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Jeff Okudah explains ups, downs of emotional rehab from Achilles injury

When Jeff Okudah first learned that he tore his Achilles in the Detroit Lions’ 2021 season opener, he did what a lot of us do when dealing with an injury or illness. He googled it.

“Pretty basic search, ‘Torn Achilles,’” Okudah explained on Thursday in his first media sessions since the injury. “Looked at athletes that have had it in the past.”

And off he went to recovery. He quickly got into contact with some professional athletes who had returned from one of the more serious sports injuries. He slid into the Instagram DMs of NBA stars John Wall and Boogie Cousins looking for inspiration and guidance on how to recover.