"Indianapolis Colts safety Bob Sanders met the media Friday for the first time since the middle of the 2009 season.

He grinned. He gushed.

"I'm excited to be back. I'm excited to be practicing. I'm excited to get back to doing what I love to do," said Sanders, who played only two games last season.

"I've been able to rehab myself back to pretty decent health where I can actually practice full time. (Organized team activities) have really gone well for me. The knee has been doing great. The arm has been doing great. I feel great."

The Colts have conducted six OTAs and on Friday opened a three-day minicamp.

Sanders missed the first five games last season while recovering from offseason knee surgery, then suffered a season- ending ruptured biceps tendon in his left arm against San Francisco on Nov. 1.

He was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2007, but a siege of injuries have caused him to miss 49 of 96 regular-season games since he joined the Colts in 2004. That history has shaped his perspective."