But Freeney’s story in recent seasons has moved past numbers.
Numbers don’t measure toughness, or desire. Blessed as he is with quickness, leverage and speed, those attributes are rarely mentioned with Freeney. But in early October, Freeney sustained a quadriceps injury, after which it was widely reported that he would miss anywhere from 2-to-4 weeks to the entire season. He didn’t practice that week, but he played against Seattle. He also registered a sack. Colts QB Peyton Manning afterward called the performance “inspiring.”
Numbers don’t measure the off-field stuff, either. And while the participation in the Take a Player to School Day prompted that thought and this post, there’s more. This past summer, Freeney worked with ESPN on this “Unmasked” segment a few months after appearing on Dr. Phil in a segment about women who pursue wealthy men. These things don’t make him a saint, of course, but for the past several months I keep thinking of Freeney, “Here’s a guy who knows the NFL’s not going to last forever, and who’s making a point to enjoy it.”
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