Mauldin set for fast comeback
Less than two weeks ago, when Lorenzo Mauldin toppled over facefirst into the Met-Life Stadium turf — unconscious, concussed and eventually hospitalized — the fear went beyond the Jets linebacker’s season to his safety and longterm health.
But in a recovery somewhere between stunning and miraculous, Mauldin shed his noncontact jersey Friday and was pronounced fit to play Sunday against Philadelphia. He’s listed as probable, but will play, in a comeback so quick, it shocked even the man who made it.
“Yeah, actually, with the concussion protocol I never thought that it would take just one week to get back,’’ Mauldin said. “I would think it would take two or three weeks to get back. But I tend to be a fast healer, so I’m just glad to be back.’’
That seemed incomprehensible when Mauldin first got hurt in the Sept. 13 seasonopener against Cleveland. The 22yearold rookie has managed migraines for a while, and apparently suffered one against the Browns, but played through it.
Then, going in for a tackle on Cleveland quarterback Johnny Manziel, Mauldin got hit in the head. He took a shaky step forward then fell over in a scary scene. He was strapped to a spinal board and carted off the field, later saying he was actually unconscious on the field and didn’t completely wake up until the next morning at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan.
It raises the obvious question: How related are the concussion and migraines?
“The neurologists have been telling me that that may have been an issue,” Mauldin said. “But I’m not a neurologist, so I don’t know. I just know that if I have a migraine before a concussion, I’m thinking that something triggered into my brain. But I believe they said a concussion is somewhat like your brain swells up or something. It may have been an issue, but I don’t know if it was the issue.’’
A thirdround pick from Louisville, Mauldin takes prescription medication for his migraines. Sunday against the Eagles, he will don a shaded visor and may even wear tinted contacts to cut down on glare, both of which have been approved by the NFL for medical reasons.
“Yeah, [any migraine] comes with the lights. This light right here is like kind of iffy on me right now, that’s why I’m not looking directly at it. It’s manageable,’’ said Mauldin, who doesn’t normally wear contacts. “The contacts, I just got cleared for the visor for the game, so that should work pretty well in tandem with everything that I’m doing.’’
Mauldin had said he felt “blessed” to have avoided severe neck and spinal injuries. After not practicing on Wednesday and working with the red noncontact jersey a day later, Mauldin shed it Friday and was proclaimed ready to go against the Eagles.
Mauldin had a full practice,” coach Todd Bowles said. “He’ll play for sure.’’
Other than his precautions to cut down on glare, Mauldin insists he won’t treat this game any differently. Despite the harrowing experience he went through, and the ugly scene when he was carted off the field at Met-Life Stadium, when he walks back out there Sunday he insists he won’t have any hesitation or added angst.
“Not at all,’’ Mauldin said. “I’m not going to think about it the week before. I just go on like it was a loss. I don’t go out think about the loss. I just go out hoping to win the next game and preparing for the next game. So I’m not going to harp on what happened before. I’m just going to go out and play the game.’’