IRVING, Texas -- Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne participated in walk-throughs and even took snaps during organized team activities this week at Valley Ranch.
"Mo is doing a nice job," head coach Jason Garrett said Wednesday. "Mo is among a group of guys who's been involved in our walk-through part of practice and does a little bit of individual. So, he got some snaps yesterday before we got going full speed."
Garrett says Claiborne has done "an excellent job" in his rehabilitation from a torn left patellar tendon that the 2012 first-round pick sustained on Sept. 28 against the New Orleans Saints. The injury effectively ended Claiborne's season and began a rehab process fraught with doubt for the 25-year-old out of LSU.
"I was at a point where people thought I wasn't going to walk again," Claiborne told FOX Sports Southwest in April.
Garrett, who is entering his fifth full season as the Cowboys head coach, believes that the challenges Claiborne overcome in his rehab process have been "inspirational" to the football team.
"When you're a coach and you're a player and you see a guy work as hard to come back from adversity, that can be inspirational to you," Garrett said. "And he's certainly in that category. And the ability -- we talked about it with Sean Lee -- the ability to look at adversity, accept the challenge, embrace the challenge. That's important.
"That's a big part of mental toughness, and certainly Mo's demonstrate that in his work up to this point. He got some good work in yesterday in the walk-thru format and we anticipate using him the same way over the next few weeks."
According to Garrett, Claiborne's strength is returning in his upper and lower body. The team will continue to hold the fourth-year pro out of competitive situations until his playing stamina returns.
Though only played in 29 games in three seasons, Claiborne has managed to record at least one interception in his three abbreviated seasons. Last year, Claiborne was demoted to a reserve role once veteran corner Orlando Scandrick returned from a two-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
