From Tom Pelissero of The Green Bay Press Gazette:
Justin Harrell fears his NFL career is over.
APJustin Harrell
“Most definitely,” the Green Bay Packers’ injury-plagued defensive end said on Monday. “Anytime you have back surgery, it’s always a red flag, and then having two in one year. It’s one of those things, man — you’re trying to fight through it and trying to fight through it, and ...
“Hey, I don’t want to think about that right now, because hopefully, that’s (not going to happen). But it’s definitely in my mind.”
How could it not be?
The lower back that required two surgeries and cost Harrell 10 games last year flared up again the first week of training camp, and it hasn’t gotten much better since he first missed practice on Aug. 6.
The Packers are sending out studies to specialists to try to come up with yet another game plan for healing their 2007 first-round draft pick. But even for a generally jovial guy like Harrell — who in May pronounced himself “cured” after an offseason visit to a Green Bay chiropractor — it’s difficult to be optimistic.
Ted Thompson's great mistake. Harrell may be a great guy, but he spent his college career in the training room. I'm pulling for him, but the Pack may as well cut their losses here and move on.
Been as frustrated as everybody else with Justin Harrell's ongoing poor health, & mystified as to why the Pack kept him on. Concluded only during this training camp that he must have real ability as a player, and from the feedback after the acupuncture, it seems that was right.
Now this story. Back when he signed the contract, an interviewer asked whether he was going to buy some big special thing with his first paycheck. He said no. He felt good that the money was protected, being safely managed so he couldn't just whittle it away. He was just thrilled that he could finally take care of his family.
I hope he gets a good break, after the Pack, after football, if that's how it turns out.
Done.
/Had back surgery (disc fusion L5)
//No more drumming.
///No more working.
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Previous NFL stop was with Texans
Aug 17, 2009
08:41 PM
It's a shame if this back issue does indeed end Harrell's career. Because of the injuries, we'll never know what kind of player he could have been. But I have to put this one on Ted Thompson; Harrell was a medical red flag in college, but Thompson took a chance and he got burned.