FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Sometimes, when a football player sustains an injury, viewers on television can almost feel the agony themselves.
Right tackle Sebastian Vollmer's broken ankle on Oct. 27 falls into that category.
When Vollmer was blocking on a running play to the right side, Dolphins defensive tackle Randy Starks rolled up on the back of Vollmer's legs, and CBS microphones close to the field clearly picked up audio of Vollmer immediately screaming in pain. An air cast was quickly placed on Vollmer's right leg and a cart was called out to help him to the locker room.
Seven-plus months later, Vollmer answered questions from reporters Thursday. The six-year veteran has made significant progress in his recovery was a full participant in Thursday's organized team activity, playing both right and left tackle.
After the practice, Vollmer was asked to recount the scary moment and the ensuing rehab.
“Every time you get hurt, it's not a good thing, and you don't really know what's happened to yourself,” he said. “You go inside, talk to your doctors, and do what's necessary and just work your way [back]. It's a strain. Every day, you do rehab, you get better, you get stronger, you do surgery, all that stuff. Then you're looking forward, and I'm back out here now, so that's a good moment for me.”
Vollmer said he never thought the injury was a career-ender, in part because of the trust he had in the team's medical and rehabilitation staff.
“I knew I was in good hands,” he said.
One of the next steps will be absorbing contact in full pads, which will occur in training camp in late July. But for now, Vollmer's return has been one of the notable developments of the team's organized team activities.