Early in the game vs. Baltimore on Thursday, Redskins defensive end Jarvis Jenkins noticed a difference in his play. And a thought started rolling through his head.
“I was feeling good man,” he said. “I was like, yeah I’m ready to turn it up more.”
But then came an injury that ended his season, forcing him to alter his definition of success this season. One thing Jenkins, a second-round pick in April, said he learned early in the preseason was how to adjust to what the offense was doing. Now he’s forced to adjust to life as an injured player. Jenkins said he’ll undergo surgery on Wednesday or Thursday.
And he’s staying positive.
There’s this: “Once I heard it pop I knew it couldn’t be too good. But on the bright side it wasn’t my MCL or PCL, just the ACL. That’ll be an easier process to recover from.”
And this: “If you think positive about your injuries, only positives will come out of it. I can learn the defense better. I get a chance to watch more film on guys for next year. I get a head start and also I can get this leg stronger. I can work on myself. There are a lot of things I can do to make myself better for next year.”
The positive attitude stemmed from conversations with ex-college teammate Da’Quan Bowers and ex-Redskin Robert Henson, both of whom had ACL injuries. Also, Jenkins said his dad had two or three ACL injuries in high school.
But that doesn’t mean he isn’t disappointed.
“I was coming into my own,” he said. “I was feeling like I was seeing blocking schemes and being comfortable on defense. … And then a freak accident.”
