Torn knee ligaments are instant headlines, ending seasons for star players in a split second.Lower extremity injuries — those pesky and painful strains of the leg muscles — outrank all of the others in cumulative absences from practices and those precious 17 games on the schedule. The NFL has thus committed millions of dollars to better predict and prevent them — and their recurrence.
In Week 1, 43 players landed on the injury report with either a hamstring, calf, groin or thigh problem, and 22 of them didn’t play in the game. For Week 2, there were 50 such players and, again, 22 of them were inactive. Atlanta specialist Cordarrelle Patterson , Dallas left guard Tyler Smith , Dallas safety Donovan Wilson and Green Bay wide receiver Christian Watson are among the regulars who’ve yet to play because of leg muscle trouble.Last season, overall injuries were down by 5.
Anyone who's ever tried to run fast without a proper warmup can attest to the vulnerability of the hamstring in a quick-burst sport such as football. The muscle crosses both the knee and the hip, for one, making it more susceptible to trouble. Roughly 400 players from BYU, Indiana, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Wisconsin are being studied for three years each by Heiderscheit's team, using baseline offseason measurements such as sprint mechanics for all participants and deeper dives on those players who injure their hamstrings including MRI exams and post-rehabilitation strength tests.
“If you multiply what one team can do by 32 and the league is able to aggregate all of that information, we have a vastly greater data set that can provide us insights and opportunities to help the clubs change behavior.”