In his seventh season, Cowboys center Travis Frederick has experienced a number of firsts.
He is coming back after missing all of last season with Guillain-Barré syndrome, so there was the first practice and the first preseason game. Sunday marks his first regular-season action since Dec. 31, 2017.
Frederick, who had offseason shoulder and sports hernia surgeries, played 38 total snaps in three preseason games. So he feels ready.
“I think this week is a big step for me,” Frederick said Wednesday. “In my head, I’m not trying to make a big deal out of it because it’s just another game and everything has gone exactly like you hoped it would go. The lead-up to the preseason has gone normally just like I wanted it to. So to me, it’s just a normal first game. At some point there, you’ve got to look back and reflect a little bit on what the last year’s been like and how big of a transition that it really is to be back playing football. It’s one thing to be playing football, but that’s not where I want to be. I don’t want to just be out there. I want to be back playing at a high level and doing everything I can to help this team win.”
Frederick is a four-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro.