Rutgers defensive tackle Darius Hamilton felt "like an outcast" early last season.
Immediately following a serious knee injury -- one that kept him out for 11 games -- the team captain fell silent, fearing no one would respect the opinion of a defender who couldn't play. He spent nights worrying about his NFL future and his team. Sometimes, at the very beginning, he said he just wanted to shut the outside world out.
"When something like that first happens, it's hard to stay positive," Hamilton told ESPN.com, "especially because I thought I would be training [for the NFL] right now.