Fueled by faith, inspired by teammate going through same rehab, Lions' Moseley roaring toward return to action

Allen Park — Reviewing his tape after each practice the first couple weeks of training camp, Detroit Lions cornerback Emmanuel Moseley was starting to recognize the guy on the screen a little more each time as he gained strength and confidence in his repaired ACL, his second in as many seasons.

"I thought I was starting to get my feet underneath me," Moseley explained. "I would look at the film and see these little glimpses of myself coming back."

Like his rest of his teammates who had grown tired of hitting each other during the early days of camp, Moseley was excited to hit the road, to test drive his knee in a new environment; a pair of joint sessions with the New York Giants. But that positive momentum was derailed almost immediately. Charging forward to defend a screen pass, Moseley instinctually punched at the ball, only to have his arm wrenched back when a teammate arrived at the receiver a moment later.

The veteran defensive back immediately knew something was wrong. Imaging that afternoon confirmed a torn pectoral muscle. It was another devastating blow for a player who has had more than his fair share. The prospect of another lost season, a third consecutive, was too much. It brought Moseley to tears.

Team doctor Robert Lynch offered a more optimistic outlook, one that had Moseley returning this season if the issue was addressed quickly. So before 24 hours had passed since suffering the injury, he was in surgery, setting himself up for another comeback.