Dr. Gado

[HarveyWallbangers]

Gado wants to run with the ball, and treat the sick
By CHRIS JENKINS, AP Sports Writer

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Prayers and Advil weren't enough to save Samkon Gado's cousin from what he can only assume was AIDS.

Now the Green Bay Packers running back wants to do something about it.

He spent part of his offseason doing grunt work at a local hospital, a step toward his goal of becoming a doctor and returning to his homeland in Nigeria.

"I think that the problem that is going on in Africa is really being overlooked," he said. "And I think it's kind of sad. ... But I think when you just look at the need, I feel like it's too hard to ignore."

Three years ago, Gado returned to Nigeria to visit family he hadn't seen since moving to the United States at age 9. He met a cousin who had just given birth despite being very sick. The father had been kidnapped and was being held for ransom.

Gado and his family prayed over the woman and gave her whatever medicine they were carrying. But three weeks after he returned to the U.S., Gado received word she died. The family assumes kidnappers killed the father and the baby was born with HIV.

But, as was the case with several cousins who died of AIDS-like symptoms, that's just an educated guess. There aren't enough clinics in Nigeria to properly diagnose the disease.

"Stories like that, that's just normal," Gado said. "That's not even special."

Gado will continue to play football, but his offseason work at Green Bay's Bellin Health hospital is no public relations stunt. He didn't tell patients who he was as he pricked tricky veins to capture blood samples or helped them go to the bathroom.

The experience reinforced something Gado has known since a high school biology class piqued his curiosity: He was meant to practice medicine.

Gado took pre-med classes at Liberty, a Baptist university in Virginia founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell, and had a 3.66 grade-point average.

Gado figured real-world experience was the next logical step. But he didn't want his newfound stardom to get in the way, so he went undercover.

"I really just wanted to blend in," Gado said. "I wasn't doing it for show. I didn't want people to say, 'Oh, look at this Green Bay Packer working.' I really wanted the experience. And I'm going to do it again next year."

His cover eventually was blown. In a drug-induced haze, a man coming out of surgery told his wife that the guy wearing scrubs played football.

"She says, 'My husband swears that you're Samkon Gado and I'm telling him that you're not, that you wouldn't be working here if you were.' And he'd just gotten out of surgery, so this guy was doped up," Gado said.

Gado fessed up. After the initial shock, the woman asked, "What are you doing here?"

A little bit of everything, it turns out. His shift began at 5 a.m. and involved everything from measuring vital signs to helping patients get out of bed. Drawing blood was "nerve-racking," Gado said, but he notes that he had to hand the needle to the nurse only once in more than a dozen attempts.

Helping patients use the bathroom? Awkward, but part of the job.

"I felt like whatever bedside manner I did have, I think I improved on it," he said.

Improvement, no doubt, will be demanded as well by the Packers' new coaching staff. Although Gado had three 100-yard rushing games last season -- including 171 yards against Detroit -- he is struggling to pick up the new offense. Coach Mike McCarthy offered only lukewarm praise during last weekend's minicamp.

"He is experiencing some frustration," McCarthy said. "He's going to keep working. He obviously has a lot of potential. He needs to continue to get better."

Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport, whose injuries propelled Gado into the lineup, will return this season. Gado won't complain if he ends up second or third on the depth chart, but he isn't resigned to the bench.

"I'll tell you what," he said. "I am going to fight for that spot."

[Harlan Huckleby]

There's gonna be a movie about Samkon Gado someday.

[BlueBrewer]

Lets hope the title is THE ROAD TO SUPERBOWL _____ .

[GoPackGo]

My favorite part of that article...quote "I'll tell you what," he said. "I am going to fight for that spot."


http://homepage.mac.com/xk9/.Pictures/woof/kip.jpg
That's what i'm talkin about

[Noodle]

Dang, Gado is something. He's like the old time players, who actually worked in the community in the off-season, selling cars, insurance, do stocks broker stuff.

I know all we care about are Ws and Ls, but I'm going to appreciate Gado just a little more this year. And I too liked the part about fighting for the spot!

[mraynrand]

There's gonna be a movie about Samkon Gado someday.

Gary Coleman will play the aging Samkon Gado, returning to Africa to find his roots "Kunta Kinte, I found you!" "Whatchoo talkin 'bout daaaad?"

