Why Did WIlle Colon's Achilles' Tendon Rupture?

Earlier this week, Steelers offensive tackle, Willie Colon, ruptured his right Achilles' tendon while working out in the weight room. This injury will require him to have surgery and most likely miss the entire 2010 season. While it's tragic that this happened, the bigger tragedy is that this type of injury in not uncommon.

If you were to take a piece of rope and tie both ends tightly to a wall and then loaded it with excessive weight, what would happen? Our Achilles' tendon is much like that piece of rope. Any time you do a squat or load your spine with heavy weight you are risking this type of injury. The weight compresses down from the spine, down to the hips, down trough the knee joints and then down to the ankles. The ankles are the last joint it hits. During a typical squat the Achilles' tendon does not stretch out and fire because it is compressed.

If Achilles does not rupture in the weight room it can rupture out on the field while running. Running is a ballistic movement, and your Achilles' tendon stretches and fires rapidly. If it has been compressed due to heavy lifting it will snap when it is asked to do a ballistic movement. Willie Colon found this out the hard way...but the Steelers already knew. Let's see if they change because of yet another devastating injury.