Baltimore Ravens right guard Marshal Yanda earned Pro Bowl honors after a great 2011 season and according to his coaches and teammates, totally deserves the accolades heaped upon him by them. He is a big, down-to-earth farm boy fro the mid-west who drove across the country in his pick-up truck to Training Camp when the NFL Lockout ended.
He drives forward opening holes for Ray Rice and the running game, and sets up in pass protection to give Joe Flacco time to find his open receivers. However, none of this compares to the proof of his toughness than the recent news about an undisclosed injury in a story on BaltimoreRavens.com.
According to the story, Yanda not only had hurt his ribs but had to undergo emergency surgery on his calf to relieve pressure on the muscle. They stitched him up and although he was expected to miss up to two weeks, he not only played in the season finale, he contributed to the 191 yard effort by Rice in the clinching of the division title and first round playoff bye.
Check out the story and you will realize how much of a tough man Yanda is on and off the field, but also how beneficial the extra week's rest will have been to Marshal as well as the entire team.