OL Orlando Pace (Chicago Bears)

[ScriptOhio]

Originally Posted by Steve19

One wonders if this isn't the end of his playing career. It's been a long time for a lineman his size and playing the central role that he has. Best wishes to OP!

Orlando will just be 32 this November 4th (which incidentally is the birthday of a lot of great people). He could play for another 4 or 5 years. Offensive linemen seem to have longer NFL careers than most other positions. Hell, didn't Bruce Matthews play for 20 years?

[Buckskin86]

Rams lose offensive line anchor Pace for season
Associated Press
Updated: September 11, 2007, 1:19 AM ET

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams offensive tackle Orlando Pace will miss the rest of the season with a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder suffered in the season opener Sunday.

The injury is Pace's second season-ender in two games, after tearing his left triceps last November. Coach Scott Linehan said this one could be career-threatening.

Team physician Dr. Matt Matava estimated a six-month rehab period while calling it a "correctable injury."

"I think it's too soon to say what implications there are for his future," Linehan said. "I would think it's all up to the mind-set of Orlando and how he responds to another recovery to a season-ending injury.

"He's got to go through it again."

An MRI exam Monday revealed the damage to the seven-time Pro Bowl player who was the first overall pick of the 1997 draft, and coach Scott Linehan said surgery will be scheduled. The 31-year-old Pace was injured on the first play after the two-minute warning while pass-blocking against the Panthers' Julius Peppers, minor jostling that didn't appear out of the ordinary.

"I feel very bad, obviously, for Orlando," Linehan said. "He had a real unfortunate injury and we'll have to pick up the pieces.

"Come Sunday, we'll have our best five out there."

After watching a tape of the play, Linehan wasn't sure what happened. Offensive coordinator Greg Olson said Pace told him he "just felt it give out."

"You really can't see it, but it must have been a pretty dramatic blow to have that kind of damage," Linehan said. "It was a very unusual injury, but pretty severe."

Pace injured his triceps last year, also while pass blocking on an innocent-appearing play, landing him on injured reserve for the final seven games.

ESPN - Rams tackle Pace (shoulder) done for season - NFL

[ScarletBlood31]

Shame.

Let's hope for a speedy recovery.

[Buckskin86]

Surgery for Pace
By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/23/2007

For Orlando Pace, the Rams' perennial Pro Bowler at left tackle, the long road back to the playing field began Thursday in Texas. Pace underwent surgery to repair injuries to the rotator cuff and labrum of his right shoulder at St. Luke's Hospital in Houston. Dr. Walt Lowe performed the surgery.

Pace is due back in St. Louis on Monday. The expected recovery time for the surgery is six to eight months, which would take Pace into April. Pace suffered the injury blocking late in the first half of the Rams' regular-season opener Sept. 9 against Carolina.

STLtoday - Sports - Rams

[Buckskin86]

Pace dismisses retirement talk
By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
10/26/2007

Sept. 9, 2007-- Rams left tackle Orlando Pace leaves the playing field during a game between the Rams and the Carolina Panthers.
(Chris Lee /P-D)

Is he retiring? Everybody in his family has asked. Several of his friends, too.

It's a fair enough question. Orlando Pace has been in the NFL for 11 seasons. He turns 32 on Nov. 4. But now he has suffered season-ending injuries two years in a row.

So ... ?

"I'm going to come back and play," Pace told the Post-Dispatch. "I will play. Initially, (retirement) crosses your mind. You think, 'Man, I can't go through another year like this.'"
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But like many players, Pace wants to leave the game on his own terms. In fact, he's adamant about it.

"I have a lot of pride in wanting to do that," Pace said. "I've done a lot of good things in the league, and I want to continue to do more. I don't want to have an injury force me out, or somebody else telling me: 'You can't play anymore.'

"So that's the one thing that really drives me, and that's going to drive me to play another couple years, hopefully

STLtoday - Sports - Rams

[THEOhioState]

Happy birthday to tOSU's "Pace" setter of the mid 90s, the only offensive lineman IN MY LIFETIME that got Heisman consideration.

[Buckskin86]

Injury update
By Bill Coats
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
02/12/2008

Defensive lineman Adam Carriker, who suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder in the final game of the season and underwent surgery, will be sidelined until training camp. But most of the rest of the Rams regulars whose seasons ended prematurely because of injuries are expected to participate in some, if not all, of the spring workouts.

That includes three starters on the offensive line: tackle Orlando Pace (shoulder), guard Mark Setterstrom (knee) and center Richie Incognito (knee).

Scott Linehan reported that Incognito is almost completely recovered. He said that Pace had regained about 80 percent of his strength and that Setterstrom was at about 75 or 80 percent.

STLtoday - Sports - Rams

[Buckskin86]

Rams on pace: The St. Louis Rams plummeted from 8-8 to 3-13 last season in large part because starting left tackle Orlando Pace was lost in the season opener to a shoulder injury and has started just nine games the last two seasons due to injury.

Rams coach Scott Linehan said Friday that the seven-time Pro Bowler is expected to make a full return to the starting lineup.

"Orlando is in a very good position to come back and have a very good year for us," Linehan said. "He's close to 100%. Physically, he feels good. It's a matter of avoiding that bad luck.

"Two years ago, he had a triceps injury and last year a shoulder injury. Hopefully, he got them out of the way."

One thing the Rams will be looking to improve in the draft, possibly with the second overall pick, is a weak pass rush. Rams defensive ends combined for just 4? sacks last season.

"We have to come up with at least one guy ? whether it's in free agency, whether it's in the draft, it's a major need, we realize we have to address," Devaney said.

Combine notes: QB Ryan sitting pretty after coin flip - USATODAY.com

[Buckskin86]

'New type of hunger' fuels Pace
By Bill Coats
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
04/20/2008

One of the first things new offensive coordinator Al Saunders noted when he was hired in January was that the Rams' offensive line "probably will need some attention."

He's just hoping it won't be constant medical attention, as was the case last year.

"I'd never seen anything like that," said tackle Orlando Pace, shaking his head. "Every week it seemed like somebody was going down and we were on the waiver wire, getting guys to come in, guys off the street. That made it tough for us."

It was Pace who set the painful pace, suffering a season-ending injury to his right shoulder in the regular-season opener. The perennial Pro Bowler, who signed a seven-year, $52.8 million contract in 2005, had missed the last six games of the 2006 season after tearing a triceps muscle in his upper right arm. Advertisement

"The triceps was tough, but when I did the shoulder, it was one of the toughest things I've had to handle, not only in my professional career but in my life," Pace said in a rare offseason interview. "I was so excited about coming back and playing last year ... and I couldn't even make it through one game. It was so disappointing. It took me awhile to get over it mentally."

Pace, 32, underwent surgery Sept. 20 in Houston to repair his rotator cuff and labrum. Rehab began soon thereafter, although he was in a sling for several weeks.

"It feels pretty good," Pace reported. "When it first started, it was a slow process. But now it's a matter of lifting weights and getting it strong again, getting it back up to where I was."

STLtoday - 'New type of hunger' fuels Pace

[Buckskin86]

Posted on Sun, May. 11,
Orlando Pace taking cautious approach with injury
He hopes to be ready for start of training camp
BY STEVE KORTE
News-Democrat


ST. LOUIS --Pro Bowl left tackle Orlando Pace hopes to be ready for the start of the St. Louis Rams' training camp, but he's not making any promises.

"Hopefully, I'll be ready for training camp, but who knows," Pace said. "We will see what the doctors say and what the coaches say and what we think, and we will go from there."

Pace, who is working his way back from a torn labrum muscle in his shoulder that sidelined him for the final 15 games of the 2007 season, has been practicing on a limited basis during the Rams' minicamp this weekend.

"I'm just going through some individual (drills) and that type of thing," Pace said. "I'm just getting back in the swing of things, hitting bags, I guess. I am just trying to strengthen my shoulder. I want to get it back to where it was or even stronger than that and be ready for training camp."

Not that Pace, who has been a training camp holdout three times in his career, would be upset if he missed a couple weeks of training camp.

"I would not complain about that," Pace said. "Just to get back into the swing of things, I am sure I will be doing something, but I'm not sure what it will be."

Orlando Pace taking cautious approach with injury

Rams' Pace looking for healthier year
Posted: May 10, 2008

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Two injury-plagued years haven't hurt Orlando Pace's sense of humor.

The Rams' former Pro Bowl tackle said on Saturday during the second day of St. Louis' minicamp that he is feeling good and looking forward to training camp.

"I'm just getting ready for training camp," said a smiling Pace, who missed three camps earlier in his career when he was designated as a franchise player. "I'm not going to complain about missing some of training camp, but we'll see what the doctors say."

Pace tore a labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder on a routine block in the 2007 season opener against Carolina. He missed the rest of the season. That injury came after he tore his left triceps in Week 10 at Seattle in the 2006 season and going on injured reserve.

Coach Scott Linehan, in his third year and coming off a 3-13 season, said the goal is to limit Pace's repetitions in the minicamp and not overextend him.

"Orlando is not going to take much at all until we get back into training camp," Linehan said. "He will do all of the walkthroughs and the individuals. He will be cleared and good to go for training camp. We can't put him in that position yet."

SportingNews.com - Your expert source for NFL Football stats, scores, standings, blogs and fantasy news from NFL Football columnists

[Buckskin86]

Ranking the top 10 NFL offensive tackles
Posted: July 18, 2008
War Room scouts

2. Orlando Pace, St. Louis Rams. Just look at what happened to the Rams' offense when Pace went down. It was a disaster. Despite the injury-plagued 2007, Pace is still solid with rare size, power, and athleticism for the position.


SportingNews.com - Your expert source for NFL Football stats, scores, standings, blogs and fantasy news from NFL Football columnists

[Buckskin86]

Linehan was a bit more cautious when it came to Pace.

"Orlando is in great shape," Linehan said. "He has really worked and has got himself in a good spot. It's a matter of what the docs say. I think they just want to see if he's ready to take that next step as far as contact. Not to be overly cautious, but he's had two bad-luck injuries two years in a row."

STLtoday - Linehan geared up for a clean start

[Buckskin86]

WAITING FOR PACE

When the players assemble Friday afternoon for their first practice, only tackle Orlando Pace is expected to be limited physically. Pace sustained a season-ending injury to his left shoulder in last year's season opener and underwent surgery Sept. 20 to repair his rotator cuff and labrum.

Coach Scott Linehan said Pace, who will be listed on the 80-man camp roster, will be monitored closely.

"It could be three days, a week or two weeks" until Pace is ready for full contact, Linehan said. "We'll have to be patient with him. I think he's really close. If we had to play a game soon, I think he would be probably closer to being ready."

Pace, a seven-time Pro Bowler, also missed the last six games of the 2006 season after tearing a triceps muscle in his upper right arm.

STLtoday - 'Irrelevant' draft pick gets a three-year deal

Seven-time Pro Bowler Orlando Pace to start camp on unable to perform list

ST. LOUIS ? Seven-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Orlando Pace is close to returning from a shoulder injury, but will begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list.

Rams coach Scott Linehan said Tuesday the team would be conservative with Pace, who tore the labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder in the second quarter of the 2007 season opener against Carolina.

Linehan spoke to media as the team prepares to open training camp at Concordia University in Wisconsin. The first workout is Friday afternoon.

Pace missed the remainder of the season, and his injury was among several that left the offensive line in shambles, a big reason for the Rams' dismal 3-13 record.

It was the second straight season with a significant injury for the first overall pick of the 1997 draft. Pace suffered a season-ending left triceps tear in Seattle during Week 10 of 2006.

Linehan said Pace will be on the 80-man training camp roster, but will be brought along slowly.

"He'll be close, but I think we have to be a little conservative with our approach just because of what has happened," Linehan said. "He's in pretty good shape right now. His weight is right where we want it and it's just a matter of when we decide."

Trainer Jim Anderson and strength and conditioning coach Dana LeDuc have been working with Pace in his recovery.

A preliminary target date for Pace's return is the Aug. 9 pre-season opener at Tennessee, Linehan said.

The Canadian Press: Seven-time Pro Bowler Orlando Pace to start camp on unable to perform list

[Buckskin86]

A STEADY PACE

No red "no contact" jersey for Orlando Pace. But the heralded left tackle is, uh, pacing himself during the first part of camp.

"Coach and I talked about it and decided they were just going to work me in," Pace said. "Right now, it's limited reps and team stuff. I'm not doing one-on-one practice. I'm getting used to tackling and hitting again ? just getting my body ready."

Pace's 2007 season ended in the second quarter of the opener, when he went down with a torn rotator cuff and labrum in his left shoulder that required surgery. Three practices into camp, Pace reported that his shoulder "feels fine. It's a little sore ? but everything is a little sore."

STLtoday - Brown sidelined 2 to 3 weeks

Pro Bowl lineman Orlando Pace on comeback trail for St. Louis Rams


MEQUON, Wis. ? Orlando Pace has frequently been the player the St. Louis Rams had to do without in training camp. So the seven-time Pro Bowl lineman has an idea what it's like for contract holdout Steven Jackson, absent for a second day on Saturday.

Pace missed all of two training camps and most of a third due to contentious contract negotiations, starting with his rookie season in 1997 after being the first overall pick of the draft. He missed being with the team, but definitely didn't miss a routine that can be numbing.

"I was kind of bored," Pace said Saturday. "I worked out and you watch TV, you look at it and see what's going on around other training camps.

"Hopefully, it won't be a long process."

Jackson's absence has put the Rams' biggest training camp issue, namely questions regarding Pace's durability and longterm viability after two straight years shortened by season-ending injuries, a bit in the background. Still, a big comeback by Pace after getting sidelined in last year's opener by a shoulder injury, is perhaps the key to the team's hopes for a rebound from a 3-13 record.

"Having Big O back is definitely a relief," quarterback Marc Bulger said. "I think he's excited to be out there, too."

The Rams plan on easing Pace into full duty, with limited repetitions and no 1-on-1 challenges for now, although thus far he's seen more practice field time than perhaps anticipated. After the team's first full-pad workout on Saturday morning, Pace said he had to get his body used to contact again.

There's also a hurdle to overcome: trusting that he won't get hurt. He was injured on an innocent-looking pass block in last year's opener, tearing his rotator cuff and labrum.

"I feel good but you never know until you take that one shot," Pace said. "It was just one of those things, that when it was time to go it was time to go, and it finally happened.

"The tough thing about practising now is mentally just being willing to throw the arm in there and use it without even thinking about it."

The Canadian Press: Pro Bowl lineman Orlando Pace on comeback trail for St. Louis Rams

[Buckskin86]

Posted on Mon, Jul. 28, 2008
Pace wants to go out on his own terms
Left tackle has been hindered by injuries for last two seasons
BY STEVE KORTE
News-Democrat

MEQUON, Wis. --St. Louis Rams left tackle Orlando Pace could have walked away from football after suffering two serious injuries over the past two seasons.

He is financially secure, and his legacy in the NFL is already assured with seven straight Pro Bowl appearances, two Super Bowl appearances and one NFL championship in 11 seasons.

So why did Pace, 32, return for his 12th season in the NFL?

"I want to be able to walk off the field on my own terms and not with a doctor by my side," Pace said.

When Pace came off the field holding his arm against his side late in the first half of the season-opener against Carolina Panthers last season, it was a deflating moment for the Rams' entire team.

"Left tackles are hard to come by, and he's one of the best of all time," Rams coach Scott Linehan said. "It's hard to come by guys like that, and you miss them when they are gone. You can't really replace them."

Pace missed the rest of the 2008 season as he underwent surgery for a torn labrum in his shoulder. He'd missed the final eight games of the 2007 season because of a torn triceps muscle in his arm.

"There is luck involved in this game, and Orlando has had bad luck the last two years," Linehan said. "Generally, luck doesn't stay bad. I think he's really worked hard getting himself in the best shape that he has been in for a long time. You can worry all day about injures and things happening in games, but you just have to think positive and know we have better days ahead."

Pace has been cleared medically to practice, but the Rams are being cautious about bringing him up to full speed in training camp. He hasn't taken part in any one-on-one blocking drills.

"I knew they were going to work me in slow, so this is what I expected," Pace said. "I'm getting used to tackling and hitting again, getting my body ready."

Pace wants to go out on his own terms