Cameron Wake Back On Practice Field After Tearing Achilles In October
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DAVIE (CBSMiami) – The 2015 season was full of disappointments for the Miami Dolphins.
None may have been bigger then when Cameron Wake tore his Achilles during an October game against the New England Patriots.
Not only was Wake lost for the remainder of the season but he also faced questions about how ready he would be when training camp and preseason rolled around the following year.
Many of those questions were answered on Wednesday when Wake was seen participating in the Dolphins voluntary OTA practice that was open to the media.
He was a full participant and showed no signs of being slowed by the injury he suffered seven months prior.
"He's been doing a good job as far as really pushing himself in individual [drills] and when he does get in the training room and the weight room to see how far or where he's at at the moment," said head coach Adam Gase. "Today is just another good day for him and another stepping stone for him."
The team also confirmed that it was not the first time he had been on the field during OTAs, which began last week.
"I think it's close to the most that he's done," said Gase. "Like I said, we've been taking it slow but the hardest thing for us is trying to keep him out as far as doing too much. He's pushing it to where he wants to make sure that he's feeling good every day."
Training camp is a little less than two months away and all signs point to Wake being ready to go when the Dolphins take the field.
While it's good for Wake to be back on the practice field, his teammates also get a boost from seeing their defensive leader participating alongside of them.
"He's not really a normal human," Offensive lineman Billy Turner said of Wake. "For those who have seen Cam play football, the last couple of years playing with him and being able to practice with him, he's the same guy on and off the field."
The amount of work that Wake puts in has been well known around the Dolphins facility since he signed with the team in 2009.
He was back in the weight room as soon as he was able following his surgery last year.
"When I came back to train here before everybody came back I saw Cam and saw his work ethic and I saw that last year so it doesn't surprise me," said linebacker Neville Hewitt. "He's like somebody I look up to, as far as somebody who comes to work and they grind and they do everything the right way."
The Dolphins coaching staff is keeping a close eye on Wake to make sure he isn't pushing himself too hard too fast.
"I'm gonna lean on the strength and conditioning [coaches] and the trainers and those people in our building to give me any red flags that come up and for the most part he's been good so no alarms have been sounded quite yet," said Gase.
Wake still has some time to get all his ducks in a row.
Miami's first game of the 2016 regular season isn't until September 11th when they face the Seattle Seahawks.
