The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
3 injuries can’t keep Conklin down
Jack Conklin was knocked down by three injuries last season that could make some fans squeamish just to read about, let alone experience.
Yet here he is, in the early stages of Browns training camp, easing his way back into his starting job at right tackle, eager to protect whoever ends up starting at quarterback and eager to pave a trail for whichever running back carries the ball.
“It’s coming along well,” Conklin said before practice Aug. 3. “I’m just getting back to practicing, so I just got to ease in and let my knee get back to feeling used to football. But so far, everything is going great. I feel stronger than I’ve been in a long time after putting in all of those hours.
“I don’t want to put any numbers on it or a timeline, but I’m working toward (starting the season opener Sept. 11 against the Panthers). That’s my goal, but again, I’ve just started getting back to practice and we’ll see how it goes.”
Conklin suffered a knee injury in a game with the Chargers on Oct. 10 last year. He missed two weeks and returned on Oct. 31 to play in the game against the Steelers. He was on the field for the first 21 offensive snaps, but then was sidelined again with a dislocated elbow.
Coach Kevin Stefanski announced Conklin would miss “multiple weeks” with the elbow injury, indicating the Browns were braced to be without Conklin for a month or more. It was grim news, indeed, because Chris Hubbard, who would have replaced Conklin, suffered a season-ending triceps injury in the season opener