B&G Posted May 29, 2003 Share Posted May 29, 2003 Abraham has surgery to repair nasal passage By Darrell Trimble NFL Insider Thursday, May 29 Updated: May 29 11:11 AM ET To some, surgery is a four-letter word, but to John Abraham going under the knife was a welcomed experience. Long suffering from constant congestion that limited his ability to breathe properly he thought was linked to allergies, Abraham saw a specialist last Wednesday for what he assumed were sinuses problems. The doctor inserted a scope inside his nose and discovered the blockage and recommended removing Abraham's swollen tonsils and adenoids. Upon seeing pictures of his nasal passages, which Abraham said resembled "a big hunk of meat and a little bit of an air passage," he agreed to have the surgery that will keep him out of action for two weeks. "It's funny, now I can smell things I couldn't smell before," Abraham told the New York Times. "When I'm in the car, I can smell everybody. I think it's just my nose getting used to new senses. After a while it will quiet down." I pity him for the sensory bombardment he'll have to go through in the locker room after practice. The discovery answered questions for Jets coaches, who were mystified how such a finely tuned athlete could be winded so quickly. "We always felt last year, and for a couple of years, he was always out of breath," coach Herman Edwards told the Times. "He's such a great athlete and we'd wonder, 'How could this guy be out of breath?' He would get tired. That was the cause of it. He could hardly breathe out of his nose anymore. I think for him, it's going to be a lot better." And that means things will be lots better for the Jets defense. Over the last two seasons under Edwards, the Jets have sacked opposing quarterbacks only 63 times. No amount of line shuffling helped, and getting to the passer remained a consistent problem. But despite the challenge of being forced to breathe through his mouth, Abraham still has 23 sacks since the beginning of 2001. That's 37 percent of the team's total. Now, a better-conditioned Abraham can increase those numbers, especially since the team has rookie Dewayne Robertson on the interior to help collapse the pocket. In previous years, Abraham has gotten little help from his linemates. In 2001, Shaun Ellis had five sacks and Josh Evans had six last year. But neither got a consistent push up the middle. If Robertson is all that he's advertised to be, he will be the best complement to Abraham the Jets have put on the field in Edwards' tenure, and the defense could really help carry this team deep into the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted May 29, 2003 Share Posted May 29, 2003 Maybe he figures the Jets are going to stink this year, and he wanted to have a filter installed. ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aREDSKIN Posted May 29, 2003 Share Posted May 29, 2003 Whew I'm glad he took care of it this year because I wouldn't want him to miss any games for us next year. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Die Hard Posted May 29, 2003 Share Posted May 29, 2003 Thanks for the reports B&G. But the quality of stories lately from ESPN have been atrocious. Keep posting them.. but I'm just surprised that people pay money for that kind of information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B&G Posted May 29, 2003 Author Share Posted May 29, 2003 Die Hard, I couldn't agree more. Honestly, I've been thinking about not posting this stuff....frankly, the only reason I have is to contribute a little toward dispelling the off-season blahs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sisko Posted May 29, 2003 Share Posted May 29, 2003 Were it not for the fact that we're in the middle of an off season news drought I might be inclined to agree with you Die Hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyDave Posted May 30, 2003 Share Posted May 30, 2003 Definately a story of interest considering after B Smith retires we may need to call up from the farm club a young pass rushing demon to take our D line to another level. Wouldnt it be funny after a Redskins victory that Jansen or Samuels walks up to Abraham and says see ya in training camp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Punani2 Posted May 30, 2003 Share Posted May 30, 2003 I pity him for the sensory bombardment he'll have to go through in the locker room after practice. LMAO!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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