Marshall's story questioned

Report: Injuries are more serious than receiver said

By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Originally published 09:08 p.m., March 24, 2008
Updated 04:21 p.m., March 25, 2008

Barry Gutierrez / The Rocky/2007

Brandon Marshall says he will endure no lasting effects suffered from injuries in an accident in Orlando.

The "Big Mac Attack" suffered by Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall could cost him three to four months off the football field.

According to NFL Network, Marshall's slip and fall on a McDonald's bag Saturday at an Orlando, Fla., resort also included a bit of wrestling with a family member.

The resulting smash of Marshall's right forearm through an entertainment system created damage more severe than the player indicated publicly.

In a statement, head Broncos athletic trainer Steve Antonopulos offered an "injury summary," saying Marshall sustained right forearm lacerations to one artery, one vein, one nerve, two tendons and three muscles.

All the injuries have been repaired, the statement said, and his right forearm and elbow will be immobilized for six weeks.

Rehabilitation will begin in six weeks, the statement said, and full recovery is expected to take three to four months.

Marshall, whose 102 catches last season were second most in franchise history, did not return a phone call seeking comment today.

On two occasions previously, in interviews with the Rocky on Sunday and Sirius NFL Radio on Monday, Marshall said he slipped on the bag while getting up early Saturday morning to get a drink of water.

"I tried to brace my fall and put my arm right through the TV," he told the Rocky.

When pressed on the believability of that scenario, Marshall became defiant with the Rocky. He injected humor into the strange details in his radio interview.

During the Sirius segment, Marshall was asked in joking fashion whether he would take a lie-detector test because of the Broncos' recent history with the device.

"Why would I go through a lie-detector test for an accident, you know?" he said. "I mean, I guess that's part of being an NFL football player. You fall, you hurt yourself, now, what, I got in a fight, I hurt somebody else or something. What's the problem?"

Apparently, there's more to the story than he was letting on, if the wrestling aspect of the tale also is considered.

Marshall downplayed the severity of the injury, telling Sirius it was his forearm and not his hand and that "everything's fine, just stitched up and now I'm just relaxing trying to get back to 100 percent as quickly as possible."

He told the Rocky it was "a little cut on my arm" and he was going to have a follow-up visit with a doctor in about a week.

The incident with Marshall appears strikingly similar to one involving former Arizona Cardinals defensive end Calvin Pace in October 2005. Pace underwent emergency surgery after he and a friend were wrestling in an Atlanta apartment complex, resulting in the player slicing his arm after breaking through a window. In Pace's case, the Cardinals withheld his salary for the remainder of the year, which amounted to more than $300,000.

There might be no such recourse in this case given it's the offseason and the strength and conditioning program that started Monday essentially is voluntary.

Before the latest news broke, teammates interviewed at the strength program were making light of the bizarre scenario.

"It may seem silly to the public, but I have been in that situation too," tight end Tony Scheffler said. "I'm accident prone and I can tell you similar stories. He didn't get hurt too badly. He was here today and will be back at it before you know it. You laugh at something like this."

Instead, it's the latest in a string of off-field incidents involving Marshall that have called his maturity into question.

He was in Denver District Court on Monday to face charges stemming from a July drunken-driving arrest, but the case was postponed until June 18.

Marshall previously underwent anger-management classes to have false-imprisonment and domestic violence charges from a March 2007 incident with his girlfriend dropped.

• March 24, 2008

  10:48 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  goldenz writes:

  Guess Denver is now in the market for another receiver?

• March 24, 2008

  11:06 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  r8rh8r writes:

  Hype it up.

• March 25, 2008

  6:24 a.m.

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  Brent writes:

  Don't you have to wish that some of these players would just grow up? The Broncos staff just has to pull their hair out in frustration with some of the stupid things that some players do.

• March 25, 2008

  7:22 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  cj1030lee writes:

  Damn Shanny. Everything is his fault.

• March 25, 2008

  7:22 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  R8R_H8R writes:

  CAREER OVER: An artery, vein, nerve and tendons to five muscles were severed. HE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. HE'LL DROP THE BALL.

• March 25, 2008

  7:25 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Why writes:

  That's why we teach our kids..."Clean up after yourself"...and..."No horseplay (pardon the pun)in the house"!!!
  We can now point to Brandon Marshall and use him as an example.

• March 25, 2008

  7:30 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  FireShanahan writes:

  Another shady story, period. How many times did the story change? Why change your story if it was just an accident? Something smells wrong here. Better draft a WR.

• March 25, 2008

  7:37 a.m.

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  Earl writes:

  he slipped on a mcdonalds bag?

