WESTFIELD, Ind. -- Indianapolis Colts All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard took perhaps his most significant step forward in his yearslong injury battle when he opened training camp Wednesday by participating in full-team drills.
"Today was the best I've felt in a long time," Leonard said. "So I'm happy with it."
Leonard, who played in just three games last season, has started each of the past two seasons on the physically unable to perform list and has had three surgeries since 2021 in an effort to address persistent lower leg pain.
Last year, doctors performed two back surgeries after identifying a nerve issue as the cause of Leonard's discomfort. The first surgery was unsuccessful, but the Colts are optimistic the follow-up procedure has resolved the problem.
Leonard admitted Wednesday to rushing back from his recovery from the initial back surgery performed in summer 2022, a difficult lesson he has applied to his current rehab.
"I felt like last year, I was just so eager to get back out there, and I feel like I hurt myself again," he said. "That's why I had the second surgery in November. So, [I'm] learning from that and learning how to take it slow."
Leonard is eight months post-surgery from the second procedure, but the Colts underpromised and overdelivered with Leonard this week. General manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that Leonard was expected to be brought along slowly, indicating he would be limited to individual drills at the outset of camp.
But in Wednesday's first training camp workout, Leonard participated in every aspect of the non-padded practice, including 11-on-11 work with the starting defense.
Entering the day, Leonard felt anxious despite his intense rehabilitation in recent months. The long layoff took a toll on his confidence, but Wednesday's developments should provide quite a boost.
"I was nervous," he said. "I felt like this was a game day for me. First time in a while -- no sleep last night, jitter bugs all morning. I probably didn't truly feel like myself until after individual [drills]. I was just so nervous. And after that, it just felt like where I just left off at, just coming in and just being a leader for this team and just being able to just run around, hopefully make some plays."
Leonard's entrance to the practice field Wednesday was met with a rousing reaction from the assembled fans, a poignant moment for a player who has been out of the spotlight for so long.
"That was emotional for me," Leonard said. "It's been a long journey, man."