In 2015, Robert Saleh was the Jaguars’ linebackers coach when they used the No. 3 overall pick in the draft on pass rusher Dante Fowler. During the first drill of Fowler’s first minicamp practice in the NFL, he tore his ACL, ending his rookie season before it began. Saleh hasn’t forgotten.
Saleh, now the head coach of the Titans, said today that he takes it very easy on drafted players at rookie minicamps because he knows that the draft process is long and requires flying all over the country to get poked and prodded by NFL teams. So while the undrafted rookies who didn’t do a lot of pre-draft visits will be on the practice field, the drafted players will be working with the strength and conditioning coaches to see where their bodies are after all that pre-draft work.
“When they’re going through the draft prospects, they’ve been through a lot of traveling,” Saleh said. “So over the weekend, with our draft picks, we’re going to be doing more baseline checking with them. So they’ll be with the strength and conditioning coaches. They’re meeting with all of us throughout the day, but as far as practice goes they’ll be with the strength and conditioning staff, creating a baseline to see where they’re at.”
Saleh said he still thinks about Fowler’s injury and how to prevent anything like that from happening again.
“Call it a scar. I was on the staff that saw Dante Fowler tear his ACL on the first rep of rookie minicamp,” Saleh said. “So I’ve just taken the philosophy of these guys have had a lot of stress over the last month. Their bodies aren’t ready for football, so we’re trying to see where they’re at so we can get them properly acclimated when they’re here with the veterans.”
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