Epitome of durability in college, Lions' rookie Frazier leaning on faith, advice of veteran teammate as he closes in on return to practice
Allen Park — In college, Miles Frazier epitomized durability. Over his final four seasons — one with Florida International and the final three at LSU — he didn’t miss a game, logging more than 3,000 snaps during the stretch.
Frazier takes pride in that dependability: Every game, every practice, every meeting, you could count on him being there. If the best ability is availability, well, Frazier was the best of the best.
That’s what’s made his rookie season so frustrating. A fifth-round pick for the Detroit Lions, Frazier was part of general manager Brad Holmes’ commitment to “water the garden,” phrasing he used to describe his plan to reinforce the team’s offensive line.
The highly versatile Frazier, who played every position up front but center in college, offered a world of possibilities for a Detroit team that needed to replace two starters this offseason and had plenty of room for key depth to emerge.
Where Frazier would have ultimately slotted after his first training camp and preseason remains a mystery. In May, a couple of weeks after he arrived in Detroit, he suffered a knee injury, which has sidelined him for the past five months.
The good news, Frazier’s injury didn’t require surgery. No one has been willing to share the specifics, but the way he described it is that things aren’t firing as normal. The bad news is that the recovery has gone slower than initially expected.