Jadeveon Clowney leaned on supporters during rehab

HOUSTON -- On the days when he felt like he just couldn't drag himself out of bed for another day of grueling rehab, Jadeveon Clowney's support system gave him the extra push he needed.

His teammates, the Houston Texans' training staff, his mother, Josenna Clowney, and his girlfriend, Najah Martin, reminded him that he needed to -- and that he could -- get through another day.

Clowney was glad he did it every single time, because it led to Monday's practice.

"More than I've worked my whole life probably," Clowney said. "It was worth it just to be back out here. It was all worth it."

Clowney returned to practice with the Texans on Monday for the first time since undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee in December. The former No. 1 overall pick participated in the walk-through with the first-team defense, the Texans' "dynamic stretching" period and individual drills, working against teammates and linebackers coach Mike Vrabel.

Each day, as his knee allows, the Texans will add more to Clowney's plate.

"I'm very anxious, man," Clowney said. "It's going to be great to be out there, rushing the passer, putting my hands on guys. I've been hitting these dummies for so long. Nobody hits back."

After practice, Clowney said he didn't feel soreness and that his knee felt significantly better than it did after practices last year. For most of last year's in-season practices, he tried to play with a knee that wasn't fully healed.

Clowney initially injured his knee during the first half of the Texans' season opener in September. He suffered a lateral meniscus tear, and the Texans tried to fix that with an arthroscopic procedure, knowing a further surgery might be necessary. He played in three more games last season, but the pain and swelling from a knee that had suffered articular cartilage damage hindered him.

His Dec. 8 microfracture surgery involved poking tiny holes in the bones around his knee to increase blood flow to help heal the cartilage.

"After everybody was telling me about the surgery, on how hard it was going to be and a lot of guys don't do this after the surgery, don't do that, I was like, 'I'm going to try to beat the odds,'" Clowney said. "I've always been that way my whole life, so I was going to work hard and just try to push for a good time to come back and I'm feeling great."

He had to stay off his feet for a month and a half after the surgery -- unable to even walk. Once he was allowed to start walking, five-hour days of rehabilitation followed, along with plenty of work with Roland Ramirez, the Texans' coordinator of rehabilitation.

"He never let me quit," Clowney said.

Before the Texans' organized team activities, Clowney was still experiencing some worrisome swelling, but the conclusion of those workouts for his teammates brought about a turning point. It was then that he began to feel more optimistic about his recovery. Clowney told Ramirez he was ready to pick a date for his return -- a goal to aim for. Ramirez suggested Aug. 17.

Clowney met that goal Monday when he donned his uniform and a helmet at practice. He took ribbing from veterans like Brian Cushing for being the new guy.

"I was like, 'Coach, I want to do some pass rush today,'" Clowney said. "He said 'Nah, your first day, you need to take it slow.' I was like, 'What am I gonna do then this whole time?' [He said] 'Take it slow, man. You're going to have plenty of opportunities.'"

It was a good start for the dynamic athlete, but he acknowledged that's all it was.

"Still a ways to go," Clowney said. "... It was great. Haven't been able to do some of that stuff in a long time. Just to be out there was a good feeling. Like I said, take it one day at a time."br/]