OXNARD, Calif. — It's been a long 11 months for linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who after having a stellar training camp and beginning to the preseason tore his ACL on a tackle along the sideline in the team's second exhibition game a year ago in Seattle.
However, Overshown was cleared in time for training camp, as he takes a new perspective into his second season in the league, but his first on the field.
"It feels great, man," Overshown said. "Just being out there, having the fans out again. Definitely the adrenaline was running the whole time. As soon as I got out here, the injury and stuff was past me."
The University of Texas product was overjoyed to be back on the field where he will be competing for a starting linebacker role in 2024. His progression mentally, he says, will help him be even better than he could have been had he been healthy as a rookie.
"I tell myself that I'll be ten times better than what I was last year," he said. "I'm coming in mentally prepared, physically prepared. Having all that time off really made me sit down and realize why I love playing this game so much. Being away from it, it felt like a piece of me was missing. Now that I'm back, I really can't even explain that feeling."
Head coach Mike McCarthy had rave reviews on Friday after evaluating Overshown's first day, as he said that he may have put in a little too much work for someone's first day off a major injury.
"If anything, he had too much progress yesterday," McCarthy said. "He had a great day yesterday. I just think the way he goes with his pace and energy and explosiveness, he had a really good day yesterday. Frankly, we're going to keep him off special teams today. I feel great about where he is."
Even with maybe a bit more of a limited workload on Friday, Overshown was still in the middle of the action during team drills as he takes his physically progressed frame to the field in Oxnard. Even though it may be the first time in a while that he's touched the field, he said the butterflies escaped him quickly.
"Really, as soon as I walked on the field," he said. "I just had to get a couple barks in before the pre-warmup to let them know the dog is back out here. I felt great. Like I said, the training staff is definitely working me in. I'm good."
