WICHITA FALLS, Texas (AP) -- Ernie Mills lifts his jersey to reveal a tight blue pad around his torso, an elastic wrap that looks like something people wear to lose weight.

	Ernie Mills is looking to come back from a season-ending injury last year.

But it's not there for vanity. It's a shock absorber worn to protect the Dallas wide receiver's midsection in case he's ever jolted the way he was by Seattle's Fred Thomas on Nov. 22.

In what seemed like a routine tackle, Mills suffered a season-ending and career-threatening perforation of his small intestine after making a 3-yard catch. He underwent surgery the next day, then went nearly two weeks before eating solid foods.

"He wasn't a big guy," Mills said. "He just hit me right."

The blow took out more than the 5-foot-11, 192-pound Mills. It also seemed to level the Cowboys.

Dallas went on to beat the Seahawks to improve to 8-3. The Cowboys lost their next three, barely beat two bad teams, then ended the season in the first round of the playoffs against Arizona, a team they'd beaten twice with Mills.

In six games without Mills, Dallas averaged 16.5 points per game. They averaged 26.7 points in the 10 games he was healthy. And, he still wound up leading the team with four touchdown catches.

What made Mills so vital to an offense headed by Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin was his knowledge of the offense being installed by then-rookie coach Chan Gailey. Mills had played for Gailey in Pittsburgh from 1994-96.

Mills left the Steelers in 1997 for what turned out to be a disastrous season in Carolina. When he was looking for a job in 1998, he reunited with his former coach on his new team in Dallas.

Mills was like a coach on the field and in the locker room as he helped teammates grasp the new system. Then he made defenses pay for single covering him while double-teaming Irvin.

The results: 28 receptions, of which 21 went for first downs, 12 came on third downs and nine covered at least 25 yards.

"I had a lot of confidence in what I was doing," Mills said. "The injury really, really hurt me because there were some things I really wanted to do."

Mills returns to even better circumstances this year. His teammates understand Gailey's system better and an improved offensive line should give Aikman more time.

"It's good to see him back out there," said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. "It was a close call for him last year, but he's got it behind him mentally and physically and we're all happy to have him."

The soft-spoken Mills was respected by teammates before he was hurt, and there's no doubt their appreciation of him has grown.

"He is a very smart player," Aikman said. "He really understands how to set up routes and make them all look the same. Ernie is probably the slowest receiver we have on the field, yet he gets open as much as anybody."

Mills, a nine-year veteran, said he doesn't expect any problems related to the injury.

"I'm fine," Mills said after a recent workout. "I don't feel any pain."

He feels so good that he doesn't even think he needs the protection around his waist. He insists he's only wearing it to make others happy.

"One of my doctors recommended it -- highly," Mills said. "He said everything has healed completely inside, but he'll feel more comfortable if I have a pad on."