FROM CELL PHONE CARRIER TO BALL CARRIER

When the Broncos signed free-agent running Tatum Bell on Tuesday, they not only gave him a second chance as a Bronco — they gave him a second shot at football.

Bell had been out of football since September when he was released by the Detroit Lions. After his release he moved back to Denver and tried to find work.

That work came in the form of manager of a cell phone store in a Denver-area mall.

Bell said going from a 1,000-yard rusher in the National Football League to retail manager was a humbling experience but not one that he was ashamed of.

“I was like, man, this is the real world – 9-5 everyday,” Bell said of his first “real” job. “I held my head up high going to work each day. I didn’t have a problem with it at all. That is what I had to do to feed my family and that is what I was doing.”

Whenever Broncos fans would walk by the store, Bell said he would stop them so they could talk about football and see if they might be interested in a new cell phone. Bell, who had to wear a collared shirt and tie to work each day, said he has a newfound reverence for people who work 9-5.

“I sold a couple (of phones),” Bell said. “It is actually is pretty hard.”

It was Bell’s phone that rang on Tuesday when the Broncos invited him in for a workout and another chance at football. And he looks to make the most of his opportunity.