Merriman doesn't miss 'Lights Out' days
Shawn Merriman has battled injuries for three years, but isn't concerned about getting back to the "Lights Out" persona that made him one of the most feared pass rushers in the NFL while in San Diego.
"I used to miss it. Not now so much, now that I am used to doing the things I am accustomed to doing," Merriman said. "I am still not where I want to be. You have got to get to that through camp and working on little things and that is why we watch the film every day to see what I need to get better on."
Merriman was cleared to return to practice in late May and is as healthy as he has been since 2008. He's also transitioning from outside linebacker to defensive end while playing opposite Mario Williams.
"It is not about talking anymore about what I can do or what happened in the past, or how good things were in the past. You just have to go out and do it," Merriman said. "And that is all I have been concentrating on. It is not one of those things I really think about. It is just going out every day and working."
Merriman had early-season surgery to repair his Achilles' tendon in 2011. He is under contract for one more season, but it's an encouraging sign that he's healthy at the start of training camp.
"The offseason workouts, the minicamps and OTAs really got that out of me a lot," he said about being concerned about his injury history. "To be able to workout fully for the first time in years and practice every day and not miss a beat. ... Repetition is how you do it. And I had enough reps to kind of get that behind me."
