FLOWERY BRANCH -- Falcons outside linebacker O'Brien Schofield decided to continue playing on a bad knee that caused him to flunk the New York Giants' physical in 2014 and cost him a two-year, $8 million contract.
He signed a one-year, $1.7 million deal with the Falcons earlier this month after a second season with Seattle.
Schofield, 27, a well-spoken young man from suburban Chicago, played with Chris Borland at Wisconsin in 2009 and 2010.
Borland, 24, recently retired from the San Francisco 49ers after one season over health concerns.
“I still have a lot of football left in my tank,” Schofield said. “There are a lot of guys in this league that are playing with some type of injury, some type of setback. But that’s part of this game with the toughness factor.
“Can a guy be available? Can you play through injury? Can you play through the hurt and the pain? That’s what football has been all about since you were a kid. It’s nothing new.”
Schofield never thought of retiring, but doesn’t respect Borland any less.
“Well, to each his own,” Schofield said. “Some guys’ injuries are probably more serious, life-threatening and long-term than others. Some have come to that conclusion and are comfortable with that decision.”
Schofield suffered a torn ACL on the first day of Senior Bowl practice in 2010. He believes that in a subsequent surgery, too much meniscus cartilage was removed.
“It started wearing down to the point where I could probably form arthritis, or there is probably some in there right now,” Schofield said. “It was tough to go through that because I felt I put my body of work out on the field just like anybody else. This is my job, and I was working to get a pay day.”
He had the pay day, but the Giants didn’t like his knee.
“Unfortunately, I was not able to sign that big deal with New York,” Schofield said. “But everything worked out and I was able to go back and play with my brothers in Seattle and I had a chance to compete for a second Super Bowl.”
He was a part of the rotation in Seattle, and the Falcons will have a special practice plan for Schofield.
“They are going to do a pretty good job managing my knee so that I can … not put too much on me through practice and training camp,” Schofield said. “Whatever workload that I can take on, I’m going to take on.”
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VIDEO DEPARTMENT
Watch: D. Led -- Falcons news at the combine
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Watch: Falcons coach Dan Quinn at the combine
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PHOTO GALLERIES
Photographs from the 2015 NFL scouting combine
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