Breakfast: Are you there yet?
Waiting for a player to return to the game of football after a long absence, is a lot like riding along on someone else's road trip. For the player, the road can be unpredictable in that only he knows how close he is to returning. For everyone else, it's a waiting game.
"You don't want to be overbearing," head coach Bill O'Brien said. "You don't just want to go up to him every single day and talk about 'hey, how's your leg doing?' You talk about other things."
For Duane Brown, it had been a long eight months since he finally arrived on the practice field Monday. Between season-ending quadriceps surgery and the ensuing rehab, Brown knew what needed to happen in order for his journey to finally bring him back to the game. 
"I wanted to make sure I could generate the same amount of power in that leg as I can in my other one, make sure swelling wasn't an issue, all those factors," Brown said. "Once I was able to do that, I thought today would be a good day." 
Brown said he made the decision a few days ago. Both he and O'Brien spoke every day during the rehab process and the starting left tackle was still an active part of the team in the meetings and watching games from the sideline. While his road to the practice field has ended, deciding when he will be ready to play is another journey, albeit a shorter one.
"Probably his ability to move, change direction, anchor, be able to bend and get in a good football position and be powerful because he's a very powerful guy," O'Brien said. "And then just football conditioning, his conditioning level."
For now, Brown is happy to be back. It's been a long road to recovery and he's just taking it one day at a time.
"I'm like a kid again, man," Brown said. "Honestly, being away from this game for so long, it really wears at you. When you do it for so long – just being around my teammates and being out there working with them, it means the world to me. It's amazing. I never take a day for granted."

Waiting for a player to return to the game of football after a long absence, is a lot like riding along on someone else's road trip. For the player, the road can be unpredictable in that only he knows how close he is to returning.

For everyone else, it's a waiting game.
 
"You don't want to be overbearing," head coach Bill O'Brien said. "You don't just want to go up to him every single day and talk about 'hey, how's your leg doing?' You talk about other things."
 

For Duane Brown, it had been a long eight months since he finally arrived on the practice field Monday. Between season-ending quadriceps surgery and the ensuing rehab, Brown knew what needed to happen in order for his journey to finally bring him back to the game. 
 
"I wanted to make sure I could generate the same amount of power in that leg as I can in my other one, make sure swelling wasn't an issue, all those factors," Brown said. "Once I was able to do that, I thought today would be a good day." 
 
Brown said he made the decision a few days ago. Both he and O'Brien spoke every day during the rehab process and the starting left tackle was still an active part of the team in the meetings and watching games from the sideline. While his road to the practice field has ended, deciding when he will be ready to play is another journey, albeit a shorter one.
 
"Probably his ability to move, change direction, anchor, be able to bend and get in a good football position and be powerful because he's a very powerful guy," O'Brien said. "And then just football conditioning, his conditioning level."
 
For now, Brown is happy to be back. It's been a long road to recovery and he's just taking it one day at a time.
 
"I'm like a kid again, man," Brown said. "Honestly, being away from this game for so long, it really wears at you. When you do it for so long – just being around my teammates and being out there working with them, it means the world to me. It's amazing. I never take a day for granted."