The road to recovery has been a long one for Detroit Lions tailback Mikel Leshoure as he prepares to enter his second NFL season. While he is still expected to serve a two-game suspension to open the year after an offseason marijuana arrest, Leshoure's rehab from his Achilles injury has been better than hoped, and the former Illinois standout announced to fans on Twitter that he will hit camp at 100% health:

Leshoure's punishing running style offers a dynamic that the Lions could have used all throughout last season, which is why his puzzling off-the-field problems have been met with such scrutiny by Detroit fans. Because with very real, persistent injury questions surrounding Leshoure's fellow runners Jahvid Best and Kevin Smith, the 2011 second-round selection might end up with a make-or-break chance to prove whether he's worth keeping around long-term or not.

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