INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts cornerback Marlin Jackson said he's recovering well two months after his season-ending knee injury.
Jackson said he's fine after two surgeries and should be running in six weeks.
"Rehab is going really well. It's ahead of schedule, which is where I'm trying to stay," said Jackson, speaking at a pizza party he threw for kids who maintained good grades Wednesday at the Shepherd Community Center on the east side of Indianapolis.
Jackson was the Colts' first-round draft pick in 2005. He started eight games at safety in 2006, then made 23 consecutive starts at cornerback before the injury.
Jackson was third on the team with 57 tackles before he was hurt during a practice on Oct. 29. It was a no-contact session, and the Colts weren't even in pads.
"It was a blitz that we had been working on," he said. "I was basically blitzing, and I stopped to try to make a move on a running back, and as soon as I cut, my knee just popped."
Jackson had torn the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus cartilage in his right knee. He immediately knew he was in trouble.
"I figured that's what it was," he said. "It was devastating to have it happen in the middle of the season."
Jackson had surgery to repair the meniscus nine weeks ago and had the anterior cruciate ligament surgery five weeks ago. He said the meniscus is healed, and he's now focused on regaining his full range of motion and strength in the knee.
While Jackson recovered, the Colts rebounded from a 3-4 start. Jackson wished he could have helped during the nine-game winning streak.
"I knew the team would break through the way it eventually did, but I wanted to be a part of that," he said.
The most challenging part of dealing with the injury was watching the playoff loss to the San Diego Chargers on Saturday.
"It was very, very hard," Jackson said. "People talk about the injury physically, but I look at it more from a standpoint of mentally so far for me. It's been tough."
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press