Raiders' Gannon raring to go after surgery

0 Comments | USA TODAY, August, 2004 | by Jarrett Bell

NAPA, Calif. -- Numbers can sometimes go a long way toward measuring the progress of a quarterback, which is why Rich Gannon is so giddy about, well, zero.

"In the past, every year I went to training camp, after the first day or two I'd be on anti-inflammatories, just from the throwing," Gannon said between sessions on a double-practice day at the Oakland Raiders camp this week. "But now I haven't taken one Advil or one anti-inflammatory since I've been up here. And I feel great.

"I'm serious. Every year I've had it. It's not so much the shoulder, but you get back and your elbow gets sore from throwing so much. But I haven't had any of that."

When you're 38 and the NFL's second-oldest starting quarterback, you take nothing for granted. But for Gannon, it's...