Remorseful Sauerbrun out four games

Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 28, 2006 at midnight

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The Broncos got a welcome speech upon their arrival at training camp. And an apology, too.

Todd Sauerbrun's four-game ban for ephedra use was upheld this week by the NFL. He planned to express his remorse to teammates as they gathered for the summer grind Thursday.

"I really feel sick about about it," Sauerbrun said before the inaugural camp meeting took place.

The decision to keep the four- game ban in place despite an appeal from Sauerbrun's Denver-based lawyer, Harvey Steinberg, was not surprising given the punter's admission he "was looking for a lot of caffeine" and "had an idea" a supplement he had taken as a pick-me-up was banned.

Sauerbrun also admitted he mistakenly thought taking the supplement, which he stressed was a one-time thing, "was a one-hit and out" type of substance in terms of appearing on drug testing.

"I made a dumb, dumb, decision thinking I'd get away with it, and I didn't," he said.

While expressing remorse, Sauerbrun said he felt the penalty was "harsh," given all ephedra "does is wake you up and get you ready for your workout. . . . It's not steroids."

Traces of ephedra quickly leave the body but had virtually no time in Sauerbrun's case because a drug screening company hired by the league was knocking at his door "at, like, 8 in the morning" the next day.

"The only thing I can say is it will never happen again," he said.

Sauerbrun was linked to a steroids-distribution case while playing for the Carolina Panthers that played a role in his deal last offseason to the Broncos.

The punter said the league already had found "probable cause" under its substance-abuse policy to repeatedly test him, and they were about twice a month.

"Of all the things, ephedra," coach Mike Shanahan said. "What it does is make you lose weight. He's the only guy on the team where I don't care if he's fat. I don't care if he's 30 pounds overweight. All you've got to do is punt the ball and kick it into the end zone."

The Broncos signed Micah Knorr, who played for Denver but was released in December 2004, as his potential replacement for games against St. Louis, Kansas City, New England and Baltimore.

Knorr was released by the Panthers, then landed in New York Jets camp last year and was cut again.

He'll battle Paul Ernster for the vacant punting and kickoff jobs during the next several weeks.

"Without playing last year, there's no pressure on me," said Knorr, who played for the Broncos for most of the 2002, 2003 and 2004 seasons and holds a career 41.4-yard punting average.

Beginning Sept. 4, Sauerbrun will be barred from the Broncos' facilities and will have to work out on his own.

And despite being in the self-professed best shape of his life, he won't immediately have a chance to show the results.

"I plan on doing everything in my power to do the best I can and have a great season once I get back," he said.

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