Bengals Cornerback DJ Ivey on Health and Possible Timeline Return to Games

Cincinnati Bengals On SI

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00:00I feel like I could be back probably like a month and a half ago, but it's just waiting.

00:05It's just waiting on the best time for me.

00:07I'm just excited to be back.

00:12Do you think you can make a difference on teams right away?

00:15Of course. I feel like I can make a difference wherever the team needs me.

00:18They want me on special teams, on defense, offense, wherever they need me, man.

00:22I feel like I can make a difference.

00:24Was it as a gunner when you tore it in that Minnesota game?

00:29Yes, I was running down on a gunner.

00:31Was it contact?

00:32It was non-contact.

00:34Literally, I was going to make the tackle, and as I was making the tackle, it happened.

00:38It seems like all the guys are excited for you being back. How are you feeling?

00:43Oh yeah, they're definitely excited. They're hyping me up all day.

00:47I'm feeling very, very well. I'm feeling good.

00:50I'm just excited to be back and help this team improve.

00:55Did they give you an indication this was coming, or did this kind of get accelerated when Dax went down?

00:59I kind of think it got accelerated when Dax went down, but after my four games went by,

01:05we had talks about how everything moved forward.

01:09When Dax went down, it just kind of proceeded everything much faster.

01:13How are you?

01:14I'm doing well. Wonderful.

01:16I'm doing wonderful. Blessed to be here, so I can't complain.

01:19Everything feel normal?

01:21Everything feel normal, 100%. Just getting back into the groove, getting back into feeling back to me.

01:28Have you ever enjoyed a practice more?

01:30Nah, I don't think I enjoyed a practice more.

01:33It felt great. It felt like first day of school again when I was back in elementary school.

01:37Like I said, I'm just excited to be back out with the guys.

01:41How challenging have the past 10 months been?

01:44It's been challenging, but it's all a mindset.

01:48Coming to work every day, coming to rehab, that's my game day.

01:52Just taking it head on each and every day, that's what helped me the most.

01:57It was very challenging, especially at the beginning stages, coming out of surgery and stuff like that.

02:03We all good, though.

02:05That's been a tough stretch for the team so far.

02:07What is the feeling or vibe like in the locker room right now?

02:12Everybody's in good spirits.

02:14We just want to move forward to Sunday's game and make a statement Sunday night football.

02:19The only thing we can ask for now at this point is to get another win and just keep moving forward.

02:24How close to Christmas was the surgery?

02:27About 9 days.

02:329 days after?

02:34No, 9 days before Christmas.

02:36I got hurt the 16th, so 9 days later was Christmas.

02:40You had surgery right away?

02:43I got surgery January 4th.

02:46I just had to wait for the swelling and for my quad to gain its muscle back a little bit like that.

02:52Then I went into surgery, and July 4th was my official date for surgery.

02:57July 4th?

02:58Yes, definitely.

03:12For more information visit www.FEMA.gov

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