Denver Native (Carol)
10-12-2009, 09:30 AM
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13541455
So you want to know what Brandon Marshall did during his suspension from the Broncos? He got booted from a school playground for playing football with Rod Smith. No joke.
"We went to a little playground at a middle school by my house to work on routes. And eventually the folks at the school kicked us off the field. They said: 'The kids are coming out. You guys gotta go.' I thought, 'Oh, man.' I had a football, I was making calls and I was throwing passes," Smith recalled with a laugh Sunday night, in the warm afterglow of the Broncos' 20-17 triumph over New England. "When were walking away, I think the guy who kicked us off realized, 'Hey, that's Rod Smith and Brandon Marshall.' "
But getting the heave-ho for trespassing on school property was definitely worth the trouble, because without the lessons learned during Marshall's ban from the Broncos for insubordination, you can bet Denver would never have stunned the NFL's glamour franchise, and the 25-year-old receiver certainly could not have been found standing in the locker room during the victory celebration, proudly wearing a plastic batting helmet, a Rockies jersey and a smile that would not quit, looking like the happiest man in Denver.
Go figure.
"Go, Rockies!" Denver offensive line coach Rick Dennison shouted at Marshall, punctuating the joy of this wild-and- crazy time in Denver sports with a fist pump of appreciation for Marshall's invaluable contribution to making the Broncos a 5-0 team.
With a batting helmet at least two sizes too small perched atop his noggin, Marshall fastened the last buttons to the pinstripes of his Garrett Atkins jersey and declared he was representing baseball in the 303 for all to see, even if it meant being fined $1,000 from the NFL for wearing unauthorized attire.
"I'm ready to suit up," Marshall said. "I played a little bit of baseball when I was little. But I don't know if I could hit anything now."
America loves a winner. Marshall is loving life. Wonders never cease.
While it took a 41-yard field goal by Matt Prater and 35 completions for 330 yards by quarterback Kyle Orton, the most telling moments in this game were witnessed during a 12-play, 98-yard touchdown march that allowed Denver to tie the score at 17 in the fourth quarter.
The most remarkable drive since You Know Who peeled off his No. 7 and walked into the orange sunset was the product of the solitary work and sweat put in by Marshall during his suspension at the end of training camp.
The exact move B-Marsh made to beat pass coverage on his crucial 11-yard scoring play was mastered on a field at West Middle School out in the 'burbs, miles away from the team's practice facility.
"It's so crazy, and I'm going to make sure I remind him of this," Smith said. "That touchdown (Marshall) scored, the way he came off the ball at the snap, the way he stopped on the route, is the exact same thing me and him worked on while he was suspended, when nobody was looking."
The lesson was: In the red zone, the first move must be sold as hard as any go route. Stop on a dime and the defender will keep reeling, creating the space to get to the goal line.
"I've got it all on videotape," said Smith, reveling in the joy only a teacher can know.
Marshall does not always act his age, and sometimes he goes blind to the obvious fact a $2 million salary is a blessing.
But there's one thing that keeps you thinking he just might be worth the trouble and maybe it's the reason Denver coach Josh McDaniels never gave up on him: B-Marsh truly wants to be a great NFL player.
"He has earned the respect back of his teammates. Not all the way, because (Marshall) has a long way to go," Smith said. "But you do your thing, you keep on a straight line, don't go out of bounds and let your play speak for itself, and good things can happen."
Barely a month ago, Marshall was loudly dissed by Broncomaniacs, and Orton heard hissing in his home stadium on every incomplete pass. Look at them now.
"We've got to continue to be a family," Marshall said.
Denver is the buzz of the NFL. While it might never be fashionable to wear those vertically stripped socks that the Broncos donned with its retro uniforms against New England, it's again cool to wear and orange No. 15 around town in salute to B-Marsh.
"All those people who wanted to burn his jersey?" Smith said with a chuckle. "Now they're mad, because they have to go out and buy it again."
