Detroit Lions are confident that Jeff Okudah, cornerback for the Detroit Lions, will be available for training camp – Detroit Lions blog

ALLEN PARK, Mich. – The Detroit Lions Confident cornerback Jeff Okudah Training camp will be held in preparation for the 2022 season.

The No. Okudah, the No. San Francisco 49ers. The organization is now focusing on his confidence as well as the physical aspect of his recovery.

“That’s the biggest thing right now,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “We’re not worried about Jeff’s movement skills. You watch him, with his footwork and the things that he’s doing, he can do all that.

“That’s really important right now… continuing his mental growth, being able get the walk-through reps, and getting the film study. These are important for him at the moment. So, it’s good to have him here, to have him available to do that. When the time’s right, to go full speed when we get him in camp, he’ll be ready.”

Okudah claimed that he reached to NBA players during the rehabilitation process John WallHe tore his Achilles in December 2018, and DeMarcus CousinsHe sought advice from his friend, who suffered a ruptured Achilles tear in January 2018, on how to get back to health. He also did research on Achilles tears in order to be more informed about his situation.

“They just kind of gave me the confidence that the Achilles will be the least of your worries,” Okudah said. “It’ll be about getting back mentally, taking care of the rest of your body, and for me that was really reassuring going into the rehab process. So, from there, it was just attacking the rehab since November.”

Okudah came into last season with high hopes. He admitted that he experienced an emotional low point in the car of his aunt hours after the injury.

“When I tore my Achilles, just having my aunt pick me up, and I couldn’t really walk,” he said. “Didn’t really know for sure if it was a torn Achilles, but obviously, I tried to stay optimistic in moments like that. My aunt and I were driving when I broke down and began to cry.

“A lot of emotion kind of poured over me, and she never really saw me cry before, but I just had big hopes for that last year. It was a very difficult day for me. So, to be here right now smiling is a blessing because I know where I was at mentally, and I came a long way.”

Okudah has been limited to organized team activities this summer. He would not put a timetable on his return, but he said he is confident he’ll “be ready when it’s time to be ready.”

Campbell said he has been “very encouraged” with his rehab process.

“He attacked the surgery, the rehab, he was up here plenty,” Campbell said. He was a very active man. He was eager to be with us. So, he’d be up here watching tape with the guys, be in meetings.

“Sometimes he’d come out to practice or scoot out there, and so he was still engaged and wanted to be around. It was a good job. There again, it’s not easy, it’s a hard thing to do, but it’s better than just totally disengaging and being away from it, and I don’t think that’s great for you either.”