Blog: Is Anthony Richardson injury prone? Well, I recently suffered kind of a weird injury and lived to tell about it
Bowling injuries are rare occurrences. I'm a rare guy. Lord help me.
Earlier this week, Anthony Richardson was asked and addressed the question of whether he’s injury prone (and frankly, how do you reach any other conclusion, however unfortunate?). Anyway, this was his response:
“I’m pretty sure if they (folks who wonder if he’s injury prone) got out of the house and came out here and got hit by somebody that’s running 20-plus miles per hour every week, I’m pretty sure they’d be sore dealing with injuries as well. People are going to talk. That’s what people do…”
As one of those people who talks (writes) for a living, I can say without reservation that if I was a football player, I would pull a hammy standing for the National Anthem. I am well past my athletic prime, which peaked in high school when my hockey team, backstopped by my incredible goaltending (we were so dominant, I rarely saw quality shots), won the Illinois state championship, outscoring our last three opponents 38-2. But I’m rambling (and bragging a little, if I’m being honest).
At 64 and the survivor of multiple heart attacks and a quadruple bypass, I’m happy enough to play a round of golf (riding) or walking my dog without incident. I should be better about my nutrition and weight, especially after multiple wake-up calls, but, well, I’m not.
Yet.
The issue is, Richardson is 6-feet-5, 260 pounds and built like a moving van . He’s also 22. I can’t even remember age 22. I’m challenged to remember breakfast, but that’s another issue altogether.
Anyway, let me get to the semi-point of this screed.
The other night, for the second time in two years, I pulled a muscle in my ass while bowling.
Of course, my wife, who has had to live with my infirmities physical and emotional for 34 stressful years, saw it coming.
“You played golf today,” she said. “Did you stretch before bowling?”
“Nah, that was a fluke last year. I’ll be fine.”
And I was fine, bowling a 182 in my first game (I know, I’m quite the two-sport athlete. Almost Bo- and Deion-like.) Then sometime early in the second game, I felt it. A twinge. A big twinge.
“Oh, shit.”
I tried to keep my distress under wraps, if only to avoid the ration of grief my teammates (and their families) gave me over my bowling injury last year. But they’re subscribers to this publication (thanks, guys!) so now they know I was suffering in silence. For the record, I played through the pain (no Toradol available at Woodland Bowl, just beer) and rounded out my series with a 146 and a 136. Stupidly, I later shared this information with my wife, who wasn’t sure whether to find this all sad or hysterical. But she hasn’t volunteered to massage the affected area, which is a bummer.
Yes, honey, I’ll stretch next time.
Will I bowl next week? What’s the prognosis?
“It’s an ass,” said Shane Steichen. “It’s progressing.”
OK, Steichen didn’t say that.
But it is an ass and I am progressing.
Dammit, I guess I’m injury prone.
I feel like "injury prone" is the wrong language to describe Richardson. The optimal style of play that maximizes his gifts and minimizes his weaknesses is likely to lead to injury. This is true of any player who plays like he does.
Comparisons to other successful dual-threat QBs are not entirely accurate because AR is not as accomplished a passer as some of those other players. LaMar Jackson and Cam Newton were INCREDIBLE college passers. AR was not close their level as a passer.
He was a high-risk, high-reward pick. The Colts can try to constrain his running but in doing so, they put stress on the weakest part of his game.
If he could have gone in the second or third round to a team that didn't need him to play, he'd probably have evolved into a valuable player.
In this situation, he'll be lucky to be on the roster in year four.
None of this is his fault.
Wow!.......You still have viable ass muscle!? I'm so jealous!!
Loved the article!