FLORHAM PARK -- Between team periods Tuesday at Jets practice, cornerback Dexter McDougle jogged to the sideline, buzzing with excitement.
"Ain't this [expletive] fun?" he asked corner Derrick Jones, as McDougle recalled later.
For McDougle lately, this sure is, at long last. Gone are his dark days of rehabbing injuries and wallowing on the practice squad. Now, he is slimmer, faster, more confident. Entering his fourth NFL season, a contract year, the former third-round draft pick has renewed resolve.
And his journey back here to fun football began with a chess board, of all things.