Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/156066
irish in the pros Jonas Gray Gets Back On The Field In Miami By Dan Murphy A year of physical therapy while preparing for his professional career has transformed former Irish running back Jonas Gray from "meatball" to "bowling ball." Gray, currently a member of the Miami Dolphins, said he's not sure why the nicknames he gets from teammates always have something to do with a ball, but he's happy the new moniker he's picked up in Miami is fittingly a little more dense than the meatball nickname he had while in South Bend. The 230-pound rookie looked bigger and stronger in his first time back in full pads since a knee injury cut short his senior season at Notre Dame. He spent all of last year on the physically unable to perform list in Miami while recovering from the anterior cruciate ligament he tore in his final college home game. He picked up right where he left off, at a touchdown per game pace, earlier this month in Dolphins training camp. Gray ran for two touchdowns in his first three preseason games and gained a team-high 87 yards on his 25 total carries. He is gaining traction as a possible option for the short-yardage back on Miami's 53-man roster and looks to have added the bulk he needs to do that job. "I just pretty much toned up so I look bigger," he said. "I'm way more cognizant of my nutrition than I was at Notre Dame. I know that's going to help my health and help me last longer in the league. It helps some to add some weight where I needed it, too. I'm feeling healthy." The injury that prematurely ended Gray's breakout senior season — a 12-touchdown, 791-yard performance in 11 games — dropped him from the NFL Draft and into free agency where Miami picked him up last summer. Noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews repaired the knee, and Gray spent a full season rebuilding his strength. He said he found some solace in watching Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles rushing for 1,500-plus yards last season. Both had their knees surgically repaired by Andrews around the same time. Gray watched Peterson's "angry" running style during his year away from the field and now tries to model his play after the NFL's leading rusher. The biggest obstacle remaining for Gray is getting past the instinct to protect himself differently when he's running. He said he is still conscious of his vulnerability when he runs a swing route out of the backfield, which is what he did on the play when his knee buckled against Boston College in 2011. "I'm still trying to get that 100 percent complete confidence back,"