Suffering a serious knee injury was a physical and mental challenge, but Buchanan was determined to shorten the timetable for his return. He attacked rehab as relentlessly as he pursued ball carries. General Manager Eric DeCosta said Buchanan had [one of the "top 1% of rehabs" he's ever witnessed](https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/teddye-buchanan-passes-physical-pup-list-ravens-linebacker-knee-injury) in 30 years.
Buchanan said there were times when the Ravens' training staff had to prevent him from pushing too hard, but he offered no apologies for his passion.
"It was an emotional time hurting my knee," Buchanan said. "But it gets to a point where no one's going to feel sorry for you. The only way I was going to become a better version of myself was to attack the rehab. That's my mindset and will continue to be my mindset as I go through whatever adversity I face during my career."
Buchanan and Madubuike had conversations during the offseason, trying to uplift each other through difficult times. Players who are injured can feel lost as the games go on without them.
"Not being able to be with the guys, you feel left out," Buchanan said. "You understand the circumstances, but you feel like you're letting the team down.
"Nnamdi's circumstance makes mine seem easy. Getting to pick his brain helped my perspective and not feel like I was alone in what I was going through."