Pausing to Reflect
There are times when the games simply don’t matter, when winning and losing are but luxuries compared to the things that last.
Games come and go. The people who play them are so much more important than the results.
From time to time, circumstances arise which jar us back to that reality. Things happen that force us to again remember that perhaps our zeal overtakes the need to keep the important things in focus and in perspective.
This is such a time.
Memorial Day MusingsI don’t quite know where I’m going with these late Memorial Day musings, so bear with me …
Of course, my prayers — and I’m sure, those of many others in the Broncos’ realm — are with the family, friends, teammates and all those who knew Marquise Hill and who grieve his death in Lake Pontchartrain.
Thinking about Hill, remembering the recent passings of Darrent Williams and Damien Nash, and, most of all, pausing for a Memorial Day reflection upon those who made this country’s way of life possible from Bunker Hill to Bataan and beyond, has a way of sending the mind careening down a highway of thought — a road to which there is no destination. One doesn’t know quite what the final conclusion of such mental meanderings will be — or, for that matter, if there will be any resolution at all.
Today, these ponderings had me glancing back to my Monday morning stroll around the Web, when I happened upon a wonderful story from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on one of the most relentlessly optimistic individuals ever to grace the American sports stage, former Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates manager Chuck Tanner. As I read the piece, I recalled a quote that I remembered being attributed to him, the exact phrasing of which eluded my mind until I found it on baseball-almanac.com.
“The greatest feeling in the world is to win a major league game. The second greatest feeling is to lose a major league game.”
Tanner is right. You can substitute any sport in there — football, basketball, hockey, soccer, whatever you wish — but to invest oneself into a game, whether it’s through actual parrticipation or vicarious observance, is one of the blessings of life, and is worth treasuring all the same, whether the result is victory, defeat or draw.
Reading about Hill and pondering the sacrifices of those to whom Memorial Day is dedicated only heightens the accuracy of Tanner’s sentiments. Simply being a part of the game for that day in some fashion is a great feeling, indeed. There have been and remain many spots on this globe where it is impossible to retreat into the cocoon of sport, where, for that moment, a game can mean everything in that moment, even though in the larger picture, it means little.
We are blessed to be in a place where it is possible to lose oneself in the game, in the moment, where a win can be the greatest thing of all — but even a loss comes with the knowledge that you’d performed on the grandest of stages. The time of Hill, Williams and Nash on this earth was far too brief, but they nevertheless experienced a feeling of which multitudes dream but few reach — of being at the pinnacle of sport and human performance, and being in a place where, for those moments of competition, nothing matters but the game itself.
Someday, the Patriots will know that feeling again. The Broncos will, too. A young man’s spirit is a fairly resilient one; multiply that by 53 or 61 or however many players happen to be on a roster at any given point in the year.
For now, though, the day is about remembering and praying for the fallen — for those who made freedom possible, and, in the NFL’s realm, for another player seized from the world far too quickly.
OTA Day 1: Afternoon Notes
Greetings once again from the media room here at Broncos headquarters. It’s been about two hours since everyone left the field, and I’ve been busy working on a couple of stories from the day — and, later on, I’ll be putting together a video snapshot of the doings from here at Dove Valley.
For now, these notes:
… Head Coach Mike Shanahan expects wide receiver Rod Smith to return to the field by training camp. “That’s our goal — that the first time we start practice in July, he’s ready to go,” Shanahan said. “To do that, there’s going to be a lot of conditioning that goes on throughout the month of June through the middle of July. So hopefully when we strap it up for the first day of camp, he’ll be ready to go.”
