The jolt of terror at the prospect of one of the most impressive talents in years never meeting his potential struck last December for many when Jadeveon Clowney had microfracture surgery. That reaction comes from dozens of careers ending or being dramatically altered once a player reached the point of needing that surgery.

This week, though, we learned of a success story and one that should add to the optimism surrounding Clowney's future.

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis had microfracture surgery in 2012 after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, he revealed in an interview with Sports Illustrated. He returned to being one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, an All-Pro last season and Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots before signing with the Jets in free agency.

Consider that Revis was 27, six years older than Clowney was when each had microfracture surgery. Consider that you could argue the coverage responsibilities of a cornerback makes the surgery even more perilous for Revis' career than it was for Clowney. Consider that Clowney is also undergoing blood flow restrictive therapy, a process used to help war veterans recover, and it's prevented Clowney's quadriceps from shrinking as much as they typically would as he went through the rehab process.

Right now, conditions are optimal when it comes to this recovery. He's worked the right way and his body is responding the right way.

But patience is also critical. Revis' comments made that much clear.

After all, Revis told Sports Illustrated he didn't feel totally right until Week 4 or 5 of last season -- almost two years from the date of his surgery. Because of his age, Clowney's return could be faster than that, but rushing it won't help anyone -- not Clowney and not the Texans' future.

The Texans didn't show patience with Clowney during the season last year, trying to push him faster than his knee would allow. Right now it's unlikely he'll be ready to go right at the start of training camp. As he gets into the later stages of his rehab, having patience now will be more important than ever.

Because if that patience and this wait allow him to once again harness his special athleticism, the wait will absolutely be worth it.