Redskins strong safety Matt Bowen used crutches leaving Redskins Park Monday because of his right knee injury. Despite being out for the season, Bowen wore a determined smile and said surgery Friday to repair his anterior cruciate ligament went well. The five-year veteran expects to come back next season stronger then ever.
"The doctors are really happy with it, Bubba is real happy with it," said Bowen, referring to lead trainer Bubba Tyer. "So now the process begins for getting back to being able to perform at the level I was before the injury."
Bowen was off to a good start before being injured in the first half of a 17-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 10. Bowen, 27, injured the knee running downfield trying to cover a punt. He caught his leg in the turf and didn't come into contact with anyone during the injury.
Bowen had started every game since signing with Washington before the 2003 season.
In Friday's surgery, the doctors took a graft from his hamstring tendon to reconstruct the ACL.
"I have a clean knee," Bowen said. "One thing that was really good is I didn't have any cartilage damage, any signs of arthritis, so I'm a step ahead of the game already."
Bowen's most serious injury before this season was a broken right foot in 2001 that kept him out for six weeks.
Bowen's rehabilitation will be much longer, but he intends to come back a better player. The first thing he has to do is get back his range of motion.
"I plan to come back stronger and faster," said Bowen, who gets off his crutches in about 10 days. "That stuff can be done if you work on it. I'm going to work more on my legs."
-- Nunyo Demasio
