Milem makes it home

Carolina Panthers defensive lineman John Milem will spend the holidays with his family and teammates, after all.

Milem was hospitalized in Charlotte for nearly two weeks after a blood clot developed behind his right knee after surgery to repair a torn ACL. But he’s now been released.

“I feel fortunate and I owe everyone a lot,” Milem said. “When I was down, people gave me a whole lot of support.”

Milem says he dropped about 20 pounds (down to 270) during his recent ordeal. He continues to be treated with blood-thinners and has blood drawn every four days to ensure that his blood flow is satisfactory and that the clot hasn’t moved.

“I still get lots of shots and tests,” he said.

Still, Milem, who graduated from West Rowan High in 1994, couldn’t be happier to be a free man for the holidays. He admits he nearly went bonkers while staring at his hospital-room ceiling.

“I went from running down that field to lying flat on my back,” said MIlem. “I couldn’t move and I was going crazy. I was freaking out. I thought the get-well balloons in my room were talking to me.”

Actually, Milem got a talking to from an old friend that was instrumental in helping him weather his extended hospital stay.

“I was lying there watching Monday Night Football and the phone rings,” Milem said. “It was (San Francisco 49er head coach Steve) Mariucci. He told me he knew I had to feel like I couldn’t catch a break, but I had to hang in there.

“When Moose called, I was starting to ask myself if it was all worth it, but that call picked me up and got me going.”

When Mariucci finished with his pep talk, the 49ers’ defensive coaches piled on via telephone, offering Milem a mixture of encouragement and good-natured ribbing.

Milem spent his rookie season with the 49ers in 2000 and started the current campaign with them before becoming a salary-cap casualty. After he was waived by the 49ers, Milem was grabbed by the Panthers. He was getting substantial playing time before tearing an ACL at Ericsson Stadium in a game against his old teammates.

Milem says he also heard from Panthers head coach George Seifert and a number of his new teammates while he was laid up.

“I didn’t have that many visitors from the team, but that’s because no one in their right mind’s going to the hospital,” he said. “But the guys checked on me. Lots of cards and calls. The Panthers are a good group. I feel like they’ve taken me right in.”

Milem rises each day and rehabs his repaired knee at the Panthers’ complex. His motivation is the dream of what he can accomplish if he’s healthy in 2002. And he’s confident downtrodden Carolina (1-13) can rebound right along with him.

“All those close ones the Panthers have lost this season?,” Milem mused. “All I can say is that’s the NFL. Look at what the (Chicago) Bears have done and look at how the 49ers turned it around this season.

“Next year that could be us.”

Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com .