GDC
5/4/2006, 07:40 AM
http://www.tulsaworld.com/images/2006/060504_B1_Rocky39533_b1calmus4.jpg
Rocky's road
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Writer
5/4/2006
Ex-Sooner Calmus seeks to prove he can still play in the NFL after series of injuries
Rocky Calmus chuckled when a sportswriter telephoned to report the hot rumor back home about Calmus' football career being history. Hey, the scoop had to be true, because it came from those always-reliable Internet message boards, where people claiming to have inside information confirmed Calmus had retired from the NFL.
That was breaking news to Calmus, the former Jenks All-Stater, Oklahoma All-American and winner of the 2001 Butkus Award as college football's top linebacker.
"Whoever wrote that needs to do some research," Calmus said. "There's no truth to it. I'm not retiring unless I'm forced to."
And Calmus isn't about to accept forced retirement without a serious fight.
A third-round pick by Tennessee in the 2002 draft and traded to Indianapolis last season, Calmus is battling to regain his health, prove he's not injury prone and convince an NFL team to give him a shot.
To that end, Calmus recently spent six intense weeks in Mesa, Ariz. He went to the desert to learn a revolutionary workout that he first saw on NFL safety Adam Archuleta's "Freak of Training" video.
Calmus sought to change his workout
regime after his past two seasons ended prematurely because of torn hamstrings in both legs. The weight training comes from the principle of plyometrics, which is based on absorbing and rapidly propelling the weights.
"I knew I needed to try something new, and this is a totally different philosophy of training," Calmus said. " I did more in that six-week period than I normally would have the whole offseason."
The 26-year-old Calmus has continued the workout since returning to the Nashville, Tenn., suburb of Brentwood, where he lives with his wife, Teri, and their 21-month-old son, Casen.
While Calmus loves the Tennessee lifestyle, he'll probably have to temporarily relocate to continue his NFL career. Although he became a starter in his second season with the Titans, the club obviously gave up on the oft-injured Calmus when he was shipped to the Colts.
Limited to just four games the past two seasons because of injury, Calmus became one of the most popular players in this state's history in part because of his ability to play hurt. As a Jenks Middle School seventh-grader, Calmus once played with a broken ankle. He topped that when he refused to let a broken leg keep him out of a Bedlam battle with Oklahoma State.
But in four seasons with the Titans, Calmus was sidelined with a back injury, another broken leg and a tear to his left hamstring in 2004. Three days after he joined the Colts, Calmus tore his right hamstring and missed the 2005 season.
"It was tough going through two of them," Calmus said. "The Colts had high hopes for me, the fans were excited I was in town and then to get hurt on the third day was tough to swallow."
Calmus is now willing to swallow his pride to salvage his career. He was in the final year of his contract when he was traded, and after the Colts decided not to re-sign him, Calmus knew his best hope was to agree to a one-year contract for the NFL's minimal salary.
A vital part of OU's 2000 national championship run, Calmus is motivated by Titans' defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch's experience last season. The former Nebraska All-American was forced to a sign a one-year, minimal wage deal with Tennessee after he had ACL surgeries on both knees while playing for Arizona.
Vanden Bosch's comeback season was capped with his selection to the Pro Bowl. Two months later, the Titans signed him to a $22 million, four-year deal.
"Wherever I go, it's most likely going to be a one-year minimum deal," Calmus said. "I think I could be a steal because I know I can still play.
"After sitting and watching (last year) some of those linebackers, I believe I can be competitive on a high level. I just have to stay healthy."
Calmus has completely recovered from both hamstring injuries and received medical clearance from the Colts' doctors. He's placed his future in the hands Mark Slough, his Nashville-based agent, who said Baltimore and Jacksonville are among those teams that have indicated an interest in his client.
Slough said it could be several more weeks before he identifies the club most in need of a player who can handle both the outside and middle linebacker spots. Calmus, meanwhile, will continue to work out and wait for the opportunity to play the game he loves.
"Going through this, it makes you step back and look at it and appreciate it more," Calmus said. "As long as my heart and body still want to play and can play, I'd love to get to that 10-year mark. But, right now, I'd love to have one more year."
