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Louis faces six to eight months of recovery and could start light jogging in eight weeks. At this stage, his days consist of three hours of rehab at Halas Hall with electrical stimulation to strengthen the quad. He wears a cumbersome black brace for protection.
Louis never has regained his full range of motion in his right knee, but he anticipates better results with the left.
"I should be fine by training camp,'' he said. "I want to come into a camp and it be like I never left.''
Watching Vikings running back Adrian Peterson have an MVP-caliber season eight months after ACL surgery only drives Louis that much more.
"He's so much of an inspiration to me,'' Louis said. "I'm looking forward to seeing where I'm going to be at. He motivates me to work even harder and not take anything for granted because it's possible.''
Before Louis was lost with five games remaining in the season, there was talk of him being in line for a new contract. His four-year rookie deal is set to expire March 12, when he officially becomes one of the Bears' 18 unrestricted free agents. All indications are the Bears and Louis' agent, Bruce Tollner, were not close on an extension.
Having a season-ending injury came at the most inopportune time and no doubt complicates contract talks.
"Honestly, I thought about it, and I was mad,'' Louis admitted. "It was in my mind for like the first day or two. That's not on my mind right now. My mind is on trying to get back on the field.''
Louis handled his business when on it. He started 11 games and was arguably the team's best offensive lineman this season. Bears radio analyst Tom Thayer, a starting right guard on the 1985 Super Bowl champs, believed Louis played at a Pro Bowl level before the injury.
"First off all, he took what he learned as a tackle and was able to be a better offensive guard, a more helpful guard to the tackle,'' Thayer said. "But he also had the athleticism to move in space.''
Offensive coordinator Mike Tice loved Louis' athleticism, lateral movement and ability to recover, and gave him a "B" grade for the season.
"Everything in my game is from Coach Tice,'' Louis said. "Coach built me to the player that I am today, although I still have a long way to go.''
As the Bears prepare for a largely new coaching staff after the dismissal of Lovie Smith — and the line likely braces for life without Tice — Louis hopes he remains an integral part of the team's plans though general manager Phil Emery has made it clear overall line play has to improve.
"I want to be a Bear for life,'' he said. "That's a no-brainer. I love Chicago. I love everything about it. The Bears' organization is a great place to be. And I want to be here a lot longer.''
And he may be, as he's a far cry from the unpolished, former tight end he was as a rookie seventh-round draft pick.
vxmcclure@tribune.com
Twitter @vxmcclure23
Louis never has regained his full range of motion in his right knee, but he anticipates better results with the left.
Watching Vikings running back Adrian Peterson have an MVP-caliber season eight months after ACL surgery only drives Louis that much more.
"He's so much of an inspiration to me,'' Louis said. "I'm looking forward to seeing where I'm going to be at. He motivates me to work even harder and not take anything for granted because it's possible.''
Before Louis was lost with five games remaining in the season, there was talk of him being in line for a new contract. His four-year rookie deal is set to expire March 12, when he officially becomes one of the Bears' 18 unrestricted free agents. All indications are the Bears and Louis' agent, Bruce Tollner, were not close on an extension.
Having a season-ending injury came at the most inopportune time and no doubt complicates contract talks.
"Honestly, I thought about it, and I was mad,'' Louis admitted. "It was in my mind for like the first day or two. That's not on my mind right now. My mind is on trying to get back on the field.''
Louis handled his business when on it. He started 11 games and was arguably the team's best offensive lineman this season. Bears radio analyst Tom Thayer, a starting right guard on the 1985 Super Bowl champs, believed Louis played at a Pro Bowl level before the injury.
"First off all, he took what he learned as a tackle and was able to be a better offensive guard, a more helpful guard to the tackle,'' Thayer said. "But he also had the athleticism to move in space.''
Offensive coordinator Mike Tice loved Louis' athleticism, lateral movement and ability to recover, and gave him a "B" grade for the season.
"Everything in my game is from Coach Tice,'' Louis said. "Coach built me to the player that I am today, although I still have a long way to go.''
As the Bears prepare for a largely new coaching staff after the dismissal of Lovie Smith — and the line likely braces for life without Tice — Louis hopes he remains an integral part of the team's plans though general manager Phil Emery has made it clear overall line play has to improve.
"I want to be a Bear for life,'' he said. "That's a no-brainer. I love Chicago. I love everything about it. The Bears' organization is a great place to be. And I want to be here a lot longer.''
And he may be, as he's a far cry from the unpolished, former tight end he was as a rookie seventh-round draft pick.
vxmcclure@tribune.com
Twitter @vxmcclure23
