Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham was having a pretty promising start to his NFL career.
Thirteen games into his rookie season, he had amassed three sacks, 19 tackles and was getting a heavy amount of playing time in the Eagles' defensive line rotation.
But a knee injury against the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 12, 2010 would eventually prove more serious than originally thought with doctors determining the necessity of microfracture surgery.
It took Graham the entirety of that offseason and nearly all of the 2011 season to return to some semblance of acceptable physical condition. It wasn't until 2012 that he had reached a place where he was nearly whole again.
With the announcement of this past April's number-one overall pick, linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, requiring microfracture knee surgery, there is concern both within the Houston Texans organization and among the rest of the league that Clowney may not only miss a serious amount of time, but that his long-term career prospects could now be in jeopardy.
After initial reports pegged the procedure as just a clean out, Adam Schefter of ESPN discovered that the issue, in fact, went much deeper.
"Texans LB Jadeveon Clowney underwent microfracture knee surgery on Monday and is expected to be sidelined nine months, per sources."
Microfracture surgery - which involves poking tiny holes in the bone near torn knee cartilage - has been the death knell for a number of promising athletic careers. The blood that results from the holes is supposed to help heal the tear, but often leaves the cartilage around it weaker, according to Dr. David J. Chao.
A 2007 report from Kevin Pelton of Football Outsiders determined that of 56 players who had previously undergone the surgery, only nine returned to play in the league for five-plus seasons (h/t to Tony Manfred of BusinessInsider.com).
Players who return often do so with muted athleticism.
Clowney was the first-overall pick in the draft not because of his savvy or technique, but because of prodigious physical gifts the Texans coaching staff were hoping to eventually couple with a greater understanding of the game to turn him into the generational player they thought he could be when they selected him so highly.
That ideal future is now very much in doubt.
Graham is one of the success stories of microfracture surgery and could provide a blueprint for Clowney. He's currently fourth on the Eagles with 5.5 sacks and first in the NFL with four forced fumbles. He's still seeing limited snaps behind Trent Cole and Connor Barwin, but, according to Pro Football Focus, he's the most productive pass-rushing linebacker in the league.
But he's also had to learn to succeed in a different manner post-surgery. A player drafted for his speed and explosion now has minimal lateral agility and relies instead on a relentless motor, strong punch and low center of gravity to help him corral unsuspecting quarterbacks in the pocket.
If Clowney, upon his eventual return to the lineup, has any hope of turning his career into a success story akin to Graham's, he's going to have to learn to rely as much or more on his instincts and technique, than on his athleticism.
Which is no small thing for a guy who has spent his entire football career being the most physically gifted player on the field.
