CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -Anthony Reddick can’t remember the last time he swatted a football away in a game.
It’s been that long for Miami’s fifth-year safety, who went through his first full day of practice on Monday morning since tearing a ligament in his left knee in a pickup basketball game last season.
It was Nov. 13, 2004, against Virginia when he last recorded an interception.
“It was a while ago,” Reddick said while trying to recall the date.
He’s hoping it won’t be much longer.
Reddick, along with linebacker Glenn Cook, is one of the upperclassmen on this young Miami team. He knows the playbook, he has the experience and coaches are expecting him to be a leader.
“In order for us to be a good football team, he has to contribute,” defensive backs coach Wesley McGriff said.
It might be tough, though, considering what Reddick has been through since putting on a Hurricanes uniform.
The torn ACL in 2007 was the second devastating injury he went through – in 2005, as a sophomore, Reddick tore the ACL in his opposite knee in the season opener against Florida State. That injury ended his season and opened the doors for Brandon Meriweather and Kenny Phillips, now players in the NFL.
Reddick said he got through those surgeries and the 16 months of rehab by praying a lot and focusing on his future. After the second surgery, he and former Miami running back Frank Gore got close. Gore, who suffered the same injury in 2002, now starts for the San Francisco 49ers.
“He just said just keep working,” Reddick said.
McGriff said Reddick didn’t give up.
“I think all of that made him stronger,” McGriff said. “Anthony brings a ton of leadership, and of course, a lot of talent. And he can really play.”
In 2004, Reddick did play – and with authority. He earned All-American honors as a freshman and was a hard hitter who earned the starting safety position after that season.
Reddick had trouble recovering after that first surgery, though. In 2006, He played mostly on special teams as a redshirt sophomore and made headlines for his role in the brawl against Florida International University.
Reddick served four games as part of his suspension.
Even though McGriff is hopeful that Reddick will have another freshman-caliber season (Reddick had 73 tackles, one interception, one sack and one forced fumble), he is taking caution.
Since fall practices started on August 2, Reddick has been limited because of those injuries.
“I just think we have to do a good job of managing him because he’s one of those guys who is going to go all out and he doesn’t like to tell you when he’s hurting,” McGriff said.
Reddick said he won’t make that mistake this year, and won’t play unless he feels 110 percent.
But he won’t squash his hopes for a breakout season and is ecstatic that he has the chance to play again.
“For what I’ve been through, I think that’s one of the reasons I come out here and tried to bust my butt because at the end of the day, it could be taken away from you,” Reddick said.
When asked about how he felt to be back on the field, an effusive Reddick couldn’t brush away his smile.
“It felt good being out there, high fiving with the guys and stuff,” he said. “It felt good. It felt like football.”
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