Hopefully, news of Calmus' retirement will remain nothing more than an Internet rumor for several more seasons..
Rocky's road
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Writer
5/4/2006
Ex-Sooner Calmus seeks to prove he can still play in the NFL after series of injuries
Rocky Calmus chuckled when a sportswriter telephoned to report the hot rumor back home about Calmus' football career being history. Hey, the scoop had to be true, because it came from those always-reliable Internet message boards, where people claiming to have inside information confirmed Calmus had retired from the NFL.
That was breaking news to Calmus, the former Jenks All-Stater, Oklahoma All-American and winner of the 2001 Butkus Award as college football's top linebacker.
"Whoever wrote that needs to do some research," Calmus said. "There's no truth to it. I'm not retiring unless I'm forced to."
And Calmus isn't about to accept forced retirement without a serious fight.
A third-round pick by Tennessee in the 2002 draft and traded to Indianapolis last season, Calmus is battling to regain his health, prove he's not injury prone and convince an NFL team to give him a shot.
To that end, Calmus recently spent six intense weeks in Mesa, Ariz. He went to the desert to learn a revolutionary workout that he first saw on NFL safety Adam Archuleta's "Freak of Training" video.
Calmus sought to change his workout
regime after his past two seasons ended prematurely because of torn hamstrings in both legs. The weight training comes from the principle of plyometrics, which is based on absorbing and rapidly propelling the weights.
"I knew I needed to try something new, and this is a totally different philosophy of training," Calmus said. " I did more in that six-week period than I normally would have the whole offseason."
The 26-year-old Calmus has continued the workout since returning to the Nashville, Tenn., suburb of Brentwood, where he lives with his wife, Teri, and their 21-month-old son, Casen.
While Calmus loves the Tennessee lifestyle, he'll probably have to temporarily relocate to continue his NFL career. Although he became a starter in his second season with the Titans, the club obviously gave up on the oft-injured Calmus when he was shipped to the Colts.
Limited to just four games the past two seasons because of injury, Calmus became one of the most popular players in this state's history in part because of his ability to play hurt. As a Jenks Middle School seventh-grader, Calmus once played with a broken ankle. He topped that when he refused to let a broken leg keep him out of a Bedlam battle with Oklahoma State.
But in four seasons with the Titans, Calmus was sidelined with a back injury, another broken leg and a tear to his left hamstring in 2004. Three days after he joined the Colts, Calmus tore his right hamstring and missed the 2005 season.
"It was tough going through two of them," Calmus said. "The Colts had high hopes for me, the fans were excited I was in town and then to get hurt on the third day was tough to swallow."
Calmus is now willing to swallow his pride to salvage his career. He was in the final year of his contract when he was traded, and after the Colts decided not to re-sign him, Calmus knew his best hope was to agree to a one-year contract for the NFL's minimal salary.
A vital part of OU's 2000 national championship run, Calmus is motivated by Titans' defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch's experience last season. The former Nebraska All-American was forced to a sign a one-year, minimal wage deal with Tennessee after he had ACL surgeries on both knees while playing for Arizona.
Vanden Bosch's comeback season was capped with his selection to the Pro Bowl. Two months later, the Titans signed him to a $22 million, four-year deal.
"Wherever I go, it's most likely going to be a one-year minimum deal," Calmus said. "I think I could be a steal because I know I can still play.
"After sitting and watching (last year) some of those linebackers, I believe I can be competitive on a high level. I just have to stay healthy."
Calmus has completely recovered from both hamstring injuries and received medical clearance from the Colts' doctors. He's placed his future in the hands Mark Slough, his Nashville-based agent, who said Baltimore and Jacksonville are among those teams that have indicated an interest in his client.
Slough said it could be several more weeks before he identifies the club most in need of a player who can handle both the outside and middle linebacker spots. Calmus, meanwhile, will continue to work out and wait for the opportunity to play the game he loves.
"Going through this, it makes you step back and look at it and appreciate it more," Calmus said. "As long as my heart and body still want to play and can play, I'd love to get to that 10-year mark. But, right now, I'd love to have one more year."
Hopefully, news of Calmus' retirement will remain nothing more than an Internet rumor for several more seasons..