Su'a Cravens has found happiness
T.Y. Hilton Jersey , harmony and himself just in time for his do-over in Denver.
Elated over John Elway's call and Von Miller's text, the former standout safety from Southern Cal celebrated his trade from the Redskins to the Broncos
by posting "A Whole New World" from the Disney movie "Aladdin" on his Twitter
account.
"I felt like it was perfect," said Cravens, who missed all of last season and even mulled retirement while dealing with the lingering effects of a head
injury.
Selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft, Cravens played in 11 games his rookie season but he sustained a concussion in Week 4 and later
suffered an elbow injury. He said he felt off-kilter heading into training camp
last year, and things only got worse after he underwent knee surgery in August
to repair a torn meniscus.
Cravens had to be talked out of retiring in early September during a meeting with team President Bruce Allen, and the Redskins placed him on their exempt
list, forcing him to miss the entire season. They sent him to see sports
concussion expert Micky Collins in Pittsburgh, who had an answer for all of his
mood swings, personality changes and feelings that something just wasn't quite
right: post-concussion syndrome.
"I didn't really know what was going on until I went to see Dr. Collins and he made me fully aware of the situation," Cravens said. "At first I just thought
that something was wrong with me
Keelan Cole Jersey , something's not right and I didn't feel the same. Once he explained, 'This is why you feel this way,' he'd ask me questions, I'd
tell him, 'Yes,' and he'd say, 'Well that's a correlation to this.' Everything
started making sense and once we started working on it progressively I got
better and better."
Cravens said he never lost his love for the game but did succumb to feelings his football career was finished.
"Certainly. I was going through something that I wasn't even aware I was going through," Cravens said. "The mindset that I had last year was just
completely different from how I am now. Once I got cleared, I took a step back
and looked at the way I was acting and the way I was treating my loved ones. The
way my whole thought process was, it was a stranger.
"It was just crazy that I didn't realize that I was in a predicament I was completely unaware of. So yeah, there was a point that I thought I was done with
football
Shaquil Barrett Jersey , but that love for it and that need to compete, that need to be on the field and be with your brothers, that never went
away."
Cravens even had to deal with accusations that he'd quit on his teammates.
He was finally cleared in December and the Redskins began shopping him during the NFL combine last month.
The Broncos essentially sent a fifth-round selection in this year's draft for the safety-linebacker hybrid whose instincts and athleticism wowed scouts two
years ago.
Cravens is eager to put his past behind him and start anew in Denver.
"I think there's a false narrative on what exactly happened," Cravens said. "Right now my focus is just on being a Denver Bronco. One day I'll be able to
speak a little further on that, but I'm not a quitter. I'm not a guy who lacks
love for the game. I definitely don't know where the 'quitting in college' came
from, but like I said, I'm here to play for the Broncos and do whatever I can to
help this team win games."
He sees himself as a strong safety but is willing to play wherever the Broncos feel he fits best in a revamped secondary that lost standout safety T.J.
Ward last fall and elite cornerback Aqib Talib this spring.
"I'm just grateful to be on the field," Cravens said, adding that last season made him appreciate his chance to play pro football and he has no qualms about
getting right back into the fray.
"We're all grown men and I know what I'm signing myself up for. I'm aware of the situation that I was in and I'm aware of the dangers of the game," he said.
"I've experienced it firsthand and I'm still willing to go out there and put
everything I have on the line. I wanted a fresh start just because I don't like
the way things happened. It wasn't a part of my plan. I never thought at 22
years old that I'd be at the house watching football instead of playing
football."
The Latest on the NFL playoffs on wild-card weekend (all times local):
6:25 p.m. ET
All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce is out for the rest of the Chiefs’ playoff game against the Titans after sustaining a concussion late in the first
half.
The injury also puts his status in question for next week should the Chiefs advance.
Kelce was being tackled when the Titans’ Johnathan Cyprien delivered a blow with his shoulder. Their helmets also collided and Kelce appeared to be dazed
when he got to his feet.
The Chiefs lead 21-3 early in the third quarter.
