New York Giants tight end Jake Ballard does not regret attempting return in the Super Bowl XLVI game
New York Giants’ tight end, Jake Ballard, has said that he has no regrets for attempting to return to the Super Bowl XLVI game against the New England Patriots after he was injured in the fourth quarter.
During the game against the Pats, Ballard torn his ACL after Patriots’ linebacker, Brandon Spikes, attempted to block him.
Ballard immediately went down on the field and the pain in his leg prevented him from standing up. He was taken to the sidelines where he attempted to test his leg after some time, only to further aggravate the injury.
While testing his leg on the sidelines, he further injured his knee and could not complete his run and the on-field cameras caught him limping while attempting to run.
However, he thinks that attempting to return was worth giving a shot considering the calibre of the game. He said:
"My knee just collapsed. I definitely tore [my ACL] on the field. I’d say [the cartilage damage] probably happened on the sideline from trying to run with no ACL.
"But I don’t regret trying to get back in the game. It’s the biggest game in any football player’s career."
Ballard started his professional NFL career in 2010 with Giants. In his rookie year, he only participated in one game.
However, he was able to play 14 games in the last regular season in which he stared 13 games. As per his regular season statistics, he registered 604 yards on 38 receptions for four touchdowns.
Last month, Ballard underwent a medical procedure to treat his knee, but his chances of return at the beginning of the next season are near to zero.
He might be able to rejoin the squad halfway through the next season. As if his injury was not enough, Giants’ received another blow in the game when another tight end, Travis Beckum, also suffered a knee injury.
To fill in the void created by the absence of the two players, Giants recently signed Martellus Bennett, who had just left the Dallas Cowboys.
Bennett is expected to start in the next season as Ballard and Beckum will need plenty of time before they could take on the field again.
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