Falcons' O'Brien Schofield willing to continue playing through knee issues

Atlanta Falcons linebacker O'Brien Schofield has been playing on a bad knee for the past five years, but the thought of retiring has never crossed his mind. 

Schofield tore his ACL during a Senior Bowl practice in 2010 and believes that too much meniscus cartilage was removed from his knee in surgery. The injury didn't prevent him from being drafted, but did cause him to fail a physical with the New York Giants in 2014 and forfeit a two-year, $8-million contract. 

"I still have a lot of football left in my tank," Schofield, who signed a one-year deal with the Falcons earlier this month, told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "There are a lot of guys in this league that are playing with some type of injury, some type of setback. But that's part of this game with the toughness factor.

"Can a guy be available? Can you play through injury? Can you play through the hurt and the pain? That's what football has been all about since you were a kid. It’s nothing new."

Schofield played with former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland at Wisconsin from 2009-10. The 24-year-old Borland recently announced his retirement from the NFL after one season due to concerns over the long-term effects of repetitive head trauma. 

"Well, to each his own," Schofield said of Borland's decision. "Some guys' injuries are probably more serious, life-threatening and long-term than others. Some have come to that conclusion and are comfortable with that decision."

Schofield was a key member of the Seattle Seahawks' defensive line rotation last season and said the Falcons will have a special practice plan for him. 

"They are going to do a pretty good job managing my knee so that I can … not put too much on me through practice and training camp," Schofield said. "Whatever workload that I can take on, I'm going to take on."