Wrenching yelps abruptly quieted an intense Broncos practice Thursday morning.
Courtney Brown’s burst of agony hit home, encompassing four previous years of pain and frustration. It hit his new coaches, who were hoping a new home in Denver would be coupled with healthy fortune. It hit the coach who accompanied him from Cleveland, who has seen this too many times. It hit the likely candidate to replace him, who once suffered the same injury. It hit his agent, who has received this type of call about one his favorite people too often.
In an eerie and uneasy scene, Brown, a defensive end who came to Denver after missing 33 of 80 career games because of injury, dislocated his left elbow in a freak accident while finishing a running play. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said film showed a helmet connected with Brown’s elbow.
The team was relieved by the results of an MRI and expects Brown to miss three to four weeks. Shanahan said Brown could return by the team’s final exhibition game, Sept. 2 at Arizona. Shanahan said the injury is similar to one former Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe suffered in 2002 when he missed four games.
The drama of it all initially led to thoughts of the worst.
“I thought it was little more serious than that,” Shanahan said Thursday afternoon. “You never know, especially with a defensive lineman, because they’ve got to use those hands. At least we have a guy with a very similar situation in Shannon and hopefully it’s the same time frame.”
Brown, 27, was sent home Thursday afternoon. Shanahan said Brown will begin rehabilitation this morning.
Brown missed the final 14 games last season with a left foot injury and has had only one season – his rookie year in 2000 with Cleveland – uninterrupted by injury.
Denver signed Brown, the overall top pick in 2000, to a five-year contract in March.
“He’s a great guy and a great kid, and he’ll come back,” Denver defensive coordinator Larry Coyer said. “God’s going to bless him. He’s had too much bad stuff. He’ll come back. That guy is going to get a break, and he is going to be back. I know it.”
The top candidates to replace Brown in the preseason are Marco Coleman, Ebenezer Ekuban and John Engelberger. Coleman identifies with Brown. He missed four games with the same injury in 2001 while playing for Washington.
“I know from experience Courtney is in a lot of pain right now,” Coleman said. “He’s going to feel it.”
Brown’s agent, Marvin Demoff, wonders when his client will stop feeling the pain.
“It seems to be Courtney all the time, and it’s very difficult,” Demoff said. “He is such a good person to deal with, and he always has to mentally deal with these things. He’s the wrong person at the wrong time.”
The sight of Brown writhing in pain after another injury was unsettling. New Denver defensive tackles coach Andre Patterson coached Brown in Cleveland the past two years. Thursday morning’s scene was tough for Patterson to watch.
“I’ve seen him get hurt and run off the field and talk to me nice and calm and it be a serious injury, so I know it had to hurt him for it to be like that,” Patterson said.
Brown out
New Broncos defensive end Courtney Brown dislocated his left elbow in Thursday morning’s practice. He’s expected to be out three to four weeks. The injuries he has suffered since being the No. 1 overall pick by Cleveland in 2000:
Year, Injury, Games missed
2001 Right knee, 6
2001 Left ankle, 5
2002 Neck, 1
2002 Left knee, 4
2003 Right arm, 3
2004 Left foot, 14
Staff writer Bill Williamsoncan be reached at 303-820-5450 or bwilliamson@denverpost.com.
