Veteran guard Davin Joseph said Friday that he is fully recovered from a knee injury that required surgery, declaring the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the verge of being "a great team."
Joseph tore the patellar tendon in his right knee during a preseason game and missed the entire season while the Bucs finished 7-9 in their first year under head coach Greg Schiano.
"I was very motivated to rehab my knee and I had a great team of people behind me," Joseph said Friday, referring to Tampa Bay's medical staff. "It was tough at the start. It was hard going from being so excited to knowing that you've got to change your mindset. Like any other challenge, you have to face it head-on.
"I've always had minor issues with my patellar and I think my right knee is stronger now than it's ever been. The first couple of days after surgery, it hurt and I wasn't happy, but I felt a real breakthrough in December."
Joseph and left tackle Donald Penn visited the Super Bowl media center Friday afternoon, stopping by Radio Row for some interviews with Tampa stations before appearing on a radio program from Australia.
"I really think we're on the verge of being a great team," Joseph said. "It's about everybody coming together. We have a locker room now full of guys who love to work. Coach Schiano's a workaholic and it's infectious. You've got guys who can't wait to get back to work. The building reflects our head coach."
Penn said he missed Joseph's presence, on and off the field.
"After our offensive meetings, I'd go in the training room and check on Davin every day," Penn said. "I'm excited about this team because we were so close last year. We'll go into next season with a lot of confidence."
Source: Tampa Tribune
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February 02, 2013
