FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The cheers for Brian Finneran sound a bit louder these days.
He's had great catches along the sideline and even more nice grabs over the middle during Russell Falcons Training Camp. But cheers aren't necessarily coming for his play alone.
His history made him a fan favorite.
The nine-year veteran missed the last two seasons with knee injuries. But his 15 career touchdowns (12 since joining the Falcons in 2002) ring clear in fans' minds. Every catch made during camp is a sign of a comeback. Every step of a pass route is a step in the right direction.
"My legs may have been a little heavy," Finneran said after his first practice this off-season. "I'm just easing into it but I felt pretty good in terms of football and knowing where I need to be."
Finneran has played in 86 career games. He has 187 catches for 2,647 yards. Most have gone for first downs, cementing his status as one of the team's better clutch receivers. Now he's earning his stripes all over again.
“I think it will be a great story if Brian makes it all the way back," added Head Coach Mike Smith, "He has done a great job rehabilitating and having to miss two seasons. He is doing everything in his power and we are going to bring him along slowly. We had a talk last night about when they were going to let him get in two practices a day. That should be coming very soon. That will be the true test to see if he can take the pounding of two practices. He has made a lot of nice catches here for us at camp so far.”
After the first day of full-pad work, Finneran was in good spirits.
“That is part of it, but the other comes in the preseason..." he said when asked about taking contact from the defense.
Finneran said he's been running routes at full-speed for several weeks but he's careful not to overdue it.
"I'll ice a little bit longer and work on a few things with the knee," he said. "(Coaches) have been taking care of me pretty good. If any soreness comes up I can talk to the coaches and they'll take care of me."
Finneran helped consistently on special teams before his injury and says he can also contribute there if needed. The injury won't hold him back.
"I made my NFL career playing special teams," he said. "If I had to go out there and play punt team, punt return or cover kickoffs... Even if I'm a backup guy they know if someone goes down I can fill right in.
"If they ask me to do that I'll be happy to do it."
So the cheers will continue with every catch the 6-foot-5 receiver makes. With luck and dedication, there won't be a repeat of the injury bug.
"I have not had any problems," Finneran said. "I feel good and I don’t foresee any problems.”
INJURY REPORT: Defensive end Jamaal Anderson missed another practice Monday with a hamstring injury. He was pulled Sunday as a precaution -- a sign coaches want to stick to the plan of keeping players healthy for the season opener.
“It was just a tweak," Anderson said. "I stopped working as soon as I felt it and that’s the smartest thing I could have done in order to prevent it from getting worse. We’re just going to see how it goes day by day."
Cornerback Von Hutchins visited a specialist in Charlotte, N.C. today in regards to his injured foot. Smith said in his press gathering the team would know more in the afternoon.
PHYSICAL LABOR: The Falcons worked in shorts Monday afternoon in an effort to recover from a physical, full-pads workout in the morning.
The hard work was welcome, but players know there's an toll on the body and the emotions.
“It went well," cornerback Chris Houston said. "We got those pads on and got the soreness in. Everyone was playing fast with a lot of emotion and a lot of hitting.”
Only one dispute arose from the practice. Rookie wide receiver Harry Douglas and safety Lawyer Milloy got in a bit of a dispute, but it did not become overly physical.
“Harry is a confident young man," Smith said. "There’s no doubt about that. You like to see that in a rookie. Of course, at this time of the year, tempers get a little bit short, but it was all in good fun and fun to watch. I don’t know if it was the best thing to do to a guy who has been in this league for a very long time, but I was excited to see them get a little bit riled up.”
QUOTEBALE: Quarterback D.J. Shockley talked about the competition at his position:
“There is always going to be competition. All of us are great competitors so we’re going to go out there and compete. At the end of the day, you’ve got to do what’s good for you and look out for yourself. You really can’t control what you can’t control. You only control what you can, so that’s what I’m doing.”
WEATHER REPORT: At one point Monday afternoon the weather station on the Falcons practice field registered 75 percent humidity. Lucky for the team the uniform was shorts and jerseys.
The morning practice was hot but bearable with an occasional breeze.
“I’m starting to get used to it," cornerback Chevis Jackson said. "It’s hot down there in Baton Rouge, La., but I’m real comfortable out here."
There will be one practice open to the public tomorrow. The high temperature for the day is predicted at 91 degrees.
RELATED LINKS:
- COVERAGE: Click here for complete coverage of 2008 Russell Falcons Training Camp
- FALCONCAST: Running Back Michael Turner
- NOTEBOOK: Finneran showing now ill effects from injury
- TRANSCRIPT: Head Coach Mike Smith
- VIDEO: Head Coach Mike Smith | Brian Finneran | Chevis Jackson | Curtis Lofton
- BIRDSEED: J. Mike reviews and comments on Falcons news
- J. MIKE'S BLOG: Time to Bring the Pain | Falcons Agree to Terms with Jackson
- MOOKIE'S BLOG: Weather Report
