“I didn't go out like I wanted to,” Proctor said of last season. “I was unable to achieve what I wanted to achieve, being with the guys and just being here. So I feel like, it probably took me about a good month or two to really grasp that ’OK, I'm working my way back to another year and getting back into the swing of things.’”
Nearly seven months removed from the injury, Proctor says he is feeling 80-85 percent healthy now. He still isn’t participating in any full-contact drills in practice, but has gradually been able to work his way back into team drills after starting the spring doing only individual work.
Given the severity of the injury, Proctor feels like he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery although he isn’t a full participant in practice yet.
“I feel good. I feel like I'm able to get out there and run around, just getting my legs back under me,” Proctor said Friday.
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But Proctor says he is “completely confident” he will be back to his usual form by the start of the season.
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Proctor expects to see snaps at both spots, and he doesn’t have a strong preference for which position he lines up at most. Either way, he believes Knowles’ philosophy of a “safety-driven defense” will give him plenty of opportunities to make plays.
“It jacks me up a lot,” Proctor said of Knowles’ defensive philosophy. “Because I know, just being back there, sometimes you can just be running around, sideline to sideline, not really get a lot of action. But knowing that it’s really a safety-driven defense, and you’re reading all these different keys, you’re always in the play. You’re never just going to be back there bored and just sitting there looking.”