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39391000/jpg/_39391309_coleman_203ap.jpg

[Harlan Huckleby]

OK, now I know FOR SURE you are GreenDay. Thanks for clearing that up, Randy.

[mraynrand]

If I'm Green Day, then you must be Jane's Addiction.

Randy??

[GrnBay007]

Someone mentioned once that mraynrand is greenday......don't know but would be nice to know he's here. Greenday was always a good poster in JSO. ......not that mraynrand is not a good poster if he is not greenday. mraynrand is still a good poster even if he's not greenday. ......lol figure that one out! :razz:

[mraynrand]

Someone mentioned once that mraynrand is greenday......don't know but would be nice to know he's here. Greenday was always a good poster in JSO. ......not that mraynrand is not a good poster if he is not greenday. mraynrand is still a good poster even if he's not greenday. ......lol figure that one out! :razz:

What a nice thing to say. However, I think I may begin having an identity crisis of sorts. As John Galt might say, "welcome to paradise."

[Patler]

Someone mentioned once that mraynrand is greenday......don't know but would be nice to know he's here. Greenday was always a good poster in JSO. ......not that mraynrand is not a good poster if he is not greenday. mraynrand is still a good poster even if he's not greenday. ......lol figure that one out! :razz:

What a nice thing to say. However, I think I may begin having an identity crisis of sorts. As John Galt might say, "welcome to paradise."

I sympathize with you in your crisis!

[Scott Campbell]

Someone mentioned once that mraynrand is greenday......don't know but would be nice to know he's here. Greenday was always a good poster in JSO. ......not that mraynrand is not a good poster if he is not greenday. mraynrand is still a good poster even if he's not greenday. ......lol figure that one out! :razz:

What a nice thing to say. However, I think I may begin having an identity crisis of sorts. As John Galt might say, "welcome to paradise."

I sympathize with you in your crisis!


Didn't we leave JSO to avoid the namechangers?

[mmmdk]

There's gonna be a movie about Samkon Gado someday.

LOL - you're, at times, amazingly funny. Thanx Harlan! :lol:

I want Gado to succeed & I'll root for Ahman Green too.

[mraynrand]

Didn't we leave JSO to avoid the namechangers?
This is a great site. I haven't seen anyone change their name on here, but it does appear to me that some others want me to change my name to that of a punk rock group! LOL.

[Harlan Huckleby]

If I'm Green Day, then you must be Jane's Addiction.

Randy??

"Randy" is my nickname for Ayn Rand.

You are GreenDayesque.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

If I'm Green Day, then you must be Jane's Addiction.

Randy??

Here's the facts this guy is Greenday:

Only green day brags about being 6'3" with little football talent.

Only green day impersonates Cliff Christal.

Only Green day defends Mike Sherman the way he does.

I should join the FBI after college. :neutral:

[Patler]

I should join the FBI after college. :neutral:

Forget it...they do background checks!

[Anti-Polar Bear]

I should join the FBI after college. :neutral:

Forget it...they do background checks!

Bush is president and he smoked weed in his youth. If we let a stoner like Bush become president, no reason a hippie like me can't be an FBI agent.

If I ever is a FBI agent, I want to be like Fox Mulder and work in the X-Files unit, chasing little green men and scattering out the truth about government conspiracies.

But enough about me. Lets get back to the subject at hand. :neutral: (this is my stoic emoticon; recall that i am also a stoic, as well as a liberal.)

[BlueBrewer]

I should join the FBI after college. :neutral:

Forget it...they do background checks!

Bush is president and he smoked weed in his youth. If we let a stoner like Bush become president, no reason a hippie like me can't be an FBI agent.

If I ever is a FBI agent, I want to be like Fox Mulder and work in the X-Files unit, chasing little green men and scattering out the truth about government conspiracies.

But enough about me. Lets get back to the subject at hand. :neutral: (this is my stoic emoticon; recall that i am also a stoic, as well as a liberal.)


Bush snorted lines, Clinton puffed the cheeba. Wow we have had some partying presidents, just think of what they have really done that we don't know.[/quote]

[Homer Jay]

FBI. Forever Belching Innuendo?

