
significant targets while coverage continues to shift toward Malcom
Floyd and tight end Antonio Gates.
“Coming in around midseason, you have to maximize each rep in practice,
and that means coming in prepared and ready to work,” Alexander said.
“That means knowing the plays inside and out. With a quarterback like
Philip, that’s most important. If you’re at the right place at the right
time, Phil’s going to get you the ball.”
After what he believed was a stellar workout, Alexander wasn’t sure if
he’d get to work with Rivers. He left without a contract, and was ready
to board a flight back home when the phone rang.
“I was pretty surprised and sort of disappointed when they let me go
back to leave without signing anything, because I really thought it was
a good fit,” Alexander said. “My agent called me when I was at the
airport and gave me the good news. It made it a long flight home go
pretty fast.”
It was a golden opportunity to resurrect a flailing professional career,
and Alexander’s glad he got it. He used the downtime between getting cut
and signing with the Chargers to get fully healthy, and the time off has
done him good.
He was able to quiet his aching hamstring and let his knee get some
needed rest. He’s showcasing his true talent, a chance he no longer
takes for granted.
“I’m confident in my ability to play football at this level, and that
was the driving force during all those rehab stints,” Alexander said. “I
always knew that I could compete if I could stay healthy long enough to
prove myself.”
Health was and will always be an issue. Reports out of St. Louis
indicated that Alexander’s knee is permanently damaged and will never be
as stable and healthy as it once was. St. Louis trainers were quoted as
saying he’d always have to deal with swelling in the knee, but Alexander
believes he has a dependable routine for keeping the joint healthy and
productive.
“There were some issues after my last surgery (in 2010),” Alexander
said. “But I have been able to maintain it and keep it as healthy as it
is now. I’m fine. I feel great. I’m so excited to be a Charger. They
gave me a great opportunity, and I’ll do anything I can to help this
team win.”
By By Scott Bair
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Danario Alexander pushed his defender to the left and slanted right. The
Chargers receiver created enough separation to warrant a pass from
quarterback Philip Rivers, which was delivered on time and in stride.
Alexander spun out of one tackle, planted hard off his left leg and
sprinted for the end zone. He got there in no time, crossed his arms in
signature style and joined his teammates in celebration of a game well
started.
The most important part of this sequence wasn’t the excellent route or
tackle broken or its triumphant end. It was a singular emotion. Elation
is all Alexander felt.
No pain, all gain.
That has been rare for Alexander, long before he turned pro. Black metal
bracing his left knee is all that remains of those difficult times, when
one troublesome joint nearly capsized his football dream.
Alexander has had five surgeries on his left knee dating back to his
sophomore year in college. His fourth came after an injury at the 2010
Senior Bowl, and made him an undrafted commodity. The fifth happened
early in his rookie year with St. Louis, and a bum hamstring got him cut
this training camp.
But on Sunday in Tampa Bay, his body worked as it should.
“My left knee felt just like my right knee,” Alexander said. “No thought
goes into how it feels, and no effort is spent trying to baby it. Same
with the hamstring. After everything I’ve dealt with I consider myself
blessed to feel this way.”
Periods of health have been brief, yet incredibly productive. Fully
recovered from three knee surgeries as a senior at Missouri, Alexander
had 113 receptions and an NCAA-best 1,781 yards to pair with 14
touchdowns. He showed flashes of brilliance in St. Louis, with three
games in excess of 90 yards while battling through injury.
Alexander’s last two games as a Charger should rank among his best. He
has eight receptions for 195 yards and a touchdown in that span, and
started Sunday over big-money free agent Robert Meachem after just three
weeks on the job.
The 6-foot-5, 217-pound receiver fits the Chargers’ mold. He’s big and
physical, gets great separation at the line of scrimmage and can win
battles in the air. He’s integrated well and is already seeing
significant targets while coverage continues to shift toward Malcom
Floyd and tight end Antonio Gates.
“Coming in around midseason, you have to maximize each rep in practice,
and that means coming in prepared and ready to work,” Alexander said.
“That means knowing the plays inside and out. With a quarterback like
Philip, that’s most important. If you’re at the right place at the right
time, Phil’s going to get you the ball.”
After what he believed was a stellar workout, Alexander wasn’t sure if
he’d get to work with Rivers. He left without a contract, and was ready
to board a flight back home when the phone rang.
“I was pretty surprised and sort of disappointed when they let me go
back to leave without signing anything, because I really thought it was
a good fit,” Alexander said. “My agent called me when I was at the
airport and gave me the good news. It made it a long flight home go
pretty fast.”
It was a golden opportunity to resurrect a flailing professional career,
and Alexander’s glad he got it. He used the downtime between getting cut
and signing with the Chargers to get fully healthy, and the time off has
done him good.
He was able to quiet his aching hamstring and let his knee get some
needed rest. He’s showcasing his true talent, a chance he no longer
takes for granted.
“I’m confident in my ability to play football at this level, and that
was the driving force during all those rehab stints,” Alexander said. “I
always knew that I could compete if I could stay healthy long enough to
prove myself.”
Health was and will always be an issue. Reports out of St. Louis
indicated that Alexander’s knee is permanently damaged and will never be
as stable and healthy as it once was. St. Louis trainers were quoted as
saying he’d always have to deal with swelling in the knee, but Alexander
believes he has a dependable routine for keeping the joint healthy and
productive.
“There were some issues after my last surgery (in 2010),” Alexander
said. “But I have been able to maintain it and keep it as healthy as it
is now. I’m fine. I feel great. I’m so excited to be a Charger. They
gave me a great opportunity, and I’ll do anything I can to help this
team win.”
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