Ngata missed the preseason opener against the New York Giants last week.

“It?s stable,” Ngata said. “Probably not as strong, but it?s stable. It?s just going to be there. Hopefully, we?ll see how it does on Thursday.”

Ngata said he has been awaiting this game for a long time, but admits his heart will be tested.

“It?s my first NFL game,” he said. “I?m excited. My parents will be watching me, and it?s going to an emotional but exciting time.”

Ngata lost both of his parents in recent years. His father died in a car accident during his freshman year at Oregon University, and last January, his mother died of cardiac arrest after undergoing dialysis for a kidney ailment.

The soft-spoken Ngata has been practicing at training camp at McDaniel College in Westminster since Sunday after sitting out a week due to the injury.

He has been forced to accelerate his development even while sitting out with the injury. Ngata has been regarded as the missing piece in a defense that was lacking size along the line.

Tuesday?s practice was intense.

“They were fired up, had some good feel for us,” Billick said.

Ngata brings a load of expectations, almost as big as the man himself.

A consensus All-American in college, he had 151 total tackles with 24.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, three forced fumbles and one recovery during his three seasons with the Beavers.

Ngata said there is still a learning curve in the professional ranks, one that he is ready to take on starting Thursday night.

“I?m working hard out here and just taking out on the field and getting all this stuff down, all my technique and all the stuff I?ve learned,” Ngata said.