SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) -Jonathan Stewart has put together a gaudy resume in his two years in the NFL. He set Carolina’s rookie rushing record, led the Panthers in rushing last season and has played in all 33 regular-season and playoff games.
Yet this may be the most remarkable part of it all: He’s hardly practiced in nearly three years.
“Stew’s got it down to a science,” tight end Jeff King said, smiling. “He’s outsmarting us all.”
The ribbing Stewart gets is expected, yet behind it is respect and amazement by his teammates for how he’s been able to play through a painful Achilles’ tendon and heel injury. After undergoing surgery in January, Stewart still hasn’t been cleared to return, and is watching the start of training camp while on the physically unable to perform list.
actice is something that’s very important to excel,” Stewart said Friday. “You’ve got guys that are practicing around you and getting better and you’re not being able to get the opportunity.
“Once I get healthy, it’s going to be one of the best days of my life.”
Stewart indicated the last time he was pain-free was in his final year at Oregon, just before he injured his right big toe against Arizona on Nov. 15, 2007. It required surgery, and Stewart was held out of all offseason practices after going to Carolina with the 13th overall pick.
Overcompensating for his toe by putting more pressure on his left foot is what caused the new injury. About halfway through his rookie season he started being held out of at least one practice a week with what the secretive Panthers called just a “sore left heel.”
Despite the pain, the strong and stocky Stewart rushed for 836 yards and 10 touchdowns, both franchise rookie records. Stewart and DeAngelo Williams combined for the most yards by NFL teammates since 1984.
Stewart then sat out every offseason workout last season, and had participated in eight of 48 practices before playing in Week 1 against Philadelphia. His Achilles’ tendon and heel throbbing, Stewart wasn’t sure he’d make it through the season.
season, really. It was a good situation.”
Despite practicing once or twice a week at the most, Stewart recovered from a slow start and had big games after Williams went out with an ankle injury. Stewart rushed for a franchise-record 206 yards in a win at the New York Giants, and finished with 1,133 yards despite being in constant pain.
“There was one play I remember, he broke like 40 yards, guys were still trying to tackle him, and he was moaning and yelling at the bottom of the huddle,” center Ryan Kalil said. “And he got back in and we ran another play. That’s a tough guy. I’m glad he’s on my team.”
Shortly after combining with Williams to become the first set of teammates since the 1970 merger to each rush for over 1,100 yards, Stewart had surgery on the area between his Achilles’ tendon and heel. He said some bone spurs were removed and the doctor “cleaned it up, did some stuff, tightening and whatever.”
Stewart missed all offseason workouts – he hasn’t participated in one minicamp practice or organized team activity workout in three years – and is now sitting again.
“I can’t wait until he gets out there it takes reps off of us, and we can get back to midseason form like we were last year,” Williams said. “I think the coaching staff did a great job rotating us in and out, and he did a great job of taking over there at the end when I was hurt.”
Stewart said he hopes to return “soon” but added, “I really don’t know” when that will be.
“In my career, I’ve known guys who, man, they’d be so excited if they could have some kind of excuse to get out (of practice),” Kalil said. “I know he cares a lot about what his teammates think of him.
“I try to reassure him all the time, that guys know that it’s just one of those things that you try to fight through. I tell him we’d rather have him on Sunday than through the week.”
So Friday afternoon, when his teammates were sweating through a workout with a heat index over 100 degrees, Stewart was watching – again.
“He’s got a good schedule going, why mess with it now,” King said before finishing with one more friendly jab.
“Maybe if we started practicing him he won’t be as good.”
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