[Scott Campbell]

(this is my stoic emoticon; recall that i am also a stoic, as well as a liberal.)


Do people ever confuse you with Tom Landry?

[Anti-Polar Bear]

FBI. Forever Belching Innuendo?

Ha ha, that's a good one.

But I will be dull and straightforward here: FBI= Federal Bureau of Investigation. Gosh, almost a decade have passed and I still have hope the X-Files would return. Fox Network is so fucking conservative, they cancelled it, and put on mediocre shows like 24. But I'm trying my hardest to move on. O well, some things just arent meant to last forever.

[Patler]

Bush snorted lines, Clinton puffed the cheeba. Wow we have had some partying presidents, just think of what they have really done that we don't know.[/quote][/quote]

But as I recall, Clinton "never inhaled"!
He also never "had sex with that women"

Of course these all depend on our definitions of "inhale", "sex" and "is"! :D :D

[jack's smirking revenge]

FBI. Forever Belching Innuendo?

Ha ha, that's a good one.

But I will be dull and straightforward here: FBI= Federal Bureau of Investigation. Gosh, almost a decade have passed and I still have hope the X-Files would return. Fox Network is so fucking conservative, they cancelled it, and put on mediocre shows like 24. But I'm trying my hardest to move on. O well, some things just arent meant to last forever.

I miss the X-Files. That is my all-time favorite show. I even dug the series when David Duchovny exited and they brought in Robert Patrick (who is a really good, yet underrated actor). Have watched TV religiously since then.

But enough about favorite shows. This thread is about Gado. I hope this guy becomes a stud. He is a quality person and player and deserves success, similar to Driver.

tyler

[OS PA]

Gado's Article is now on the front of the NFL page. Yay Gado!

[FavreChild]

Thank you, OS PA, for course-correcting us back to the matter at hand.

Samkon is the real deal, the genuine article, a legend in the making.

He *is* the future of the Packers, because he's that one player we can all get behind, whom we can all be proud of, and who will never let us down - on or off the field. He'll always give his best without asking for anything in return.

[Tarlam!]

Thanks FC and OS PA.

There does seem to be concern that King Samkon can't find the seams. He had this zone blocking system at Liberty and said he was looking forward to playing it again. But, he is struggling with it.

We know Samkon Gado to be hard working and intelligent and he made a big splash last year.

I hope he can correct his fumblitis and I hope the game slows down for him. I think his lack of playing time is catching up with him. I am praying Bennett can work some magic.

[MJZiggy]

Thank you, OS PA, for course-correcting us back to the matter at hand.

Samkon is the real deal, the genuine article, a legend in the making.

He *is* the future of the Packers, because he's that one player we can all get behind, whom we can all be proud of, and who will never let us down - on or off the field. He'll always give his best without asking for anything in return.

No pressure there. Samkon will be fine. He will be #1 back through all of the offseason and most of training camp. He will have the opportunity to master everything he's working on and my gut is not worried at this point.

[Patler]

No pressure there. Samkon will be fine. He will be #1 back through all of the offseason and most of training camp. He will have the opportunity to master everything he's working on and my gut is not worried at this point.

I, for one, am concerned. I absolutely respect the man, his attitude and his goals. However, I think expectations for him are being blown well out of proportion because he was the only bright light offensively last year. Driver put up good numbers, but in a somewhat pedestrian, consistent way, week in and week out. Gado appeared late, flashed, and was gone. I think some objectiveness is needed in assessing waht to expect this year.

He averaged 4.1 yds/carry. Decent, but not outstanding.
His big games were against Atlanta, Philly and Detroit; the 26th, 21st and 24th ranked rushing defenses, respectively.
In his other games he had 63 carries for 197 yards, a 3.1 yd/carry average.
He fumbled 4 times in 153 touches.
He picked up yardage being fast through big holes that were where he expected them, he continually missed available gains in cutback lanes.
In four years of college he did not develop enough of a feel behind zone blocking to be a starter.
He simply might not be a good fit for the Packers running game in 2006.
He was not an effective blocker.
He has a long way to go as a receiver.

I know he will try extremely hard, but expecting him to be a featured back capable of a 1500 yard season might be wishing for something he just is not capable of. He can be a contributer as part of the running back group, and that is what we should hope for. To expect more is setting yourself up for disappointment.

