Transcript of wideout Santonio Holmes' late afternoon news conference following the Jets' Wednesday midday practice at the Atlantic Health Training Center:
On how he's feeling…
Another day, a little excited. Football season's here and hopefully I'll be ready to roll soon.
On what he has been able to do since his last media session in Cortland…
I still haven't done anything since Cortland. What you've seen on Saturday at the game wasn't anything in particular extra. It was just giving it a try and seeing what I can do. Up until this point, I still haven't done anything else. But what I've been doing is rehabbing and riding the bike and [using the] AlterG [machine].
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On if he meant he had not done any more route-running…**
Yeah.
On his statements about not being able to run…
Running routes – I still can't do anything, so, yes.
On if he can cut…
It's not that I can't do anything, it's just that I haven't done anything yet.
On if he has been told when he can try cutting…
No. We're still playing it day by day and just going with the flow at this point.
On how he felt running on Saturday…
All I did was run straight ahead and did sprints. That's pretty much what I've been doing up until this point. The past couple of weeks is just sprinting straight ahead.
On how fast he is running straight ahead…
There's no percentage right now. I'm not able to be at Santonio Holmes' level of competition, so right now it's just going with what I can give right now.
On if there are certain movements that give him pain…
I haven't done anything, so I can't answer that correctly.
On if he was running as hard as he could on Saturday…
I just answered that question.
On if playing Week 1 is unrealistic…
Not really. I still haven't counted down the weeks at all. I'm more excited that the season's here for the team and not just for myself.
On if he feels he needs a certain amount of practice reps to be ready to play against Tampa Bay…
I don't know. I think the conditioning that I've been doing so far has definitely prepared me. [Head athletic trainer] John Mellody has definitely stayed on top of me with my conditioning, as far as riding the bike and running on the AlterG. I really don't know how things are going to go come Week 1, so we'll just continue to plan ahead just like we're doing right now.
On if he has a timetable for his return…
I never had one from the start. Coming off of injury, the first time, I'm just letting the foot heal up and see where we can go from there.
On if he still feels pain in his foot…
Every day I wake up.
On when he runs, if he feels pain in his foot…
I answered that question earlier.
On if the trainers have told him the pain in his foot will eventually go away…
I really don't know, but every day I've woken up since the injury, it hasn't been the same. Regardless of the things I've done on the field, it still feels the same.
On what he's seen from the offense…
The guys are looking pretty good. But up to my standards, I think that we're playing really good. The receivers are definitely becoming more and more physical and understanding what is expected of them at this point. As far as [their performance], the coaches have to evaluate all of that. Their standards are a little different than mine and I can only continue to push our guys to become better receivers.
On what the next step is for him…
The next step is to try to get on the football field, so whatever it takes to get on the field is what I have to be ready for.
On what sign he will get to tell him he will be ready to cut…
Comfort has to be the number one key. Right now it is finding the right shoe for me to to wear to be able to run and do all those things
On how long the pain and discomfort will last…
I have to walk on it every day.
On if it feels better after he walks on it…
Yeah.
On how he weighs his health with coming back quickly enough…
At this point, I don't know. My main focus is to be as healthy as I can, to perform at a good enough level that is successful for the team. For myself it's treatment every day and not allowing myself to feel comfortable any point with the success that I've made and the strides that I've made forward. It's continuing to stay in the rehab and treatments and hopefully this thing goes away at one point, but if it doesn't I have to continue doing this until it's done.
On if he is holding out hope that he will be ready for the regular season…
Why would I hold out anything? If I can go, I will go. If I can't, then I can't.
On his workout with Geno Smith and going through another workout…
I probably ran two routes which were the two passes that I caught from Geno on the deep side, but everything else was walk, catch the ball on the sideline. It wasn't really full go. It wasn't planting and cutting the way I would like to, so at this point it's only making strides forward. I can't pinpoint a day on when it will feel better because every day has been the same up until this point. I feel good some days, don't the others. This pain won't go away. It's something that I probably can't predict because I have to get up and I have to run, have to cut, have to plant, put pressure on it and apply as much pressure as I can to run routes and to feel comfortable.
On how the coaches' standards are different…
I mean, the coaches coach and the players play and from what I see, the way the players are playing, I'm satisfied. The coaches, they have different standards on what they look forward to.
On trying to find a comfortable shoe to wear…
I'm actually going through that process as of yesterday.
On if he has been using a hyperbaric chamber…
I've been using it since year three in the NFL. It's helping keep the heart rate up and as far as conditioning, the oxygen that pushes into the body is definitely healing all over the body, so where there's nicks and bruises here and there, the more oxygen I continue to pump using the chamber, it definitely helps cure those.
On if he still cannot guarantee that he will play at all this season…
Yeah. Up until this point I don't know, I don't know.
On if there is a chance he will miss the entire season…
I don't know how to answer that question as far as missing the whole season. I mean, we have 16 weeks of football. At any point I could be ready to play. If not, I would be willing to accept it.
On how difficult it is to be sitting out…
At this point, nothing is difficult because I continue to do the necessary things that I would do if I was playing, which is catching off the JUGS machine, continuing the same process that I do of catching the ball and focusing on the little details from watching the guys on the field. Those things are definitely helping me to keep my focus on getting back on the field and when the day comes to be 100 percent ready.
On Coach Ryan saying that he looks to be in good physical condition…
Looks can be deceiving. I say that with a smile because if I actually look or felt as good as I looked I would definitely be 100 percent ready. With that being said, looks can be deceiving.
On if his pain needs to go away before he returns or if it's something he will play through…
I think it is something I have to learn to tolerate at this point because the injury itself is going to be a tough one to overcome. Mentally, it's definitely a big challenge to come back off a foot injury that required to have a long procedure and I want to say about seven or eight months of no physical contact on the foot. I'm definitely trying to relearn how to do all of these things again.
