Geoff Schwartz started a few new chapters in 2014.
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He married his longtime girlfriend, signed with the Giants and witnessed the birth of their first child on his 28th birthday.
But while the family got off to a best-selling start, it was the other part that didn't produce many pages. It wasn't because of writer's block. In the NFL, it's much more painful.
The 6-foot-6, 340-pound offensive lineman dislocated his toe in a preseason game against the Jets and missed the first 11 weeks of the year. He returned on Nov. 23 only to suffer a season-ending ankle injury in the first quarter the following week.
Schwartz underwent surgery a few days later.
"Then it was just kind of a waiting game, waiting for the swelling to go down," Schwartz told Giants.com last week at a gym and physical therapy center in Phoenix, Ariz. "I waited two weeks. I got in my cast, I was in a boot, I was non-weight-bearing for six weeks. Thankfully my wife is very helpful because being non-weight-bearing is a pain, especially with a young child."
Luckily for Schwartz, his bride, Meridith, is also a nurse. And as their baby, Alex, continued to grow and strengthen, so did the father.
Once the initial recovery phase was over, Schwartz picked up his rehab in Charlotte, where he began his NFL career with the Panthers and met Meridith, and had regular checkups back at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
Photos of OL Geoff Schwartz's road to return
After about 12 weeks, Schwartz had the pins removed, and then he was full-go and off to Arizona.
"I'm feeling strong," Schwartz said. "I'm feeling good. It's good to kind of get some of that movement back in my ankle and feel like a football player again."
Schwartz will really start to feel like his old self next week when the Giants report for their voluntary offseason workout program on April 20.
"We definitely have a lot to build on from last year," Schwartz said. "I know the record doesn't show what progress we made, especially on the offensive side of the ball. We started playing really well by the end of the season and it's good to see that progress continue and that starts with getting back there on April 20th and getting going and learning and becoming a group again. I know I'm excited. I talk to the guys a lot, and they're excited to get going."
Photos of the Giants 2015 official roster
CB Prince Amukamara
DE Robert Ayers Jr.
DE BRAD BARS
LT Will Beatty
LB Jon Beason
WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Safety Nat Berhe
DT Jay Bromley
CB Chykie Brown
K Josh Brown
SAFETY STEVIE BROWN
KICKER CHRIS BOSWELL
LB Jonathan Casillas
OL Emmett Cleary
Safety Landon Collins
DB C.J. CONWAY
WR Victor Cruz
TE Jerome Cunnigham
RB Orleans Darkwa
WR Geremy Davis
LS Zak DeOssie
TE Larry Donnell
OL Sean Donnelly
DT Kenrick Ellis
LB Cole Farrand
TE Daniel Fells
CB Chandler Fenner
OL Ereck Flowers
OL Adam Gettis
DT Dominique Hamilton
DT Johnathan Hankins
RB Kenneth Harper
WR/KR Dwayne Harris
CB Mike Harris
OL Bobby Hart
LB Mark Herzlich
CB Jayron Hosley
FB Henry Hynoski
DE/DT Cullen Jenkins
RB Rashad Jennings
John Jerry, Offensive Lineman RE-SIGNED WITH GIANTS
OL Brett Jones
WR JAMES JONES
LB Devon Kennard
DT Markus Kuhn
QB Eli Manning
CB Trumaine McBride
LB Jameel McClain
SAFETY BRANDON MERIWEATHER
SAFETY JEROMY MILES
DE Damontre Moore
QB Ryan Nassib
OT Marshall Newhouse
DE Owa Odighizuwa
LB ASHLEE PALMER
WR PRESTON PARKER
DE Jason Pierre-Paul (Reserve/Franchise Player)
RT Justin Pugh
WR Rueben Randle
OL Dallas Reynolds
OL Weston Richburg
TE Adrien Robinson
CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
OL Geoff Schwartz
DE George Selvie
QB Ricky Stanzi
WR Julian Talley
Safety Cooper Taylor
LB J.T. Thomas III
LB Devin Unga
RB Shane Vereen
DB Trevin Wade
WR Corey Washington
Punter Brad Wing
FB Nikita Whitlock
RB Andre Williams
DE Kerry Wynn
