McFarland trying to put injury past him

The Tampa Bay defensive tackle broke his foot last December.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Part of Anthony McFarland still asks why.
Why was last season, the finest of his budding NFL career, cut short by injury? And why did it have to happen during the year the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally won the Super Bowl?
"That's the toughest part because you just had a feeling about this team, what we were about to do and the things that were about to go on. Not to be part of that was frustrating," said McFarland, who broke his right foot Dec. 15 and didn't play again.
"At the same time, I was happy because I was a part of it. This is my team, and my ring is going to be the same size as everybody's. That's the way I look at it. But deep down inside, there's a little frustration or hurt that should be in every competitor when he's not able to go out there and play."
Good combination
The 6-foot, 300-pound lineman, who teams with Warren Sapp to form the most imposing defensive tackle tandem in the league, was off to the best start of his career when he broke his right forearm at Carolina on Oct. 27, then missed the next four games.
McFarland returned earlier than expected against Atlanta on Dec. 8, but was lost for the season the following week when he hurt his foot during a victory over Detroit.
The former LSU star, the 14th pick in the 1999 draft, was devastated.
"You come out and play the first eight games, the way I did at a high level. You get hurt, you come back and feel like you're right back in the groove and have fought through a little adversity, then you're out for the rest of the year. That's tough," McFarland said.
But there's no hint of bitterness in the fourth-year pro's voice. McFarland's right foot is healing and he is immersed in Tampa Bay's offseason conditioning program this spring, preparing to try to help the Bucs repeat as champions.
The 25-year-old defensive tackle is entering the final year of a contract that will pay him $2.25 million next season.
He'd like to sign an extension before training camp begins in July, although he's yet to receive an offer from the Bucs, who also must decide what they're willing to spend to try to extend Sapp's contract beyond 2003.