I hope he proves me wrong. Nothing would make me happier.

[The Leaper]

I agree with you Shamrock. I think Gado is a great guy and someone worthy to make the roster...but too many Packer fans are expecting him to become a 1200 yard RB. Considering his size and speed, he would've been a starter in college and drafted into the NFL if he was truly a legitimate 1200 yard back at the NFL level. How many regular starting RBs in the NFL were career backups in college at a non-BCS school? Not just now...but over the past 20 years? I bet you can count the number on one hand, if any exist at all. Personally, I think he is far more Tony Fisher than Ahman Green...a guy who could be a reliable spot starter and reserve, but not someone you want to count on for 300 touches a year.

If anyone is going to have a breakout year, it will be Davenport...if he can stay healthy. He's a legitimate starting caliber NFL back when healthy, and I think the new system favors his running style.

[Tarlam!]

Patler, Leaper, yeah you nailed it. B U T : we are talking about the Great Gado.

He has a slim chance to defy the odds!

[FavreChild]

Setting the expectation that Gado can shine as the featured back, yes, that's a bit unfair. But again, this season *should* be a whole different ball game. The idea is to have the three-headed monster of Green-Davenport-Gado build a consistently strong running game. It isn't all on Gado's shoulders anymore. He never had anyone to spell him last year. He doesn't need to be the hero, and he certainly doesn't have the new scheme mastered in MAY.

Y'all nervous nellies need to chill. Be grateful to have a man who works as hard as Samkon on the roster. Worry about keeping the RB core healthy this year. It's going to be awesome to take young Dr. Gado out for a spin when the other backs are healthy, too.

[mraynrand]

I remember what some guy wrote on a Cristl chat. He was getting this flashback to the Starr/Gregg/Infantee years where the team sucked so bad that fans would elevate a pedestrian player to 'elite' status after one good game or for showing an attitude the fans liked. Walter Stanley, Phil Epps, Jeff Query and Chuck Cecil come to mind. You may have to face the reality that Gado fits in this category. I hope I'm wrong but.....

[Patler]

My concern is only that fans set an unrealistic expectation, then when it is not met they tend to turn on the player like he is a failure.

Why do we even think that Gado will master in 4 months something he never developed a feel for in 4 years of college?.

Not all runners are good in all systems. Some runners are very good at running to a designed hole and getting what is there. Some can get to and through the holes quickly. That is where Gado showed talent last year. He did not show the patience sometimes needed to let his blocking develop. That he can improve, and I expect will improve

The ability to see, maybe even "feel" cutback opportunities is almost an innate sense a runner has or does not have, In an offense that requires it for success, a runner without it might improve a little, but not a lot. Its like an assist in hockey or basketball. You can teach a player to look for opportunities in specific situations, but they will never accomplish as much as the player born with the feel for developing plays. The anticipation to sense what will happen before it does. In that area, I do not expect Gado to change a lot. We may always be faced with plays that we see him pick up a reasonable gain, but say to ourselves, "If only he had........."

Again, nothing will make me happier than for Gado to prove me wrong.

[GrnBay007]

I hope Gado has a fantastic year.....what more deserving player. But I can't help but wonder how much of his "fan love" was based purely on the fact that we were SO desperate last year in so many areas and he was this breath of fresh air that gave people a little hope.

[MJZiggy]

I think he will. I just cannot tell you why. And should the unthinkable happen, I will not be one of those turning on him. He's shown potential and carried the entire load when we desperately needed it. I just got over it enough to watch the televised version of the Baltimore game and after he went down and Herron went in and had a good run, who was over on the sideline with a huge smile and encouraging words? This is a team player with hopefully a much better coaching staff working with him than what they have at Liberty University. He'll be fine.

[K-town]

In four years of college he did not develop enough of a feel behind zone blocking to be a starter.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Terrell Davis a back-up at Georgia? And didn't Dorsey Levens transfer from Notre Dame to Georgia Tech due to lack of playing time? Seems both of these are examples of players who didn't reach their full potential until they reached the pro level. Of course, Georgia and Georgia Tech are considerably higher profile schools than Liberty, but I hope you get what I mean.
If I'm wrong on this, or comparing apples to oranges, I am sure you will all let me know. :mrgreen: