When University of Wisconsin senior cornerback Allen Langford started the long rehabilitation process after reconstructive surgery on his left knee, he wanted to know everything Joe Thomas did.

Thomas raised the bar at UW in a lot of areas, including returning from a torn ACL.

After suffering his knee injury in the 2006 Capital One Bowl game, Thomas returned for his senior season at left tackle even better than before. He became the Badgers' first Outland Trophy winner and the third overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft.

"I'm one of those guys, I ask questions in there," Langford said of the training room. "I asked them, 'What did Joe Thomas do?'

"They told me, 'Joe Thomas was really about his rehab every day. He always iced his knee.' I've been trying to take the same approach."

Langford and senior defensive tackle Jason Chapman, another starter rehabbing from a torn ACL, suffered their injuries against Ohio State Nov. 3. That gives them a two-month head start on the time Thomas had going into his senior year.

UW coach Bret Bielema cautioned against using Thomas as a benchmark for other players. Thomas had a unique blend of physical gifts and was just as strong mentally.

"I go back all the time with Joe Thomas, when I first talked to the doctors, they were like, 'Bret, he's kind of like a freak on the football field. He's also a freak in the rehab room,' '' Bielema said. "That's one of those things you don't see very often."

Still, Thomas is not the only one to play well the year after suffering a torn ACL. Former UW receiver Lee Evans rebounded from two knee surgeries in 2002, then had a big senior season in 2003 before being selected 13th overall in the draft by the Buffalo Bills.

Senior defensive end Matt Shaughnessy suffered a torn ACL as a freshman against Iowa Nov. 12, 2005. He was a consensus second-team All-Big Ten Conference selection the following year.

Langford is aware of those stories and they are a big reason he is convinced he will return better than ever in the fall.

"It definitely can be done," he said. "A lot of guys tear their ACLs and they come back better. I think it's all about the way you go about your rehab."

Most athletes view rehab as drudgery. Langford has embraced the process.

"I feel so much better doing rehab," he said. "I wish I could do rehab a lot more. I feel better when I do rehab."

Langford even manages to shrug off the inevitable setbacks along the way.

"You might have a little setback, nothing major," he said. "Every day, I make progress. I haven't had a down day yet."

The hardest part has been watching spring practices. Langford is at a point in his recovery where he thinks he could do some drills, but it's not worth the risk.

So, he has spent the spring helping the young cornerbacks. But he's not a coach. He wants to play.

"I really don't like watching," he said. "I feel like I can show these young players a lot better than I can tell them."

If the spring has shown anything, the defense needs a healthy Langford. Sophomore Aaron Henry, the other projected starter at cornerback, is also returning from ACL surgery. He's about a month behind Langford, so there are questions whether Henry will be ready on Aug. 30 for the opener against Akron.

Redshirt freshman Mario Goins has shown promise, but it's probably asking too much to find two potential starters from the group of inexperienced players that also includes juniors Josh Nettles and Prince Moody, sophomore Niles Brinkley and redshirt freshman Otis Merrill.

Langford, a three-year starter, expects to be full-go when summer conditioning starts in June. He expects to be ready when fall camp starts, although the trainers might hold him back a bit.

"I'll definitely be ready for the first game," Langford said. "I'm not going to take it easy in camp, but if it's a double day or my knee is hurting, I'll fall back. I'll probably feel like I can do both practices."

Langford doesn't want to return to being the player he was before the injury. He's focused on being better. He takes "mental reps" during practices and said he's seeing things better than before.

"I'm going to be a better player," he said. "I'm definitely going to use this as motivation to make me go out there and work extra hard. I've been working real hard. I'm going to work even harder, so I can be a better player."