• March 25, 2008

  7:41 a.m.

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  afvx3 writes:

  PLEASE, How stupid are we! Get ready for a four win season, same as last year without Elam. The broncos are a mess!

• March 25, 2008

  7:43 a.m.

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  sickandtired writes:

  No, it was a Burger King bag - you know, the one with the Whopper in it.

• March 25, 2008

  8:18 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Shaupeen writes:

  "Apparently, there's more to the story than he was letting on..."

  Uh, yeah. Nice understatement. What about alcohol? Anyone else ever put their hand through a TV while sober? Didn't think so. Although we'll never get to the whole story...

• March 25, 2008

  8:23 a.m.

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  hdfresh writes:

  This never would have happened it was a Wendy's bag! Why did he have to go to McDonalds? We all know their bags are more slippery due to the grease.

• March 25, 2008

  8:43 a.m.

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  gylizard1 writes:

  Unreal...this guy is the next DALE CARTER on this team..I can see it already..what an idiot! May as well draft a WR number 1 now...no Javon Walker..no Brandon Marshall..Stokley with a bad knee..wonderful. And we know how well Shanahan does at picking wide recievers number one..remember MARCUS NASH??

• March 25, 2008

  8:57 a.m.

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  davies writes:

  Maybe an old-fashioned knife fight?

• March 25, 2008

  9:03 a.m.

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  millertime3852 writes:

  Shaupeen: Yeah, he was wasted at 7:00 a.m. I've wrestled with my brothes while being sober plenty. What exactly is so hard to believe about that?

• March 25, 2008

  9:11 a.m.

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  lencho_elias writes:

  I got nothing but love for Marshall- last year he showed everyone that he's a legit pro reciever.

  NFL -National Football League- as long as he plays Pro level Football for the Broncs, I could care less what he does on HIS own time.

  Get well soon Marshall.

• March 25, 2008

  9:35 a.m.

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  kmeissner writes:

  Brandon Marshall could be one of the best receivers in the game but these antics have got to stop. If he wasn't our star receiver I'd think Shanahan would drop him.

  Hopefully he is ok though. It would be a shame if his career suffered because he's a moron off the field.

• March 25, 2008

  9:37 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Disgusted_in_Denver writes:

  Sounds like his anger management courses aren't working. I've listened to him a time or two on sports radio and he seems like a very nice guy. Apparently his distaste for cheap rent-a-center entertainment centers got the best of him!

• March 25, 2008

  10:22 a.m.

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  Shaupeen writes:

  Really millertime? You're buying that timeline? I wouldn't believe a single thing coming out of bronco camp. Did you believe them when Romo was taking "vitamin supplements" to help him elevate his game? Did you believe them when Griese "slipped" on his driveway? Did you believe them when D. Williams was just "peacefully minding his own business" on New Years Eve?

  Apparently it helps to have your head in the sand if you are a fan of this organization.

• March 25, 2008

  10:25 a.m.

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  misterbigge writes:

  LOL sickandtired. Remember that many of these players are still man-boys who have just been hit with a ton of money. Most of us would run around acting silly too. We all have a screw loose in order to create an imaginary connection between ourselves and 'our' teams/players. That's not a bad thing, makes life easier on the dog but it is still only as real as we imagine it to be. Brandon Marshall has no idea about my life and I have none about his. As long as he breaks tackles and gains 15.5 yards after the catch then Fido is safe!!!

• March 25, 2008

  10:40 a.m.

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  OrangeCrush_77 writes:

  Remember Darius Watts, that waste of a second round pick in 2004 who had been in a car accident, thus suffering severe damage to his arm, and had no feeling in his lifeless claw of a hand (which didn't stop us from drafting him)?

  Well, maybe we could surgically implant his one good hand onto Marshall's injured arm. And, while were at it, we could give Marshall one of those new-fangled "sports lobotomies," wherein the player just kind of quietly drools on himself until you ask him to do something like run a deep post pattern (of course we don't run any deep post patterns anymore, but you get the idea).

• March 25, 2008

  10:44 a.m.

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  Heidi writes:

  This is silly! Why is this any of our business? Maybe all of the players should be locked in a cell when not playing or practicing?

• March 25, 2008

  10:53 a.m.

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  Seawen writes:

  This is so funny. Everyone is like:
  "four win season"
  "draft a WR"
  "Get him otta here"
  "it's all Shanny's fault"
  you people make me laugh.

• March 25, 2008

  11:16 a.m.

