OXNARD, Calif. -- Something as simple as suiting up for
practice is all it takes for Dallas Cowboys rookie Chris Canty to
think about how close he came to never playing in the NFL.
And he thinks about it every day.
Strapping a brace onto his left knee, Canty remembers the three
ligaments he tore less than a year ago. Then he grabs his helmet,
the one with all the plastic behind the facemask. The two shields
that protect his fragile left eye remind Canty of the freak,
gruesome episode that nearly ruined his life in so many ways.
Together, the injuries made Canty a draft day risk, a defensive
lineman with first-round talent -- big, strong, fast, smart and
versatile -- but someone who also might have to sit out at least a
year. The Cowboys gambled on him in the fourth round and are
already reaping the rewards.
"We were just wishing," coach Bill Parcells said Tuesday.
"Now, knock on wood, it looks like we have a pretty good player
and that's just a big, big plus. ... It looks like it could turn
out like we hoped it would."
Canty knows how quickly he's gone from an injured reserve
candidate to having a prominent spot in the defensive line
rotation. Yet after so many setbacks, all he's talking about is
hoping to make the 53-man roster.
"I don't take things for granted any more," he said. "I know
it's a blessing every time I come through that gate and run onto
the field. I think about how far I've come and what I've been
through. It was a lot."
As a sophomore and junior at Virginia, the 6-foot-7, 295-pound
Canty led the ACC in tackles by a defensive lineman. He also was
close to earning his degree. Still, he decided to return for his
senior year.
It lasted all of four games. His left knee came apart during a
tackle on Sept. 25 and he was operated on within a week. Despite
the severity of the damage, NFL training camp was far enough away
that many teams still considered him a first-rounder.
Until Jan. 30.
While in Scottsdale, Ariz., getting ready for the pre-draft
combine, Canty went to a nightclub. A fight broke out across the
room and a thrown beer bottle slammed into his face, leaving a
bloody mess -- and a detached retina.
His doctor said Canty would eventually play football. He just
couldn't say when.
"He said it would be unlikely for me to play this year," said
Canty, jagged scars still visible above, around and below his
damaged eye.
The eye slowed the rehabilitation of his knee. He had to cut
back on most of his work out of fear that he'd jar loose the
reattached retina. The combination sent him sliding down draft
boards.
As teams scrutinized his health, many became scared off by
everything from character questions (Why was he around a bar
fight?) to concerns he was injury prone (he also broke his leg and
arm in 2002).
The draft became the low point in his ordeal. Worse than the
"why me?" agony of two fluke injuries was sitting at his parents'
house in Virginia and not hearing his name called.
"Through all the situations," he said, "I thought I'd still
have an opportunity to be a first-day pick."
Early on the draft's second day, there was a heated debate over
Canty in the Cowboys' draft room. It continued to broil after they
took running back Marion Barber with the eighth pick of the fourth
round. Twenty-three picks later, Dallas made a trade and snag Canty
at No. 132 overall.
"I was very surprised that he was still there," team owner
Jerry Jones said.
The Cowboys had some inside knowledge about Canty. His college
coach was Al Groh, who spent many years working for Parcells. Groh
assured them of Canty's character, work ethic and how perfectly he
fit Virginia's 3-4 scheme, the same one Dallas is installing.
Canty had a second eye operation in May to remove scar tissue.
His doctor was so pleased with how things looked that he told Canty
to expect to play this season. Then came the best-case scenario: He
was cleared to play again following another exam earlier this
month.
He wears the shields on his helmet to avoid getting poked and
has a contact lens he can wear to sharpen vision, though he says he
hardly needs it. He wore it during the 13-11 loss to Arizona on
Saturday night and probably will in all games.
Canty is doing his best to make up for lost time. During a drill
Monday afternoon, offensive lineman Tyson Walter screamed at Canty
for coming after him too hard. Canty didn't react, but Parcells
did. He smiled.
"Just being in the pads and the cleats gives me a chance to get
my competitive edge back," Canty said following that practice.
"I'm trying to get back that competitive fire, that tenacity, that
will make me a better player."
Canty's mother is a Methodist minister and it shows in his
outlook. His motivation comes from wanting to be the best, not from
proving anything to his doubters or trying to recoup the millions
of dollars lost by being a fourth-round pick instead of a
first-rounder.
"In April, I didn't know if I'd be here. But I've been truly
blessed. I'm eternally thankful," he said, smiling. "I love this
game. To have the opportunity to play again is like I've been
reborn."