Falcons linebacker Pat Angerer has some work to do to make the team but he’s ahead of schedule just by taking the field for the first practice of training camp on Friday.
Angerer, 27, has had a promising career stymied by injuries that eventually led to microfracture surgery in December. The procedure, which involves repairing cartilage in the knee, has been performed on several NBA players who successfully continued their careers but is relatively rare among football players.
Angerer said doctors told him the odds were against him playing again.
“It was about 50-50 but more like 20 percent chance of coming back (with) the way my knee was,” Angerer said. “It was pretty beat up. To come back and to even be on the field, that’s a pretty big accomplishment and something I’m really proud of. I’m looking forward to taking advantage of the opportunity.”
The Colts selected Angerer in the second round of the 2010 draft out of Iowa. He started 39 of 53 games for Indianapolis before ending last season on injured reserve.
Angerer said he got word two weeks ago that he’d be working out for the Falcons. The team worked him out on Tuesday and signed him the same day. Angerer said he flew back to Indiana Tuesday night and drove back to Atlanta on Wednesday.
Angerer said his first practice on the surgically-repaired knee was promising.
“You definitely see the durability,” he said. “It feels better than it did the last two years. Today it felt good. This is the first time I’ve played football since December. Definitely rusty, got to get a little bit more strength in there, but I feel decent.”
Joplu Bartu and Paul Worrilow, both signed as college free agents in 2013, are starting at inside linebacker in the 3-4 alignment. Among the other inside linebackers competing for jobs are veteran Tim Dobbins and rookies Prince Shembo (fourth-round draft pick), Marquis Spruill (fifth round) and Yawin Smallwood (seventh).
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