– Dave Skretta reporting in Kansas City
—
6:10 p.m. ET
The Chiefs are taking a 21-3 lead into halftime of their wild-card playoff game against Tennessee after driving 79 yards in 1:52 and scoring on a 14-yard
touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson.
Kansas City converted on third-and-6 early in the drive, when the Titans called timeout in hopes of getting the ball back
Gale Sayers Jersey , then moved effortlessly downfield the rest of the way.
Robinson crossed the goal line with 3 seconds left in the first half.
Alex Smith was 19 of 23 for 231 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the half.
His counterpart, Marcus Mariota, was 7 of 13 for 82 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.
– Dave Skretta reporting in Kansas City
—
6 p.m. ET
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is being evaluated for a concussion after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from the Titans’ Johnathan Cyprien late in the
first half of their playoff game.
The second-team All-Pro caught a pass over the middle and was going to the ground when Cyprien tried to lay a shoulder into him. Their helmets collided and
Kelce lay on the turf stunned.
When he got up, he was wobbling toward the end zone and officials called for the training staff.
Kelce was taken immediately to the locker room.
– Dave Skretta reporting in Kansas City
—
5:55 p.m. ET
The Titans are on the scoreboard after Ryan Succop’s 49-yard field goal, and they got some help from the officiating crew just to trim their deficit to 14-3
late in the first half.
Marcus Mariota took a vicious hit from Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson on a delayed blitz, and he clearly dropped the ball before he hit the ground. But the
play was blown dead by the officials, so even though Justin Houston picked up
the fumble, the Titans got a chance to kick a field goal.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid spent an entire timeout arguing the call to no avail.
– Dave Skretta reporting in Kansas City
—
5:20 p.m. ET
The Chiefs lead the Titans 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, which is precisely the same score after 15 minutes when these teams met in the regular
season in 2016.
The Titans wound up rallying for a 19-17 victory.
In fact, the Chiefs carried a 17-7 lead into the fourth quarter of that game. But the Titans mounted a comeback, and former Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop hit a
52-yard field goal on the final play of the game – after a timeout by Andy Reid
gave him another shot – to give Tennessee the win.
– Dave Skretta reporting in Kansas City
—
5:15 p.m. ET
The Chiefs that won five straight to start the regular season and four straight to finish it have apparently showed up in the playoffs
William Jackson Jersey , racing to a 14-0 lead over the Titans.
Alex Smith connected with tight end Travis Kelce for a 13-yard touchdown pass with 2:15 left in the first quarter. It was the second straight TD drive for
Kansas City, both covering 75-plus yards.
Smith is 8 of 11 for 154 yards and the score. Kareem Hunt has 25 yards rushing and the other TD.
– Dave Skretta reporting in Kansas City
—
4:55 p.m. ET
The Chiefs are on the board first in their playoff game against Tennessee with Kareem Hunt, this season’s NFL rushing champion, plunging in from 1 yard
out for a touchdown.
The teams swapped scoreless drives before Kansas City went 81 yards in just under three minutes.
Two big plays set up the short TD run: Tyreek Hill caught a pass underneath the coverage and raced 45 yards, then tight end Travis Kelce caught a 27-yard
pass to the 2-yard line.
– Dave Skretta reporting in Kansas City
—
4:35 p.m. ET
Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters hid out in the locker room during the national anthem before their playoff game against Tennessee, just as he has done
all season.
Peters has never fully addressed the reason he protests during the anthem.
Fans unfurled a field-length flag during the rendition, and a B-2 bomber flew overhead, while the Titans and the rest of the Chiefs stood on their respective
sidelines at attention.
Tennessee won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.
– Dave Skretta reporting in Kansas City
—
4:30 p.m. ET
Jon Gruden may be getting an up-close look at his future rival.
Gruden is providing the color analysis for ESPN’s broadcast of the Chiefs-Titans playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Associated Press and several other outlets have reported that Gruden will be introduced as the coach of their AFC West-rival Oakland Raiders on
Tuesday.
Play-by-play man Sean McDonough congratulated Gruden on his transition back to coaching, and the former Raiders and Buccaneers head coach replied: ”Nothing
is official yet but these Chiefs fans have been on my case since I got
here.”
– Dave Skretta reporting in Kansas City
—
4 p.m.
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