Lions' Culpepper has Panthers' attention

Daunte Culpepper would have every reason to cringe a bit when he returns to Bank of America Stadium on Sunday as the Detroit Lions' starting quarterback.

He didn't merely blow out his right knee on Oct. 30, 2005, in the Minnesota Vikings' 38-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers. He also tore three of the four ligaments -- the anterior cruciate, the medial collateral, and the posterior cruciate.

But Culpepper, a three-time Pro Bowler while with the Vikings, is emphatic that he doesn't view Bank of America Stadium as a house of horrors.

The injury changed his career path forever, but he said that he came through the ordeal stronger.

"Me getting hurt, a lot of people look at it like it was such a bad thing," Culpepper said earlier this week in a teleconference with writers who regularly cover the Panthers. "Obviously, no one wants to get hurt because of the pain and the hard road to recovery. But as far as me as a person and as a player, I think I had a chance to really sit back and look at everything and look at the big picture."

"I took the positive out of it and said, ‘Hey, I have a chance now, I'm injured and it's going to be a while before I get back on the field. I had to straighten out some other things in my life and I think it helped me in the long run. It wasn't all negative. It's painful and rehab is excruciating, but I like to take positives out of every situation. I think I was able to really take a step back and look at the big picture."

Culpepper has gone so far as to thank the Panthers' Chris Gamble, who delivered the hit that injured him at the end of an 18-yard scramble.

He'll go up against Gamble and the rest of the Panthers' defense in his second game since coming out of retirement and signing with the Lions earlier this month.

Culpepper made his first start in the Lions' 38-14 loss to Jacksonville last week, and got progressively better as the game went on and the rust started coming off. He was 5 of 10 for 104 yards, but showed his arm strength with a 51-yard completion to Calvin Johnson. That gives the Lions, the NFL's only winless team at 0-9, hope that they can turn their season around.

Coach Rod Marinelli said that Culpepper, 31, has given "a tremendous jolt" to the Lions.

"He is just getting in shape and in football conditioning,"Marinelli said. "There were things that he just did in that game naturally. You could see that his movement is still really good. It's exciting in terms of that. He is a big man who has a lot of years as a starter and is still a young player in terms of quarterback ages, and he has an arm. I think this week he has come in and is getting more comfortable, the timing is getting better, and knowing the players. I see him just getting better and better as the season goes on."

Culpepper retired in the preseason after spending last season with Oakland. He had tried to come back from the knee injury in 2006 with Miami, but was limited to four games, had more surgery, and was placed on injured reserve.

Now -- not two years ago -- is when doctors originally envisioned him being back to full strength.

"The day before the surgery, (the doctor) was like, ‘Hey, it's probably going to be two years before you're able to get back on the field and play ,' " Culpepper said. "Long story short, I was back on the field in about eight months. I think that was kind of crazy in the sense that I was told two years, but I was feeling good and my leg recovered faster than anybody thought. For me to get back in eight months and be playing was huge, but I wasn't really myself. I didn't understand what the doctor was saying. He really meant I wouldn't be myself for two years.

"Now I feel good. It's a work in progress, but I'm excited. I think we're definitely headed in the right direction."

Culpepper has the Panthers' attention, for sure.

"They got 10 times better with him," linebacker Jon Beason said. "His ability to throw the deep ball and scramble is scary. And he's a hard tackle, too. Wee've got to just do what we do best -- chase the football and swarm."

■ John Delong can be reached at jdelong@wsjournal.com.