Both play cornerback, sport dreadlocks, and have suffered a debilitating, early season shoulder injury.
And, no surprise, Packers Tramon Williams and Davon House feel the same way about the bulky, protective brace each has had to wear.
“It sucks, that’s all I can tell you,” said Williams, who had to wear a brace last season, dramatically weakening his ability to play a physical style. “But it keeps you safe. It keeps you in the range of motion and doesn’t let you get outside your comfort zone. You can’t make certain movements. It only goes so far. You can’t [reach] over your head. It’s basically playing with one arm.”
Williams’ feelings are echoed by House. After dislocating his shoulder in the Aug. 9 preseason opener at San Diego, House was shut down for three weeks. Now, as he eases back into action, he has been fitted with similarly pesky and incapacitating harness-and-sling equipment. Still, he acknowledges it’s better than the alternative -- undergoing likely season-ending surgery, which he would have to do if he injures the shoulder again.
“That it sucks,” House said, when asked if Williams had given him any advice on playing with the brace. “He told me every game he played with the sling, he wanted to take it off. But I don’t want my shoulder to pop out and be done for the year.”
The injury came at the worst time for House, a second-year player who was inactive for all but two games last season. Healthy and motivated, he was just starting to stake his claim to the open No. 2 cornerback spot across from Williams. He had played well in training camp and was very impressive outside against the Chargers. Then he got hurt and had to watch from the sidelines as CBs Jarrett Bush, Sam Shields and Casey Hayward battled for the position that looked to be his.
Perhaps eager to show he’s still deserving of the job, House said he was aiming to be ready to play in the season opener Sunday against the 49ers, an ambitious goal.
“It's really day-to-day," he said. "I'm hoping, praying for Week 1. I really can't say Week 1 for sure."
He participated in some limited drills during Wednesday’s practice, including tackling dummies and lots of running, which is the most he’s done in weeks. He said the running was easy and he was hoping for a chance to cover wide receivers and test his shoulder Thursday.
“Hopefully tomorrow we'll do individuals and do a little bit of one-on-one’s,” he said. “If we have one-on-one's, I'll be in there."
With Bush, Shields and Hayward are healthy and available -- not to mention they got all the reps House missed while injured during camp -- and considering how Williams’ play dropped off last year when he tried to play through his shoulder injury, coach Mike McCarthy seemed less than optimistic that House would return soon.
"It's a process,” McCarthy said Wednesday. “It was his first day out there; he was on a rep count. We're cautious with the drills we put him in. We'll evaluate him as far as the film and see where he is tomorrow."
Follow Packers reporter James Carlton on Twitter @CBSSportsNFLGB
