"I immediately Google searched Kobe Bryant"- $150 million NFL superstar shares turning to Lakers legend's surgeon for Achilles injury
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers revealed that he turned to the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant for inspiration after suffering an Achilles injury. During an appearance on Amazon Prime's "Thursday Night Football" pregame show, Rodgers revealed that upon learning he would need surgery, the first thing he did was Google search "Kobe Bryant."
The former NFL MVP said he was astonished when he discovered he shared the same surgeon as Bryant, who had suffered a similar ACL injury in 2013.
Rodgers suffered a torn ACL during his team's opening game against the Buffalo Bills in September. He underwent successful surgery on Sept. 14, which included a "speed bridge" procedure designed to expedite the recovery process.
“When I was sitting on the table in the locker room after I came off the field on Sept. 11, I immediately Google searched ‘Kobe Bryant,’” Rodgers said.
“Kobe’s a favorite of probably most of ours, and I actually didn’t realize that Neal [ElAttrache] had done his surgery. So, the next thing I did was text Neal and say ‘Hey, I’m going to come see you.’”
Rodgers returned to practice just 77 days after surgery, which is unprecedented for players recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. However, his goal to come back the same season he suffered the injury has become more unlikely, given that the Jets have been eliminated from playoff contention and he is not yet at 100%.
The Jets made a huge investment when they traded for Rodgers, a four-time MVP and one-time champion, in April this year.
A year before he got traded, he signed a four-year, $200 million contract extension with the Green Bay Packers, which included $153 million in guaranteed money.
How Kobe Bryant came back after the surgery by Dr. Neal ElAttrache
Kobe Bryant suffered a torn Achilles on April 12, 2013, against the Golden State Warriors, and before leaving the game, he sank two free throws. He returned to the court eight months later, in December of the same year.
Despite being 35 years old when the injury occurred, he played for three more years before retiring in 2016.
Bryant averaged 18.9 points over the final 107 games of his illustrious career, capping it off with a memorable 60-point performance against the Utah Jazz.
As he aims to emulate the Black Mamba's post-Achilles injury recovery, Rodgers shared how helpful ElAttrache has been.
"Neal is a fantastic doctor," Rodgers said, "not just his incredible skill, but his bedside manner and the way he takes care of his patients and keeps in touch with them. He's an incredible human being."
"He did a surgery that kind of allows the patient to get on their feet a little quicker because a lot of the stress and strain is actually put into the heel because of the type of surgery we did. So, I was up and moving quicker than usual."
Rodgers said he could have played for the Jets again this season had they reached the playoffs.
"I wanted to at least be in the conversation, and I think we basically did that," Rodgers said. "If things had been different with our record, I might be playing tonight instead of sitting my butt on this bench and talking to you guys."