Introducing #20 DeShaun Foster ????

NEW START: Foster longs to stay healthy

By Joe Menzer
JOURNAL REPORTER

CHARLOTTE

Running back DeShaun Foster of the Carolina Panthers is armed with a new uniform number, a new, custom-built right ankle and a new attitude.

He's hoping all that will help him avoid the same old bad luck on the field.

Foster wore No. 26 the first five years he played for the Panthers and missed 32 games because of injuries. He's No. 20 now. He wore the new number for the first time yesterday when the Panthers opened their June coaching sessions under a light rain.

The 2005 season ended for Foster when he broke the fibula (the small bone on the outside of his right ankle) during an NFC divisional playoff game at Chicago. He said that yesterday's workout felt a little like participating in the real deal again.

"It went good," he said. "I just wanted to get out there to see how it goes. It didn't hurt too bad.... Actually, it didn't hurt at all."

That's what he and Coach John Fox wanted to get out of yesterday's return to action. Foster wanted to participate in an earlier minicamp after the NFL Draft in April, but the team held him out.

This is similar to earlier June coaching sessions in which Foster has participated coming off injuries. A knee injury cost him his rookie season in 2002, and a broken collarbone cost him all but four games of the 2004 season.

But this coaching session is different for Foster in that he enters it as the uncontested No. 1 running back on the roster. When he was drafted in the second round in April of 2002, no one figured it would take this long to be No. 1.

And when he broke his ankle in last year's playoff game, heading into an offseason when he was to become an unrestricted free agent, some figured it might never happen. But the Panthers signed him to a three-year, $14.5 million contract on the eve of free agency in March, as he still was in the early stages of recovering from surgery to repair his broken ankle, and now here he is.

Foster wants to make the most of his chance, although he is aware that the Panthers used a first-round draft pick on another running back, DeAngelo Williams, just in case he falters or is injured again.

"Whatever happens, happens," Foster said. "I'm just going to try to stay positive and work hard and hopefully I make it through the season. Hopefully my bad luck is over with. That's how I look at it. I've just had some unfortunate situations, and I'm looking forward to what's ahead. I'm going to be ready to go."

Included in his 6-0, 222-pound frame now are a metal plate and several pins in his right ankle.

"I think there are like six pins and a plate in there," Foster said. "I don't feel it at all. It just shows up at the airport - not when you just walk through security, but when they ran that magic wand over it, (the alarm) went off."

Fox said he is hopeful that Foster will be the one going off this season, and that Foster's injury-prone past is behind him.

"In his career, we have had situations where he has had to be the guy," said Fox, noting that Foster had the first back-to-back 100-yard rushing games of his NFL career in the Panthers' final regular-season game at Atlanta and first playoff game on the road against the New York Giants last season. "I don't think we advance to where we did last season without him stepping up in a big way and producing at a high level.

"This will be the first time coming into the season where he will be the featured guy. He's definitely capable. We just have to kill off that injury bug."

Foster said that he is aware that there are questions about his ability to carry the ball 20 to 25 times a game and stay healthy while doing it. He said that they are legitimate questions that only he can put to rest over time.

"I do have 11 people chasing me when I'm running the ball," he said, smiling. "And they're all bigger than me, so ... it's just part of the game. I try not to get caught up in it. It's just unfortunate. I want to play. No one wants to get labeled that you can't make it through the season, that you're injury prone or whatever, but it happens.

"I'm just going to play my game and do what I can do and see what happens."

Notes: Fox announced the promotion yesterday of running-backs coach Jim Skipper to assistant head coach. Skipper will continue to serve as running-backs coach as well.... Foster wasn't the only Panther making a return from an injury yesterday. Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, safety Colin Branch, wide receiver Keary Colbert and offensive tackle Jordan Gross, all of whom are recovering from knee injuries, also returned to the practice field.... Wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson was the only player absent. Fox said that Johnson was excused for personal reasons and that he is expected to return for Friday's workout.... Defensive tackle Kindal Moorehead, who also is recovering from a knee injury, sat out.

• Joe Menzer can be reached at [email protected]

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Joe Menzer < Panther Insider

 

ummmmmm, he wore 20 in 2003.

 

Deshaun started out at #20. He changed to 26 after his second year I believe. If my 9-5 was being a sports writer, I would think that I would want some credibility. Small things like this make you lose just that. Good job Menzer.

 

Way to confuse the fuck out of people Joe. Well first off, we all know he wore 20 before he switched to 26 last year, so it wasnt 5 years Joe it was 1. So now he's back again to 20? But Gamble still has 20 by the looks of things.

 

Menzer is working on an article for tomorrow's paper about Mark Fields, #58 being back at practice.

 

Not to mention he's only been here for 4 years. This will be his 5th.

 

how the hell do you forget that shit.