Allen Park — Beyond the losses — which were probably to be expected in the first of of a multi-year rebuild — one of the greatest disappointments of the Detroit Lions’ 2021 season was the lost year of development for cornerback Jeff Okudah.
It’s often said a professional football player experiences their biggest growth between their first and second seasons, and Okudah looked primed to fulfill that mantra following an impressive training camp.
But in the fourth quarter of the team’s season opener, the young defensive back was lost for the year after rupturing his Achilles. That’s a devastating injury for any athlete and adds a layer of questions as to what the future holds for the former Ohio State standout who was expected to emerge as a cornerstone piece for the franchise.
“I just hated it for him when he got the injury because he was in such a good place, just mentally and physically,” general manager Brad Holmes said. “When he got hurt it was just devastating. It was another part of what we had to live with and next man up, but we expect Jeff to be back with us. I know he’s right on track. He’s in a good spot.”
Obviously every individual’s rehab is different, but Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers returned to the lineup for the team’s season finale and impending postseason run after tearing his Achilles in July. For Okudah, he’s been spotted around the team’s practice facility in recent weeks without the aid of a walking boot or crutches, indicating his recovery is going well and setting the table for his participation in the team’s offseason program come April.
That’s the physical component of the situation. Mentally, Okudah has stayed on top of things. Outside of the brief time he was away to have surgery, he’s remained with the team, attending meetings and practices between rehab sessions with the medical staff.
Keeping injured players engaged has been a part of the culture instilled by coach Dan Campbell.
“Listen, he wanted to be around as much as he could be,” Campbell said. “He reached out to me a couple of times just about wanting to be around the team and still feel like he was a part of it. And, he’s been up here rehabbing, he’s been working.
“Look, he’s hungry,” Campbell said. “I mean, he’s ready to go. He’s already — he’s ready to take the next step into his rehab and physically get ready to hit the offseason running. It’s good. Look, it’s one of those unfortunate things where injury has struck again, but all you can do is try to come back better than ever and have yourself 100% ready to go. He’s of the right mindset. That’s all you can ask for in a player.”
Okudah was one of several key players from Detroit’s roster to suffer season-ending injuries this year. Romeo Okwara, who led the team in sacks in 2020, also suffered a torn Achilles in Week 4, while Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow ruptured a plantar plate in his foot during the same game. Later in the campaign, a thumb injury would end up sidelining star tight end T.J. Hockenson the final five contests.
But of all the trouble spots the Lions had to operate around during the season, cornerback topped the list. After Okudah’s went down, rookie Ifeatu Melifonwu suffered a quad strain that put him on the shelf for 10 weeks, undrafted rookie Jerry Jacobs tore his ACL and Amani Oruwariye broke his thumb.
“Look, people say, ‘Next man up’ all the time,” Holmes said. “It’s often thrown around. It’s almost cliché sometimes where it’s like, ‘Next man up. Next man up.’ But sometimes, it’s hard to truly live that and have success as the next man up. We had to truly live that, but we did have success with that.
“We were able to have success with that because collaboration with coaching staff and our personnel department getting the right guys in to build and contribute,” Holmes said. “Then our coaching staff being able to get those guys ready that quick to actually contribute in the game.”
The silver lining from that revolving door was the emergence of Jacobs, who looks to have a bright future, even if his role for 2022 is unclear with the pending return of Okudah. The former No. 3 overall pick will be looking to validate to the team, its fanbase and himself why he was the highest selected cornerback in two decades.
“I’m so excited for next year for him, because I saw him work with a purpose and with a mentality last offseason to set himself up for the season,” Oruwariye said. “To see him go down like that was just heartbreaking. I feel for him and I’m just excited for his future. I can’t wait to see because it’s been two years and people still don’t know what Jeff Okudah can do. I’ve seen it.”
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers
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