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  princess writes:

  What is the big deal? Has it registered to anyone yet that he could have been doing just that wrestling with family members? It was all fun and games until someone got hurt. Don't act like you have never done it. Just because he did something in his past doesn't mean that's what it is now. He didn't get a DUI he didn't beat anybody up, well unless you count him accidently beating himself up. He didn't have drugs or guns he didn't go to jail. He was in no trouble at all so why throw him under the bus? All cuz he said he slipped on a fast food bag? Granted if I did something like that I would keep it to myself but he probably made it up so people wouldn't make a big deal out of it. But goodness people he wasn't in any trouble so quit throwing him under the bus.

• March 25, 2008

  11:27 a.m.

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  MiamiMike writes:

  It's funny I posted a statement when he got in trouble with his girlfriend and everyone jumped on me saying I did not know what I was talking about. I live 5 minutes from UCF where Brandon played. there were signs of issues before he was drafted. He has all the talent but he has a knack for finding trouble. I said it last year and I say it again. It's just about time before he screws it up. He now has the issue that was dropped with the taxi and girlfriend, the DUI and now this BS story. There will be more. At this point someone should be stepping up in his family or in the Bronco's organization to have a hard long talk with him. Enough of he is young.
  I am a fan of Brandon's but enough is enough. Lets see what happens after the DUI. Shanny who is doing the background checks on guys we get? Seems like that might be a area of concern. Who is in charge of player background investigations? Lets get this area fixed. It has hurt us how many times?

• March 25, 2008

  11:28 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Diff writes:

  A NFL player who lies, drinks, drinks and drives - tell me it isn't so!

  oh BTW now that Easter is gone and I had gave up sarcasm for lent - I am catching up!

• March 25, 2008

  11:30 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  UncleBuck writes:

  Until your own life is perfect, please do not criticize the lives of others. Anyone who is competitive should understand full well how this happened unless maybe, if you are a girl, it may seem a little immature I am sure. Oh well...

• March 25, 2008

  11:32 a.m.

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  Shaupeen writes:

  Well, Heidi, we'd all be safer. But really, if you force a town to pay for a stadium, it kind of becomes everybody's business. And then if you lie repeatedly to those people paying the bill, it kind of gets people a little jaded, and then everyone questions your motives even when you are telling the truth.

  And princess, just wait till ALL the details come out...

• March 25, 2008

  11:47 a.m.

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  Heidi writes:

  Shaupeen, you probably have a point.
  And UncleBuck, was that comment directed at me? Because my comment about players being locked in a cell was sarcastic. I fully understand what it is like to be competitive and doing stupid, rambunctious things. But I wasn't a paid professional.

• March 25, 2008

  11:52 a.m.

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  Diff writes:

  UncleBuck - Are not you doing exactly what you are complaining about others doing? being critical of those who are critical of others. ???
  OR .... is your life perfect?

  Most Pro athletes are over paid and babied like 5 year olds when it comes to taking responsibility for their actions!
  There life's are much less perfect than most - and I'll be as critical as I want of anyone I want - and especially those in the public eye who think they are priveledged and better than the rest of us.

• March 25, 2008

  11:59 a.m.

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  princess writes:

  Shaupeen do you mean to tell me you have never wrestled with a family member? Please give me a break. Im a little 5ft chick and have wrestled with my little brother who is twice my size and I accidently broke his arm. Brandon got in no trouble. He was simply having fun with family. It happens but I don't think people should throw him under the bus for actually being with family and having fun instead of getting drunk doing drugs and many other things that players are getting in trouble for. What if he was really telling the truth? People don't need to throw someone under the bus for their past. Its in the past and needs to stay there.

• March 25, 2008

  12:01 p.m.

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  Heidi writes:

  princess, do you have a fear of busses?

• March 25, 2008

  12:07 p.m.

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  McGowdog writes:

  So who beat his AGHGHGHGHGHG$$? His brother?

  Sign HIM up and can Marshall and his big mouf.

• March 25, 2008

  12:12 p.m.

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  princess writes:

  Heidi, Nope no fear of busses but driving next to semi trucks does scare the hell out of me. The drivers swerve all over the place they don't look to see if your next to them before making a lane change so I avoid them usually by speeding past them. I just don't think its fair to Brandon that people want his head after doing something 9 times out of 10 we have all done before.

• March 25, 2008

  12:22 p.m.

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  RickyLee writes:

  Lose, donkeys, lose.

• March 25, 2008

  12:26 p.m.

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  Shaupeen writes:

  LOL Heidi! And princess, like I said before, just wait until ALL the details come out. We haven't heard everything yet--just what the bronco P. R. machine wants us to hear. And if it actually happened as they say it did (very doubtful, but still possible), then I will happily listen while you say "I told you so."

