Raiders' Darren McFadden hits the ground running after injury-shortened season

Raiders RB Darren McFadden appeared on his way to a career year through six games last season. He had already rushed for 614 yards and four touchdowns, torching the Jets for a career-high 171 yards and the Broncos for 150. He was averaging 101.7 rushing yards per game and was on pace to rush for 1,626 yards.

Then, disaster.

Early in the first quarter the next week against Kansas City, McFadden was tackled after catching a short pass over the middle. A Chief landed on the back of his right leg. McFadden felt a “dull pain” in his right foot. By the next day he could barely walk. Tests revealed he had suffered a dreaded Lisfranc sprain, the latest and most serious in a long string of what McFadden calls “freak” injuries.

This one cost him the rest of the 2011 season.

McFadden made it emphatically clear during that six-game stretch that, when healthy, he is one of the NFL’s elite running backs, a rare talent with speed, quickness and power. Despite missing nine games last year, he was 60th in the NFL Network’s ranking of the “Top 100” players of 2012, determined by a vote of players in the league.

But as McFadden prepares for his fifth season since coming to the Raiders as the fourth overall pick in 2008 out of Arkansas, one question remains: Can he stay healthy for a full season? He missed three games in 2008 with a turf toe injury that plagued him most of that season. He missed four games in 2009 with a knee injury and three in 2010 with hamstring and toe injuries.

McFadden can’t answer that question, but he knows beyond a doubt that he won’t change his violent running style and won’t play the game in fear of getting hurt again.

“It is one of those things where it happens in football,” McFadden said of injuries. “I can’t say I am unlucky about it. I am a very blessed person to even be playing in this league so for me, I just go out there and take it one day at a time. I can’t control injuries. If I get hurt, I am going to get hurt going hard.”

McFadden has been healthy since the middle of May when he rejoined his team for offseason workouts. So far during training camp, he has been running hard, flashing his speed and power.

“I keep saying it, and I’m going to keep saying it. Darren McFadden is the best running back in this league, and he’s going to be that,” Raiders fullback Marcel Reece said.

After McFadden’s first practice, new coach Dennis Allen was asked how he looked.

“Fast,” Allen said, cracking a smile. “He looked good. I think we all understand that he’s an explosive playmaker for us and we need him to be healthy for the entire season.

Allen said he has no plan at this time to hold McFadden out of exhibition games or limit him in practice. That’s fine with McFadden.

“For me I just want to come out there and pick up where I left off at,” he said. “The type of injury that I had was something that set me down for a long time. A lot of people may think it is hard to bounce back and get back in the flow of things, but for me, once I am back out there on the field, I feel like I am at home.”

McFadden made it through the first three practices of training camp with no problems. When the pads came on Wednesday, he ran fearlessly and often initiated contact.

“I’m feeling good,” McFadden said. “I’m looking forward to the season. I just want to stay healthy and go out there and keep grinding with these guys. I think we’re going to have a lot of great things this year.”

McFadden staying healthy for a full season would rank among the greatest for the Raiders.

Follow Raiders reporter Eric Gilmore on Twitter: @CBSSportsNFLOAK.