HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (Aug. 21, 2005) -- Sure his foot felt a little sore. Ty Law expected that. He was just happy to be practicing for the first time with his new Jets teammates.
The Pro Bowl cornerback went through a full practice for the first time since signing with New York on Aug. 8. He saw only one pass come his way during team drills, and that one ended up being tipped at the line.
"Maybe they wanted to ease me into it a little bit," Law said. "I appreciate that. I know it's going to come in due time. It was challenging enough just to try to stay close to the receiver being that I haven't played in any real action since October. So just to be in the vicinity, I feel good about that."
Law broke his left foot in October and missed the rest of the season for New England. He underwent surgery to repair ligament damage in January, and is not yet fully healed. After coming to the Jets, he was held out of practice so he could go through strengthening exercises and individual drills.
Getting back to practice was encouraging for Law, even though he felt some rustiness and soreness.
"It's like anything else -- you have a surgery, you have a ding, you have a sprain, you get sore," Law said. "That's something to be expected. But it's not stopping me from going out there and participating."
Though Herman Edwards said Aug. 20 that Law would play in the Jets' preseason game against the New York Giants on Aug. 26, he seemed to back away from those comments after practice. Even Law said it would be a game-time decision whether he plays.
"We're going to bring him on a nice schedule; we're not going to try to kill him," Edwards said. "We just want to bring him in easy as he gets in shape and hopefully he can participate this weekend in the football game."
Nonetheless, Edwards was pleased with what he saw out of Law.
"He did well for a guy's first practice," Edwards said. "He's got great instincts. He understands the concepts of what we're trying to do, now it's a matter of him familiarizing as far the language, how we say things compared to how he learned it in New England."
Law spent 10 seasons with the Patriots, where he made four Pro Bowls. After New England released him, many teams stayed away or lost interest because of the question marks surrounding his foot.
But the Jets always had an eye on him, especially since he has a good relationship with Edwards and running back Curtis Martin, a former Patriot. He felt comfortable the moment he met his teammates -- and he got his No. 24 -- but the biggest obstacle now is learning the playbook.
"I had no problem making the transition, even to see the green on me," Law said. "I had my 24, so I was in the comfort zone right there. I always felt no matter where I played as long as I had that 24 and that Law on the back of my jersey I was fine.
"I'm excited about it, but right now it's the terminology that's killing me. We had the same terminology but it meant something totally different. And I've got to think. I'm in a different area code right now."
Law also admitted he thinks about his foot when he is on the field, but knows that will pass with time.
"I've got so much to think about as far as the scheme and the coverages, I think it's good it can take my mind away from my foot a little bit," Law said. "It is in the back of my mind. But it's just a matter of repetition and a matter of time. I've got another three weeks before the first game. To do what I was able to do today I felt real good about it."
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