“The Full Surgery”
July 29th, 2018
Didn’t fool around this time. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com)
Noah Spence is one chiseled football player.
The third-year defensive end has had an up-and-down short career. Just when it looked like he was going to be a monster his rookie season he blew out his shoulder but played to the bitter end, essentially with one arm in the final game of the 2016 season, In that game, he somehow tackled Cam Newton for a key stop in a close win, despite playing with a separated shoulder.
Spence had surgery to repair the shoulder but it didn’t last long as the first play in the second game of the 2017 campaign at Minnesota, the shoulder went out again. This time it shelved Spence for the year.
Back from his second surgery in as many years on the same shoulder, Spence believes it will be the final surgery on his shoulder because it was a “full surgery,” he said.
“I got the full surgery this time,” Spence said after practice today. “I didn’t take any outs. No slow staples or anything. I went in there and got the whole surgery done. It was a six-, seven-month process but it is all done now. I’m all good.”
Spence noted that he can’t help but be better. First, he is healthy. Second, the influx of Super Bowl veterans and a Super Bowl position coach.
Veterans added this offseason “have helped me a lot. We have meshed well,” Spence said. “We are teaching each other stuff. It is good to have these vets. They have been to the Super Bowl.”
As for new defensive line coach Brentson Buckner, Spence said he is real and the players can sense it.
“Honestly, I just think he has a lot of spirit,” Spence said. “You can tell he really loves the game. We feed off of stuff like that. Sometimes we are down and he gets us up before we go out there [to practice]. It is a blessing to have a guy like that around.”
As for blessings, Joe asked Spence about a rare sight he witnessed. After the first practice this training camp, Joe noted the entire defensive line, including Buckner, got into a prayer circle and held hands. Spence said that was not a stunt, but genuine.
“Yeah, we are tight,” Spence said. “We talk every day. We talk about God every day before we go out and work.”
July 29th, 2018 at 3:06 pm
Great stuff Joe, will he always have to wear a harness?
July 29th, 2018 at 3:16 pm
Now wearing one now.
July 29th, 2018 at 3:17 pm
From pro football doc on Feb 27, 2018 was asked most concerning injury on each team said this on Bucs:
Spence has not been so lucky. He underwent a shoulder labral repair for a chronic dislocation last offseason But in Week 3, it happened again, derailing his expected breakout season with another surgery. Revision surgery is always harder than the first time. I would expect him to continue to use a shoulder harness this season to avoid a third go-round.
So the pro football doc is not so convinced it won’t reoccur.
I think Bucs will be smart and try to very much limit his snaps to avoid the 3rd strike.
July 29th, 2018 at 3:19 pm
No Dewey – no more shoulder harness. The surgery last year was done in such a way that the shoulder should never come out of its socket again – which was the problem previously – it was popping out way too easily.
Hopefully Spence is fully healed and can stay healthy this entire year. If that’s the case – perhaps we will finally get to see why Spence was widely thought of as “the best pure pass rusher” in the 2016 draft…
Go get em Spawn!
July 29th, 2018 at 3:28 pm
“God hates the Bucs”
Kobe Faker
July 29th, 2018 at 4:50 pm
Haha maybe Kobe hates the Bucs 😂
July 29th, 2018 at 5:35 pm
What is he weighing this year 260 plus I hope.
July 29th, 2018 at 5:38 pm
Time to eat son. Now Sic’em
July 29th, 2018 at 5:52 pm
Kobe Faker Says:
July 29th, 2018 at 3:28 pm
“God hates the Bucs”
God doesn’t hate anybody, Kobe…..and he loves you.
No problem having God in our huddle.
July 29th, 2018 at 6:05 pm
Gettin’ more fired-up about Coach Buc.
July 29th, 2018 at 6:41 pm
Speaking of God, it makes me wonder what on God’s green earth they thought they were doing by NOT doing the full surgery the first time…
July 29th, 2018 at 7:46 pm
Amen
July 29th, 2018 at 7:56 pm
He looks huge. To bad he doesn’t have a good system to play in
July 29th, 2018 at 8:58 pm
A recent study looked at the outcome of nearly 5,000 surgeries. Only about 1 in 4 patients actually had no pain after the surgery and only 4 in 10 said that the surgery was a resounding success. Even worse, just a bit more than 1 in 10 patients said that their function was normal after the surgery.
Now I have no idea what Spence is feeing and he may be able to play 10 more successful years in the NFL.
He is young and he is an athlete compared to the general public in the study; I just caution that since he looks ripped, does not mean that his underlying shoulder wont give him issues.
He will be gravy if he is successful for this team. Curry, JPP, and McCoy look like the obvious superior D lineman to me. Unfortunately Shoulder Labrum repair history is not that successful.
July 29th, 2018 at 9:54 pm
Kobe, you must have turned off the TV when the Eagles just beat the highly favored Patriots in the Super Bowl, because when the Eagles owner got the trophy he first thanked God, so did the Coach, and all the star players. They have a huge Christian Athletes Chapter there and it creates selfless players who bond together with their teammates and can overtake even the Patriots.
How do you think Dungy completely turned the lowly Bucs into winners. He introduced them to creating a Christian Athletes Chapter here. We need our Defensive Line to bond together and play selflessly for each other and Buckner is doing the best for this team. He would make a great DC if Smith gets fired.
July 29th, 2018 at 10:02 pm
Great update on Spence Joe. I believe this is his year to breakout. Injury behind him and he’s ripped and it appears to be in great football shape. I’m glad we got JPP but this Cat is gonna light it up this year.
July 30th, 2018 at 8:45 pm
Can’t wait to see him if he can come back and play healthy. He gets to the QB so f-cking fast.