… Assistant head coach Jim Bates expounded on the experiment of using safety Steve Cargile at weakside linebacker — which was in part due to his success on special-teams coverage units late last year. “It’s important that we’re able to fill our two-deep (roster) and get quality special teams guys,” Bates said. “He has the intelligence to play two positions.” …
… Kenard Lang practiced through sore shoulders, Head Coach Mike Shanahan said, and Bates noted that Nick Ferguson returned to practice. However, the rehabilitation work continued for Smith, Brandon Stokley, Matt Lepsis and Sam Brandon …
… Bates also said the rookie defensive linemen have “a lot of catching up to do,” adding, “Rookies are rookies, and just getting them lined up and getting them in their stance and in their initial steps takes longer for the rookies (on the line) than any other position. But also they should improve more than any of the other guys, given the ability level they have.” …
… It seemed like D.J. Williams answered as many questions about being tapped to lead the breakdown as he did about moving to middle linebacker. Perhaps it was because his first day as practice leader saw him brush aside Jarvis Moss’ efforts to open practice. “It’s the first day and we needed more intensity than that. I could tell he was a little nervous,” Williams said. “So I sent up one of our oldie-but-goodies, (David) Kircus. He’s always going to get up there and give you a good dance.”
… Wide receiver Brandon Marshall told media that he ran with the first team in Smith’s absence, but the main topic of conversation was his difficult offseason that has witnessed an arrest and the deaths of Damien Nash and Darrent Williams, both of whom were close friends of his. “I got in an incident with the law. We had two deaths. I’ve definitely grown up,” Marshall said. “It’s sad to say, but sometimes you have to bump your head or go through some things to actually learn, so I’m glad it happened now rather than down the road in my career, and I can guarantee that I’ll be on top of everything from here on out.”
And, in closing this entry, a few more shots:
Cobbs’ Road Ends
Sometimes a sprained ankle can be as pricey to a man’s career as a torn anterior cruciate ligament or a compound fracture.
For running back Cedric Cobbs, the beginning of his end in Denver came when he lost the handle on the overtime-opening kickoff return against Kansas City in Week 2 last year, and then suffered an ankle sprain in the ensuing scrum around the 20-yard-line at the south end of INVESCO Field at Mile High. The Broncos recovered the loose football, but Cobbs left the stadium on crutches and could never recover his previous stature with the team.
The sprain kept him inactive for the next four games, and although he would carry the ball three times for nine yards at Pittsburgh, that represented the extent of his on-field work; he spent the season’s final eight games watching in warmups from the bench as one of the Broncos’ game-day deactivations.
Meanwhile, the team promoted Damien Nash from the practice squad, kept feeding the football to Mike and Tatum Bell and signed rookie Andre Hall to the practice squad.
Now, two days after the NFL Draft, Cobbs’ career as a Bronco is done. Tatum Bell’s place at the top of the tailback tree now belongs to March street-free-agent signee Travis Henry. Nash passed away in February. Cecil Sapp is being placed in a hybrid fullback-tailback role that could get him the football more — which might not be a bad thing, seeing that he averaged 8.0 yards per carry in ’06. Hall possesses practice-squad eligibility and could find himself showcased in the preseason as the team attempts to learn what the two-time 1,300-yard runner at South Florida can do on the pro level. And the kickoff-return duties Cobbs so briefly handled will be settled in a scrum that will likely include names like Quincy Morgan, Brian Clark, Domenik Hixon and Brandon Marshall, among others.
Cobbs’ opportunity in Denver proved to be as brief as his flashes of preseason success last summer — flashes that left Head Coach Mike Shanahan speculating after the August finale at Arizona that carries could be divided three ways. That didn’t come to pass, and now, Cobbs and the Broncos pass into each other’s respective rear-view mirrors.
Remembering Damien Nash: 1982-2007
Tonight, the Broncos and those in their realm mourn once again. It is a time to grieve not just for the loss of running back Damien Nash, but for what might have been, potential and possibility as both a player and a man that will never have a chance to be explored further than the glimpses we witnessed in the six months since he joined the organization via a waiver claim last summer.
In recent months, we’d seen signs of what Nash could become. On the field, he provided a spark to the running game in November, particularly with an 52-yard performance against the San Diego Chargers. Away from it, he helped launch the Darris Nash Find a Heart Foundation. It was named after his older brother, who underwent a heart transplant within the past year.
