Former Alabama 1st-round pick Da’Ron Payne injured in Redskins’ training camp
By Kevin Duffey
Published:
Former Alabama DT Da’Ron Payne’s NFL career didn’t get off to a great start.
The Washington Redskins began training camp this week, and Payne left camp early Friday with an injury. Redskins’ head coach Jay Gruden announced Saturday that Payne will be a walking boot for the next few weeks after a teammate stepped on his ankle.
Gruden downplayed the injury Friday.
“He’s big, strong, physical,” Gruden said Friday, via ESPN. “He’ll probably get stronger in his two weeks working out. He’s in great shape, so it’s not a big deal. He’s already very smart, knows the defense, so he’s in great shape.”
Payne impressed everyone as soon as he was drafted. His former Alabama teammate Jonathan Allen said he turned heads immediately before he even stepped on the field.
“This was literally the first day he came in,” Allen said, per Richmond.com. “He just came in and squatted 650, throwing up 400 on bench. I mean, he’s a beast.”
After the Redskins drafted Payne with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, he signed a four-year $14.4 million contract.
A graduate of the University of Florida and founder of Saturday Down South, Kevin is a college football enthusiast.
