Mario Annicchiarico
Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON -- The tattoos that adorn Adam Braidwood's arms and upper body tell tales of his past. It's the scars on his knees and what's in his heart that will determine his future.

The stitchmarks are remnants of surgeries that have kept the 25-year-old defensive lineman out of the Edmonton Eskimos lineup for the past two seasons.

But the now six-foot-four, 285-pounder, who toiled in both mixed martial arts and boxing during those two years he missed on the gridiron, insists he has made a commitment to getting back to work on the football field.

"I've sat out for two years, exactly, and I think there are going to be a lot of guys in a lot of trouble," said Braidwood, who has visited with his surgeon twice and has been cleared to get back to work.

"He said I can start training camp tomorrow if I wanted to, so I'm pretty stoked. I'm pretty happy.

"I've come back, reinvented myself. I'm a lot bigger and a lot stronger. I'm about 285 pounds right now (up from 270) and moving like I used to at 260. I'm a lot bigger and stronger," added Braidwood, who is working out with his trainer at Simon Fraser University in preparation for training camp, which begins with medicals on June 5.

Those were tests he failed to pass last summer. It was a disappointment to both player and organization, considering he had already missed the 2008 campaign.

"I feel like I'm a rookie all over again. My body is healed up nicely. I feel really good and I want to come back with a vengeance and win a Grey Cup for the city of Edmonton," said the Delta, B.C., product, who had two surgeries on his left knee.

"It's a non-issue. I feel stronger, faster, and I'm 25 and feel better than I have in a long time. I feel rejuvenated, really."

Those are the exact words the Eskimos want to hear, but more importantly, the mentality they want to see from their 2006 first overall draft pick who had a tremendous rookie campaign.

"It's more than just the work now with Adam," said general manager Danny Maciocia, who showed so much confidence in Braidwood's ability to bounce back that he quietly extended the defensive lineman's contract while he sat out last season.

"I've spoken to him several times during the off-season and he keeps sending me video of him working out. He looks pretty good and, now, we'll see when we go to camp.

"I understand that there is probably frustration out there from the fans, just because of what he showed in Year 1. That, and he was a No. 1 pick. Everyone was impressed with this kid coming out of college.

"Once again, though, he's 25 years old, not 30. He has not been beat up football-wise over the last two years. His rehab didn't go as scheduled, but our doctors are very happy with where his knee is at so I'm expecting him to come back and be the player he was."

That probably won't be instantaneous, considering the layoff.

"There will be some rough patches at the beginning, but the good part is he's coming into a new season, not coming off a nine-game (injured list) where he has to play next week," said Maciocia.

"He's going to have a few weeks of training camp and two pre-season games where he can slowly get into it," Maciocia said.

That's the type of support Braidwood has received in his rehabilitation, which has lasted far beyond his expectations.

"Danny has been awesome. He's had my back through this whole thing. We renegotiated a contract in about two minutes," said Braidwood. "He wants me to be there and that's a good feeling for me, and I want to be there, too. I didn't want to become a free agent. I extended the deal with some incentives to play.

"Danny drafted me, he's watched me throughout my career, he knows what type of guy I am personally. He has definitely supported me throughout this whole thing, saying, 'Do what you need to do to get healthy and whatever we can do to help, we will.' The biggest thing is, I haven't played in two years and I'm still there. He's loyal and he wants to see me out there."

The fans have anxiously awaited Braidwood's return since he initially tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Two surgeries later -- the initial repair and then scar tissue broke up and he tore it again -- he's ready to spring into action and will likely see some time at both defensive end and tackle.

"I think they're going to give me a shot at both. It'll be like my rookie year, getting reps at both," said Braidwood. "They'll see what they have to do with the Canadian ratio, but I plan on being a starter so they would have to have a Canadian backup, so those are things they have to consider."

Second-year man Dee Sterling would likely be that support at tackle, if Braidwood's return does indeed happen.

"I want this. I want people talking my name out there," said Braidwood. "I want to sell some jerseys with 'Braidwood' on the back. I want to prove I'm still the aggressive, mean player I'm known to be.

"I'm going to catch a lot of people off guard when they see that I am healthy and I have been studying them for two years and I'm going to mess them up," he continued.

"All I've been doing this off-season is getting ready for football -- living, breathing and eating football. I've taken my training very seriously since Christmas, the moment I got home from Edmonton. I let myself heal prior to that, and now I want to come back and be in a positive situation."

Courtesy: www.edmontonjournal.com