But Nash’s time with the Broncos was so fleeting that all I possess now are a series of mental snapshots from the cerebral Rolodex, images before our eyes that don’t become clearly developed until a moment like tonight, when a cell-phone call brings word of Nash’s passing.
I find myself remembering the back who arrived in camp several days after it began, but who soon proved surprisingly persistent when he had the opportunity to carry the football, even though he was often left with the table scraps of scrimmage time behind Mike Bell, Tatum Bell and Ron Dayne. Less than three weeks later, he was slugging through the defense of the very team that had waived him, and his night against the Tennessee Titans solidified his claim to a roster spot.
Off the field, rarely was Nash seen without a black St. Louis Cardinals cap, a seemingly vital accessory for anyone that hails from the St. Louis area. He wore it often, even when he wasn’t supposed to — which was the case after the Raiders game, when he answered some questions in the locker room following his first regular-season action. An official came by and informed him that he had to remove the headgear, lest he be in violation of league policy for its players.
But the hat was part of Nash. He represented his hometown; he was as St. Louis as toasted ravioli on The Hill and frozen custard on a muggy summer’s night. Like many outstanding St. Louis-area football players, he sprinted west to Ol’ Mizzou to don the Tigers’ black and gold.
As a Bronco, he returned home frequently, and his family in turn watched with joy as he clawed his way up the depth chart, with some of his nearest and dearest driving across Missouri on Thanksgiving to watch Nash play in the prime-time holiday showdown with the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
With Nash, it’s not just sadness for a second young man lost to the organization in just eight weeks, but for what he might have become. The indefatigable running style and broken tackles we witnessed last August against Tennessee and again when the Broncos fell to San Diego three months later now represent virtually his entire professional career.
That is the hardest thing to accept.
I looked forward to seeing what he could bring this offseason, wondering if he could be the next breakout Broncos back. After all, recent history has shown that ground success can come from anyone, whether they are a high draft pick or an unheralded waiver claim like Nash. Every player’s future is pregnant with possibility, whether they are a No. 1 overall selection or a journeyman veteran of multiple practice squads.
On one night last year, we saw that possibility flourish when Nash burst for a 26-yard run against San Diego. That same night, Darrent Williams scored the second touchdown of his career.
Barely three months later, they’re both gone.
I began writing this piece trying to gain a shred of understanding for what happened. I know now, as I conclude, that such a quest is futile, and all one can really do is to keep Nash’s soul and his family here on this planet in one’s prayers.
Rest in peace, Damien, and thanks for giving Broncos Country your finest effort.
Offensive Remedy: Not Just the QB
Offense was not built on the passer alone, and Jay Cutler’s immediate success or struggle as the Broncos’ starting quarterback may well rest as much upon the legs of the men lining up behind him as the prodigious right arm the rookie has only been able to brandish in practice the last three months.
In two of the Broncos’ last three games, Denver’s running game has failed to amass 65 yards. The team hasn’t had a 100-yard rusher since Mike Bell went over the milestone against Indianapolis on Oct. 29.
That’s just five games ago, so it might not seem like very long in the grand scheme of things, but for the Broncos and their historically prodigious running game, it seems like an eternity — particularly when their tailbacks have struggled to find running room in the weeks since, collectively averaging 64.5 yards a game in November — with more than half of their 258 yards for the month coming in the 35-27 loss to San Diego.
Click to continue reading “Offensive Remedy: Not Just the QB”
At Tailback, the Game’s AfootHead Coach Mike Shanahan doesn’t see the Broncos’ 63-yard rushing performance Sunday at Oakland as cause for panic. Certainly not when his running game — which has included carries for four different tailbacks in the last two games — still ranks fourth in the league through nine games.
“We’ve got some competition there,” Shanahan said. “Maybe that’s one of the reasons we’re in the top five (in rushing).”
It’s a competition that has seen its share of injuries. Tatum Bell has been hindered by turf-toe problems; Cedric Cobbs missed a month with an ankle sprain that had him on crutches for a few days after he incurred the injury against Kansas City in Week 2.