• March 25, 2008

  12:29 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  ColoNative writes:

  Don't blame shanny. This is the fault of George W. Bush. Everything else is W's fault, so why not this?

  If a little bit of burger trash is creating such a tripping hazard, then it is no wonder the Broncos are doing so poorly on the field.

• March 25, 2008

  12:47 p.m.

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  princess writes:

  Shaupeen I give people the benefit of the doubt unless proven otherwise so if I am wrong I will admit it.

• March 25, 2008

  12:51 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Heidi writes:

  princess,
  yes, those semi's are scary! I am afraid I will get a speeding ticket some day trying to pass them! And speeding is something we are probably all guilty of at one time or another.

• March 25, 2008

  12:59 p.m.

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  Big_D writes:

  He should have just said he cut his arm in an undisclosed location and required some medical attention. Hasn't he learned anything from Cheney? I thought Mike and the 7 and 9 Broncos were big Bushies and attended all the strategy talks. What are they some kind of sellouts that only support the GOP because they are rich and want the middle class to pay all the taxes?

• March 25, 2008

  1:17 p.m.

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  princess writes:

  Heidi I am glad I am not the only one. My husband makes fun of me for it, and Im guilty of speeding but have never gotten a ticket in my life.....yet!!!!

• March 25, 2008

  1:44 p.m.

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  Shaupeen writes:

  My point exactly princess! Unfortunately, the broncos have "proven otherwise." A lot.

  And you ought to watch out with the speeding--real people like you and me actually have to suffer consequences when we break the law. Unless you're a professional athlete, you will eventually get a ticket.

• March 25, 2008

  2:25 p.m.

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  princess writes:

  Shaupeen it hasn't been proven otherwise so I still say it was all fun and games and he got hurt. If the day comes and I get pulled over for speeding I will flirt my way out of it.

• March 25, 2008

  2:26 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  southpaw writes:

  This is all Shanny's fault!!! If he wouldn't have set Javon Walker up to fail, Marshall wouldn't have been the number one receiver, and wouldn't have gone on vacation, and wouldn't have gotten into a wrestling match with a family member, and wouldn't have lied about it...

  ~Bernie Linnicome

• March 25, 2008

  3:25 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Spidey writes:

  Heck, I think Broncos would need to have FIVE Rod Smiths... no selfish, no ego and trouble-free there...

• March 25, 2008

  5:22 p.m.

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  raysmom writes:

  southpaw- would that be the same Bernie Lincicome who wrote the article the week before the SuperBowl about "Eli the Lesser" ruining the Superbowl with his inadequacy? I had a great big laugh about THAT one! These football players are big boys with big salaries provided by fans, and they had better start growing up- Shanahan is their coach, not their Mommy, Bernie, you doofus!

• March 25, 2008

  6:10 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  sickandtired writes:

  Misterbigge, good point! lol ... although it's looking as if just getting him on the field and keeping him there is going to be a full-time job for someone ...

  Millertime, what's so hard to believe about it is this: It's certainly beginning to look as though trouble finds Brandon Marshall. Sooner or later, the realization has to hit that he's bringing it on himself.

  Maybe it's no big deal, exactly what he says happened, happened. And maybe physically this won't hurt him much.

  But surely I'm not alone in wondering, what's it gonna be next time?

• March 25, 2008

  7:54 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Shaupeen writes:

  Ha! Curse you and your cleavage, princess!! (But good for you ;)

• March 25, 2008

  8:49 p.m.

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  TD30 writes:

  Its kind of pathetic how you people are so judgemental towards something that happened in his own personal life. He was wrestling and horseplaying, who gives a crap. Ive broken plenty of things while horseplaying. Its not a big deal, get over it, get over yourselves.

• March 25, 2008

  9:28 p.m.

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  princess writes:

  Why are you cursing me and my girls Shaupeen. I said I would flirt my way out of it not show off my goods you can flirt in a classy way and not be sleezy about it. Im not going to hurry and put on lip gloss and pull my shirt down for him to see my girls and act like I don't know why I got pulled over. Well maybe I would play dumb for a moment but the rest I wouldn't do I have too much class and self-respect. But on with the story. How long do I have to wait until I can say I told you so? :)

• March 25, 2008

  11:32 p.m.

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  Shaupeen writes:

  The cursing was all in jest, princess. Actually, I think I had baby Stewie's voice in my head as I typed that...but it was meant to be funny, not offensive to you or the girls.

• March 26, 2008

  6:11 a.m.

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  princess writes:

  I was just giving you a hard time. I took no offense to it and neither did my girls.