Camping out, August 11

Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News

Published August 11, 2007 at midnight

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A remembrance

Safety John Lynch and tight end Nate Jackson attended the memorial service for Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh on Thursday in Stanford, Calif. The two returned in time for the team's night meetings.

Lynch played for Walsh at Stanford and credits Walsh for moving him to safety from quarterback and persuading Lynch to pursue a football career rather than professional baseball.

Walsh also went to bat for Jackson, who played at Menlo College in the Bay Area, before Jackson was signed by the 49ers as an undrafted rookie in 2002. Walsh also recommended Jackson to the Broncos when Denver traded for him in 2003.

"People spoke of how he could uncover hidden potential, and Nate and I are sitting there looking at each other," Lynch said. "Just a great individual. It was more than just lip service with him, but he thought there was nothing more beautiful than guys of different races, backgrounds, beliefs all come together for a common goal.

"I thought Joe Montana said it best when he said if the whole world could take that lead, just how much better off we would all be."

Glory days

The Broncos have two of the most prolific high school running backs in history on their roster.

Travis Henry set a national single-season record in his senior year at Frostproof (Fla.) High School when he finished with 4,087 yards rushing.

Backup fullback Troy Fleming finished his prep career at Battle Ground Academy in suburban Nashville, Tenn., with 9,487 yards, which, at the time, put him second all time in national rushing totals.

A big day

Steve Martin, an 18-year old with cerebral palsy, was an honorary ball boy at Broncos practices Friday, with his physical therapist, Shawn Jackson.

Martin got his day with the team as part of a May fundraiser for Denver Health in which coach Mike Shanahan had participated.

Numbers game

31times the Broncos have faced the 49ers in a preseason game, more than any other opponent.

Roster moves

None Friday.

Daily highlights

• Cornerback Dré Bly, who has forced 16 fumbles in his career, knocked the ball out of wide receiver Brian Clark's grasp in team drills during the morning practice, arriving just after Clark caught the ball.

• Bly earlier had made an impressive backhanded snatch - he used his left hand - of a pass during warm-ups.

• Defensive end Tim Crowder had to come out of the locker room before the morning practice to find Kenny Peterson, usually one of the first players on the field each day. Peterson mistakenly had put on Crowder's shoulder pads and hit the field.

• Safety Quentin Harris closed out the afternoon practice with an interception. Harris had missed a few days of practice because of a sore right knee.

• Cornerback Jeff Shoate stayed after practice to work on catching punts. Shoate is expected to get at least some opportunities to catch a punt or two during the preseason.

Injury report

• Safety John Lynch was given the morning practice off because of a sore sternum, but he practiced in the afternoon.

• Running back Andre Hall injured his right hamstring during the morning practice and did not participate in the afternoon.

• Guard Ben Hamilton was held out again as he recovers from a concussion.

• Tackle Ryan Harris (back) missed his second day.

• Wide receiver David Kircus (right hamstring) did not practice in the morning but did some work in the afternoon.

• Tackle Matt Lepsis (groin) also was held out of the morning practice but did some limited work in the afternoon.

Rest up

Defensive tackle Gerard Warren was given both practices off Friday. Many of the team's starters were given the afternoon practice off, including center Tom Nalen, defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban, defensive tackle Sam Adams, cornerback Champ Bailey and safety Nick Ferguson.

If you go

• Today: The Broncos will conduct their last training camp practice open to the public. Practice starts at 8:30 a.m.; gates open at 7:30. There will be no afternoon practice.

• Sunday: After a walk-through practice in the morning - it is closed to the public - the team will leave for its Monday night game in San Francisco.

Back at it

Broncos coach Mike Shanahan was asked after practice Friday morning if he was surprised that wide receiver Brandon Marshall had practiced for the first time since training camp started.

"No, I told him to go (Friday) morning," Shanahan said. "He's got to work through it."

And with that, Marshall, who injured his left thigh during the Broncos' July minicamp and missed the first 11 days of training camp because of it, was back on the field. Marshall said he felt some initial pain, but he made it through all the team drills and also finished the afternoon practice.

"I was kind of hesitant at first, but now I have a smile on my face, so I'm happy about that . . . ," Marshall said. "If it was up to me, I wouldn't have (practiced), but coach wanted me to."

"Any time you look at a (magnetic resonance imaging exam) and the MRI has the muscle being healed, he's got to fight through that scar tissue," Shanahan said. "It's going to be sore, there's going to be a little (pain), but it's something he's got to work through. . . . That's just part of it."

The Broncos have battled injuries at wide receiver throughout much of camp, with as many as five missing the same practice at times. David Kircus injured his right hamstring - the team called it a slight strain - Thursday morning, so Shanahan said the Broncos needed Marshall back on the field.

"And the tests showed the muscle is healed," Shanahan said. "He did a good job."

"Basically, he challenged me to be mentally strong . . . ," Marshall said. "I didn't open it up 100 percent, but I opened it up to where I could go out there and compete."

To practice, the Broncos formally moved Marshall off the physically unable to perform list Friday morning. Shanahan said Marshall will not play Monday night in San Francisco, the Broncos' preseason opener.

He said it

"When I hurt my knee last year, it was the first time I had been injured like that. Of course, I was frustrated. I think I'm better at dealing with those things now."

Brandon Marshall, Broncos wide receiver, on why he thinks he'll rebound from injury better this time than he did last season.

legwoldj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2359

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