Winning heals all wounds.
So you want to know what Brandon Marshall did during his suspension from the Broncos? He got booted from a school playground for playing football with Rod Smith. No joke.
"We went to a little playground at a middle school by my house to work on routes. And eventually the folks at the school kicked us off the field. They said: 'The kids are coming out. You guys gotta go.' I thought, 'Oh, man.' I had a football, I was making calls and I was throwing passes," Smith recalled with a laugh Sunday night, in the warm afterglow of the Broncos' 20-17 triumph over New England. "When were walking away, I think the guy who kicked us off realized, 'Hey, that's Rod Smith and Brandon Marshall.' "
But getting the heave-ho for trespassing on school property was definitely worth the trouble, because without the lessons learned during Marshall's ban from the Broncos for insubordination, you can bet Denver would never have stunned the NFL's glamour franchise, and the 25-year-old receiver certainly could not have been found standing in the locker room during the victory celebration, proudly wearing a plastic batting helmet, a Rockies jersey and a smile that would not quit, looking like the happiest man in Denver.
Go figure.
"Go, Rockies!" Denver offensive line coach Rick Dennison shouted at Marshall, punctuating the joy of this wild-and- crazy time in Denver sports with a fist pump of appreciation for Marshall's invaluable contribution to making the Broncos a 5-0 team.
With a batting helmet at least two sizes too small perched atop his noggin, Marshall fastened the last buttons to the pinstripes of his Garrett Atkins jersey and declared he was representing baseball in the 303 for all to see, even if it meant being fined $1,000 from the NFL for wearing unauthorized attire.
"I'm ready to suit up," Marshall said. "I played a little bit of baseball when I was little. But I don't know if I could hit anything now."
America loves a winner. Marshall is loving life. Wonders never cease.
While it took a 41-yard field goal by Matt Prater and 35 completions for 330 yards by quarterback Kyle Orton, the most telling moments in this game were witnessed during a 12-play, 98-yard touchdown march that allowed Denver to tie the score at 17 in the fourth quarter.
The most remarkable drive since You Know Who peeled off his No. 7 and walked into the orange sunset was the product of the solitary work and sweat put in by Marshall during his suspension at the end of training camp.
The exact move B-Marsh made to beat pass coverage on his crucial 11-yard scoring play was mastered on a field at West Middle School out in the 'burbs, miles away from the team's practice facility.
"It's so crazy, and I'm going to make sure I remind him of this," Smith said. "That touchdown (Marshall) scored, the way he came off the ball at the snap, the way he stopped on the route, is the exact same thing me and him worked on while he was suspended, when nobody was looking."
The lesson was: In the red zone, the first move must be sold as hard as any go route. Stop on a dime and the defender will keep reeling, creating the space to get to the goal line.
"I've got it all on videotape," said Smith, reveling in the joy only a teacher can know.
Marshall does not always act his age, and sometimes he goes blind to the obvious fact a $2 million salary is a blessing.
But there's one thing that keeps you thinking he just might be worth the trouble and maybe it's the reason Denver coach Josh McDaniels never gave up on him: B-Marsh truly wants to be a great NFL player.
"He has earned the respect back of his teammates. Not all the way, because (Marshall) has a long way to go," Smith said. "But you do your thing, you keep on a straight line, don't go out of bounds and let your play speak for itself, and good things can happen."
Barely a month ago, Marshall was loudly dissed by Broncomaniacs, and Orton heard hissing in his home stadium on every incomplete pass. Look at them now.
"We've got to continue to be a family," Marshall said.
Denver is the buzz of the NFL. While it might never be fashionable to wear those vertically stripped socks that the Broncos donned with its retro uniforms against New England, it's again cool to wear and orange No. 15 around town in salute to B-Marsh.
"All those people who wanted to burn his jersey?" Smith said with a chuckle. "Now they're mad, because they have to go out and buy it again."
Winning heals all wounds.