INDIANAPOLIS (AP) r12; Andrew Luck traipses across the locker room with a little extra pep in his step these days.
Itr17;s obvious from the smile that the Indianapolis Coltsr16; starting quarterback is content to put on his shoulder pads Braden Holtby Jersey , prepare for practice and get ready to make his first regular-season start in more than 20 months.
Sure, there were times Luck questioned when or even if this day would come, whether he could regain the Pro Bowl form from his first three pro seasons after shoulder surgery and whether those regular pregame jitters he craves would again be part of his game-day routine.
Now, just a few days away from facing Cincinnatir17;s defense, Luck looks and sounds like the confident leader everyone expects him to be this season.
r0;I think everybody knows how great a quarterback he is. Her17;s been out for a little while so I think theyr17;re probably waiting to see if her17;s back, healthy, ready to go,r1; kicker Adam Vinatieri said. r0;Everything that wer17;ve seen this offseason through minicamp, training camp tells me her17;s ready to rock and roll and be the Andrew we all know he can be.r1;
Luck understands just how heavily scrutinized these first few games will be.
He anticipates a litany of questions about his health, the subtle changes her17;s made to his throwing motion after working out with former major league pitcher Tom House, his ability to bounce up after big hits and whether using the sidelines and baseball slides will change his approach to the game.
After all, it was the hit he took from behind in the third preseason game that caused a minor foot injury that forced him out of two practices last week. But the fact he is talking about his foot rather than lingering pain in his right shoulder certainly is a sign of progress.
r0;Certainly not as smooth (a recovery) as your17;d like John Tavares Jersey ,r1; he said Wednesday, referring to his recovery from the surgery on a partially torn labrum in January 2017. r0;There have been hiccups and there have been challenges and hurdles to go over and frustrating times, and as a team, too. But I feel like wer17;ve always managed to find a way through it.r1;
The darkest moments appeared to come after Luck shut down his throwing regimen and went on injured reserve last fall.
He spent several weeks seeking additional opinions to determine whether a second procedure was necessary. Once assured nothing was structurally wrong, Luck headed to the Netherlands in November where he worked for more than a month working with a trusted trainer in relative anonymity.
When he returned to the team complex in late December, Luck was clearly a frustrated man.
r0;There was a time, probably a couple weeks into being away from here, in early December that was pretty difficult for me to sort of see the positive in things,r1; he said on Dec. 29. r0;You get a little emotionally tired. I am, I think, a little emotionally tired from the whole process. But thatr17;s all right.r1;
Teammates understood.
r0;Itr17;s a lonely feeling in this league when you get hurt and you canr17;t be out there with your teammates, for your coaches Authentic Louis Domingue Jersey , for your fans,r1; tight end Jack Doyle said. r0;So when I think he got back around us and practicing and just playing football again, you really saw him come back to normal, I guess.r1;
It took more than five months to see actual results.
Luck resumed throwing footballs in May, a secret he kept by swearing first-year coach Frank Reich to silence.
Then, on the second day of Indyr17;s three-day minicamp Luck made a surprise return and began flinging footballs around the practice field for the first time since October.
Suddenly, the conversations changed throughout the city.
Reich and general manager Chris Ballard outlined a training camp plan that called for Luck to mimic his regular-season routine by throwing three times per week in non-game settings.
Luckr17;s brief appearance in the preseason opener at Seattle eased most doubts about whether her17;d start the season opener.
His ability to survive big hits in each of the first three preseason games proved to fans, coaches and critics he was healthy. And if any additional assurances were needed, teammates found them in Luckr17;s demeanor on and off the field.
r0;Seeing him finally come out in camp and just have that confidence back, it really is a lot of fun,r1; center Ryan Kelly said. r0;Being able to laugh and joke around, Ir17;m sure a year ago even if he had been playing he didnr17;t have that in him. So itr17;s kind of like a reset button for him and itr17;s fun.r1;
Now Luck must deal with yet another test.
He faces a Bengals defense that includes sacks artists such as Geno Atkins Alex Burmistrov Jersey , Michael Johnson, Carlos Dunlap and Carl Lawson with the possibility of playing behind two new tackles.
Longtime left tackle Anthony Castonzo did limited work in practice Wednesday and his status for Sundayr17;s game remains unclear. Reich said her17;s decided on a starter at right tackle, but wonr17;t make an announcement till Sunday.
Still, Luck isnr17;t fretting.
He knows her17;s endured tougher predicaments and experienced more mentally challenging moments over the past 20 months while rediscovering his passion for the game. And he canr17;t wait for the moment, Saturday night or Sunday morning, when his stomach tightens and those nerves start firing.
r0;I think those butterflies will always be there,r1; he said with a smile. r0;Itr17;s a special feeling and Ir17;ve missed that feeling.r1;
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady vies for best male athlete while Olympic skier Mikaela Shiffrin contends a second time for best female athlete among nominations for The ESPYS honoring the past year's top sports achievements and moments.
Brady, a three-time nominee, will be up against first-time nominees Jose Altuve of the World Series champion Houston Astros, James Harden of the Houston Rockets and Alexander Ovechkin of the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals in male athlete nods announced Wednesday. Brady was also nominated in 2004 and 2008.
Shiffrin faces three first-time nominees for female athlete in Sylvia Fowles of the WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx, Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim and soccer player Julie Ertz.
Newly retired racecar driver Danica Patrick will be the first woman to host when the show airs July 18 from Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Kevin Durant of the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, who won last year Ivan Provorov Jersey , received a nod for best championship performance. He goes against Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, World Series MVP George Springer and Villanova's Donte DiVincenzo, most outstanding player of the men's Final Four.
Brady is also nominated for record-breaking performance, along with tennis star Roger Federer, New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and Diana Taurasi of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury.
Cleveland's LeBron James earned his 14th consecutive nomination for best NBA player and will be going for his third straight trophy. He is up against Harden, Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis of the Pelicans.
The nominees for breakthrough athlete are Ben Simmons of the 76ers, Utah's Donovan Mitchell, New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara and tennis player Sloane Stephens.
Winners of most categories will be determined by online fan voting that ends before the show airs.
