Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant played through a broken index finger last season, putting off surgery until the offseason. Bryant knew the decision would cause irreparable damage, but he said Wednesday he's actually caught balls more effectively since the injury.
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"It's never going to be normal, but I promise it's never going to be an issue," Bryant said at a charity home-run derby, via the Dallas Morning News. "I'm ready to go. I've been catching footballs and I actually feel like I've been catching better, so I'm ready to go."
Bryant also said the back injury he suffered in the season-ending loss to the Washington Redskins is a non-issue.
The fourth-year pro believes he's matured as a person and player and will build on the phenomenal finish to last season, when he caught 72 passes for 879 yards and 10 touchdowns in the final eight games.
"There's no more games, no more wondering," Bryant said. "I know what I'm doing. I got to come in and do what I did at the end of last year. And I hope to build on that."
Follow Kevin Patra on Twitter @kpatra.