Denver Native (Carol)
02-17-2015, 09:02 PM
PUEBLO, Colo. -- Beneath a postcard-worthy Colorado sky, with sun-splashed, snowcapped mountains framing the world around him, Denver Broncos guard Ben Garland is focused on his instructor for the day. Garland, in his usual spot in the front row, locks his gaze and wrings every proton of information out of every word about the current topic: static electricity.
Other NFL players spend their time off in far quieter settings -- perhaps tweeting from some tropical paradise when they're not working out. Not Garland, who has been trying to find a steady spot on the Broncos' active roster since 2010, when he graduated from the Air Force Academy and was invited to the team's training camp.
On this day, Garland, a captain in the 140th Public Affairs Wing of the Colorado Air National Guard, is near the southern edge of the Airburst Range, a vast expanse about 110 miles south of Denver. He is surrounded by "the EOD guys" -- the 140th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Wing from Buckley Air Force Base in suburban Denver, where Garland is stationed. He already has put in a 5 a.m. football workout and now is in the capable hands of Master Sgt. Richard Gibbons.
rest, plus video - http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12335055/denver-broncos-ben-garland-trains-explosives-air-national-guard
Other NFL players spend their time off in far quieter settings -- perhaps tweeting from some tropical paradise when they're not working out. Not Garland, who has been trying to find a steady spot on the Broncos' active roster since 2010, when he graduated from the Air Force Academy and was invited to the team's training camp.
On this day, Garland, a captain in the 140th Public Affairs Wing of the Colorado Air National Guard, is near the southern edge of the Airburst Range, a vast expanse about 110 miles south of Denver. He is surrounded by "the EOD guys" -- the 140th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Wing from Buckley Air Force Base in suburban Denver, where Garland is stationed. He already has put in a 5 a.m. football workout and now is in the capable hands of Master Sgt. Richard Gibbons.
rest, plus video - http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12335055/denver-broncos-ben-garland-trains-explosives-air-national-guard