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Ziggy
05-12-2008, 10:09 AM
Thomas had faith he'd be cleared
Charge dropped, he 'can't wait' for upcoming camps
By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)


Marcus Thomas maintained Sunday that he always believed he would be exonerated of a drug- possession charge stemming from a late-night incident March 1.

It was no less a relief when the Broncos defensive tackle officially was notified late last week that authorities in Clay County, Fla., had decided not to press charges relating to the traffic stop that ensnared a high school buddy from whom he was hitching a ride after a night out.

Bryce Carter, his longtime friend from Jacksonville, Fla., still faces a felony cocaine possession count. Carter is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday. But the case against Thomas officially is closed, county criminal records confirm.

"I'm relieved," Thomas said in his first public comments since the arrest. "I shouldn't have gotten arrested initially, but the officers were just doing their job. And I had to let it play out. But right now, I'm just happy the coaches stuck with me the whole time."

Thomas has sequestered himself in Denver since a few days after the traffic stop. He has been going through the team's offseason strength and conditioning program while the legal wrangling was been hashed out in his hometown. He remained confident there would be a positive outcome but was troubled by the fact his name and the organization were in the news in a negative light.

"I'm just glad it didn't go all the way to camp," he said. "I didn't want any distractions. This is the first time I've been able to be here in the offseason, and I've been working really hard."

Thomas was drafted in 2007 by Denver despite two positive drug tests for marijuana at the University of Florida, so he knew he already was on a short leash when his arrest occurred.

Thus, while he was confident he "couldn't possibly get in trouble" this time because he had "nothing to do with" the drugs and a gun found in Carter's truck, that historical backdrop admittedly created some anxiety.

Thomas remembered thinking while police searched Carter's truck that there was no way he'd be implicated.

He recalled being more concerned about finding another ride home, since he wasn't going to drive himself for fear he had had too much to drink.

But Thomas ended up spending a night in jail anyway.

A short time later, Carter reportedly admitted that a small bag of cocaine in the car was his, helping Thomas' cause.

"I just know I can't continue to hang out with the same people I hung with back in high school," Thomas said. "And I just have to stay out of Jacksonville, really."

Thomas called coach Mike Shanahan right after the episode and explained he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Thomas quickly submitted to drug testing in a further attempt to prove his innocence.

Shanahan publicly supported Thomas in March and again in April, with the coach saying if he "didn't have a very good gut about the guy, he wouldn't be with our organization."

"As soon as I talked to Shanahan and Shanahan said, 'If you're innocent, we're with you 100 percent and we'll get through this together,' I was relieved," Thomas said.

If there was one mistake Thomas, in hindsight, said he made, it's that he probably shouldn't have gotten in the car with Carter, since he suspected that Carter, too, might have been intoxicated.

Still, Thomas was trying to avoid driving and risking a drunken-driving arrest.

"I felt I was trying to do the right thing," he said.

Now that Thomas has been cleared, he can go about trying to be an integral part of a needed front-four turnaround for the Broncos.

The five-game starter as a rookie could be aligned alongside newcomer Dewayne Robertson on a more permanent basis with the first unit in 2008.

So his judicial clearance is just as important to the team's fortunes as his own.

"I can't wait," Thomas said of the upcoming minicamps. "Last year, I didn't even play half a year of football because I was suspended from Florida. And I wasn't really working out because I didn't even plan on getting drafted. But I feel really confident coming into this season. I'm a lot stronger, well-conditioned. I'm pretty much ready to show what I've got going on now."



Sounds to me like he's trying hard to grow up, and leave the bad influences in his life behind. Very encouraging article.

NightTrainLayne
05-12-2008, 10:15 AM
He's saying all the right things. Now he just has to follow through and actually DO the right things.

Staying out of Jax altogether sounds like a good start.

G_Money
05-12-2008, 10:17 AM
Thomas has sequestered himself in Denver since a few days after the traffic stop. He has been going through the team's offseason strength and conditioning program while the legal wrangling was been hashed out in his hometown.

Buy a house here.

Move your family here.

Leave your friends there.

And then maybe everything will work out.

I know one team that won't come calling on him in FA, though: The Jaguars should have seen enough by now to stay the hell away from Marcus.

Wise up, Marcus. We need you to be smarter, and to find local friends who aren't chugging brewskis and snorting lines off the dashboard, please.

Looking forward to watching you dominate ON the football field this year and not hearing a peep about you off of it.

~G

cmhargrove
05-12-2008, 10:37 AM
"I can't wait," Thomas said of the upcoming minicamps. "Last year, I didn't even play half a year of football because I was suspended from Florida. And I wasn't really working out because I didn't even plan on getting drafted. But I feel really confident coming into this season. I'm a lot stronger, well-conditioned. I'm pretty much ready to show what I've got going on now."



Sounds to me like he's trying hard to grow up, and leave the bad influences in his life behind. Very encouraging article.

I wondered how much of this influenced his play last year. I thought Marcus was doing fine, but I really wanted to see a few sporadic plays (or games) where he "dominated." I hope with a season under belt, and another full offseason conditioning program that he picks it up even more. It will be very interesting to see what he can do if Robertson starts drawing double teams, and he comes in full strength.

Kaylore
05-12-2008, 10:40 AM
There is nothing but trouble for him down there. Sometimes you just need to walk away, Marcus.

frauschieze
05-12-2008, 10:52 AM
Here's to hoping Marcus reads this message board and takes some of these words to heart. :cheers:

shank
05-12-2008, 01:39 PM
Here's to hoping Marcus reads this message board and takes some of these words to heart. :cheers:

in that interview on fox last night with marcus, the lady mentioned quickly that he marcus thanked shanny, the broncos, his teammates, and forum members who had supported him throughout the ordeal.

i forgot about that until i read your post. he probably jumped online to see how the incident was being received, as he said he was really worried about what the reaction to the situation would be even when he was in jail that night...

Bad Intentions
05-13-2008, 07:50 AM
I think Marcus truly wants to do the right thing. I think he was trying to do the right thing. Even if he knew that his friend was into drugs he could have believed that he was okay b/c he didn't have any or do them himself. I can't tell you how many of my friends growing up did and had drugs on them and I always believed that I couldn't get in trouble b/c I wasn't a part of it. It takes a swift kick in the nuts to realize that you can get in trouble for another's actions. Fortunately for the Broncos and Marcus, this kick in the nuts taught him a good lesson AND allows him to stay with the team and in football.

He could do a lot worse than hanging out and becoming friends with Dewayne Robertson. By all accounts, he is a very good person off the field and does things the right way. I wouldn't be suprised to see him take on a bit of a leadership role for a young DLine. Same thing with Eb, hopefully with him being around a bit more this season, Marcus can learn from him!