Miles Austin’s career has almost been defined by his injuries as much as his potential
But after changing his stretching routine and making some other changes, the new Eagles wide receiver finally seemed past a litany of hamstring and other soft-tissue problems.
Then he got shivved, for all practical purposes, suffering a lacerated kidney which landed him on the Browns injured reserve list.
“I felt healthy last year,” Austin said, via Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. “I don’t even know how you lacerate a kidney without stabbing yourself. I fell on my side really hard. I don’t know what happened. . . .
“I felt healthy last year with the routine I was going through before practice. I’m going to incorporate it into whatever is going on here. I know what helped me last year and that’s something I’m going to regardless always incorporate.”
Of course, Eagles coach Chip Kelly has a thing for damaged goods, and his magic sports science smoothies seem to be just the thing for players who come to him broken so he can make them whole.
If Austin can stay on the field, he has a chance to help the Eagles in some capacity. He said he didn’t know what his role would be, and hopes his experience makes up for the lack of pure speed he once had.
“I’m 30 now so I’m sure I’ve probably lost some bit of explosiveness from being 22 years old,” he said. “But I don’t think it’s that much. I feel good. I feel healthy.
“I feel like with a slight loss — maybe, potentially, I don’t know … even with slight loss of burst or whatever we were talking about — I think the fact that I know the game more I can still do what needs to be done, if that makes sense. I don’t feel like I’ve lost anything because I’ve gained things mentally.”
And as long as he can avoid any oddball injuries, hopefully he’s figured out how to keep his legs underneath him.
