Inquirer: He's Back

[PhillyPhreak54]

He's back

After a painful recovery from knee surgery, the Eagles' N.D. Kalu is eager to play again.

By Marc Narducci
Inquirer Staff Writer

First he wanted to fight. Then he wanted to cry. To avoid screaming from the endless pain, Eagles defensive end N.D. Kalu would bite hard on a towel. He then would work harder in the weight room, avoiding the tears but not the suffering.

Anybody who has rehabilitated a knee can relate to the physical and mental pain Kalu felt.

If there need be any reminders of the torn right anterior cruciate ligament he suffered during practice on Aug. 17, 2004, there are plenty of battle scars. Huge scars remain on his knee and thigh, the remnants of the operation and a daily reminder of what it took to get back to the football field.

Now Kalu can laugh about wanting to fight Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder during the early stages of rehab because he couldn't stand the pain.

"Rick said it would be the most painful thing I ever went through, and he was right," Kalu said, reflecting by his locker on a time he would like to forget but knows he will always remember.

There will be few people who will be more excited to be in the Georgia Dome when the Eagles open their season Monday night against the Atlanta Falcons.

The players say that there is nothing like Monday Night Football, with the nation watching them perform while listening to Al Michaels and John Madden.

Moreover, the subplots in this game are plentiful. The Falcons, with the electrifying Michael Vick, are attempting to avenge last season's 27-10 pasting by the Eagles in the NFC title game.

There also happens to be an Atlanta resident playing for the Eagles who might make noise - at least on the field. Most have heard of him, that Terrell Owens character.

As for Kalu, he will slip into the starting lineup with little fanfare but plenty of appreciation for how far he has come. He will realize that all those monotonous leg reps he did during an off-season from hell were well worth it.

"I'm so excited, and don't want to let the emotions overtake me," said Kalu, realizing he might not win that battle, at least for the opening series. "I don't want to get caught up in the lights and glamour of Monday Night Football."

The 6-foot-3, 265-pound Kalu hopes to regain the form he had before the injury - when he started all 16 games in 2003 and recorded 51/2 sacks and a career-high 46 tackles.

This preseason has been both torturous and gratifying for Kalu. Little things he used to take for granted, such as surviving training camp in sweltering heat, are much more appreciated these days.

"Normally, I don't look forward to training camp, but it was huge this year," Kalu said. "Camp is so hard mentally and physically. You are hitting each other, but I welcomed it this year."

He said he didn't want to be babied upon his return, and the Eagles complied.

"After we broke training camp, I told him I was excited and happy for him, to see a guy come back from a knee injury like that having gone through two myself," linebacker Jeremiah Trotter said. "He didn't miss a practice, and that is saying a lot."

Kalu is quiet and carries himself in a dignified manner. He is not only one of the most well-liked and respected Eagles among his teammates, but also among the most intelligent players wearing an NFL uniform.

At the age of 30, he questioned his sanity in pursuing his comeback. He has a thriving real-estate business and said that financially, he would have been fine if football had been taken away from him. Emotionally, it would have been a different story.

"There's something about being in the locker room, being with the guys, then competing every Sunday physically and mentally," he said. "You can't compare to it and want to do it as long as possible."

To a man, his teammates have talked about how much his return means to the team, both from a football and a personal standpoint.

"You never want to see a guy get injured, but it's a better story when he comes back and plays well," cornerback Lito Sheppard said. "We really missed N.D. last year."

The Eagles missed Kalu almost as much as he missed being away from the game.

"I know when I hit the field on Monday, it will be really special," Kalu said. "I am so grateful to be back."

I think Kalu is one of the more underrated guys on this team. He was perfect in his 2002 role of being that 3rd down rusher, special teams guy and joker in the Okie packages. When he started after Hugh left the first time he did OK, but he was not very effective because he was forced to play so many snaps due to injuries.

Kalu, if limited to 50-55 snaps per game, can be a very good end in this defense. When he gets the 70 plays is when he wears down. He also developed more than one pass rush move which is obviously good. He used to frustrate me in '03 when he tried to go around the LT every damn time.

[Eaglez]

I agree. Nobody has really talked about Kalu this preseason. He could be a very nice compliment to Kearse. I remember the Rams game a few seasons back where he had 4 sacks. I had no idea he had that many at the end of the game. He seemed like he was getting in the backfield alot but I didn't know he put Warner on his back that often.

I think that was the first MOFO gathering. good times. 

[PhillyPhreak54]

Indeed it was. The game where SD took the slide down the Vet stairs on his ass and tried to play it off by doing the chant. And when we had to move seats because of that chode in front of us who kept looking back at us because SD dropped beer on him.

I was so drunk that I didn't even know Kalu had 4 sacks. That was the last time I decided to not get so piss drunk I forgot the game.

[rjs246]

Is anyone else worried about the fact that Kalu sucks against the run and is backed up by an undersized rookie end? Or am I the only one?`

[Philly_Crew]

Problem is that he will have to be on the field alot.  Unless Thomas and Cole play unbelievably well, the DE rotation will be thin without Hugh and McDougle.

[Eaglez]

Yeah I was thoroughly spent by the end of that game.

Kalu is a bit undersized but it seems as though the light, fast ends are the latest craze in the NFL nowadays. I wouldn't worry too much about him handling his own most downs. Maybe Andy has plans to rotate Darwin out at end like he did, I think, 2 seasons ago. He has the depth at DT to do it. Walker, Rayburn, Patterson, and Kearse sounds like a good front against the run to me.

Hopefully 'he shot me' will be back in the lineup, be productive, and add some bulk.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Is anyone else worried about the fact that Kalu sucks against the run and is backed up by an undersized rookie end? Or am I the only one?`

ND isn't really that bad as a run stopper. He's no stud, but he has gotten much better. Watch how he anchors himself now. In 2003 he gave up a lot of runs because of that damn trying to run outside the tackle all the time. That left a huge hole open. But he's been better.

[Rome]

ND is a good situational defensive end.  He's not going to play all three downs in Johnson's defense but then again, no one else will either.

He's the master at rotating his personnel to take advantage of the offense's weaknesses.

Kalu will be fine and should have a big season in terms of sack totals.

[phillywin2k5]

ND is good for part time DE. Lets hope the 2 young guys can bring it against the 1st stringers this week.

[daigglesfaninva]

I would be happy for him to have 7 to 8 sacks. I'm still concern on how well he will hold up coming off injury.

[Don Ho]

Indeed it was. The game where SD took the slide down the Vet stairs on his ass and tried to play it off by doing the chant. And when we had to move seats because of that chode in front of us who kept looking back at us because SD dropped beer on him.

I was so drunk that I didn't even know Kalu had 4 sacks. That was the last time I decided to not get so piss drunk I forgot the game.

I want my son to attend his first birds game with you

[LBIggle]

if i remember correctly the tackle he was rushing against had like a broken arm or some crap like that.  i was at the game and distinctly remember the tackle not looking right.  4 sacks is nothing to blow off.. but ND Kalu is just filling in hughs spot with a little more speed.