Run, Travis Henry, run.
The game today against the Oakland Raiders may be the last time Henry runs for a while.
There is now fear among Broncos officials that a delay in the NFL’s ruling on Henry’s alleged positive marijuana test is an ominous sign.
The case, once considered extremely complicated, has now become an emotional swing. The NFL says Henry’s urine sample taken Aug. 27 had a reading of 21 nanograms of THC, the primary chemical in marijuana. The league’s threshold on a positive test is 15 nanograms.
During Henry’s appeal hearing Nov. 16 in Phoenix, his attorneys argued evidence of dehydration and ratio readings of other natural chemicals should have reduced Henry’s THC level to 11 nanograms. The running back also submitted a clean hair follicle and polygraph test to help prove his innocence.
The league was expected to rule on Henry’s appeal Tuesday, but it may have been tabled when it was learned Washington safety Sean Taylor had died from a gunshot wound.
Henry returned to practice Wednesday from a knee injury that had sidelined him the previous three weeks. The Broncos were told Wednesday by a league official there would not be a ruling on Henry’s case during the week.
A ruling is now expected to be announced Monday or Tuesday.
Rotating running backs. If Henry is suspended next week, the Broncos will likely use a tailback rotation of Selvin Young and Andre Hall. Young returns after missing last week’s game at Chicago with a knee injury. Although, Hall will miss the Raiders’ game because of a high ankle sprain, he says he will return next week as preparations for the game against Kansas City get under way.
The Broncos may also interchange Henry and Young against the Raiders because neither is completely healthy.
“I would say I’m at about 80 percent,” Henry said.
Remembering yesterday’s heroes. Kansas City offensive lineman Kyle Turley pledged his Dec. 23 game check to the Gridiron Greats Fund, the Green Bay-based organization that benefits former players in dire need.
Turley and the Gridiron Greats issued letters and a pledge form to all Broncos players Friday.
“It was a great gesture on Kyle’s part,” Broncos safety John Lynch said. “He said, ‘I’m not asking for a full paycheck’ but he would like to see us do what we can. I think you’ll see a good response.”
Foxworth the man. A group of local business and community leaders nominated defensive back Domonique Foxworth as the Broncos’ 2007 Walter Payton NFL man of the year candidate. A Broncos player has won the award once — John Elway in 1992.
Foxworth says he believes true philanthropy has volunteerism, not just a wallet, at its base.
“Time is one thing you can never regain,” Foxworth said. “No matter how much money you donate, you always have a chance to gain it back. But if you give a lot of time, you never get those seconds, minutes, hours or days back, so it shows your true commitment to a good cause.”
Hackney arrested. Broncos third-string quarterback Darrell Hackney was arrested for investigation of drunken driving early Saturday in Englewood, police said.
Hackney, 24, was pulled over by a police officer for suspicion of drunken driving at 2:20 a.m., said Brad Johnson, Englewood police spokesman.
“There was probable cause to take him into custody for DUI,” Johnson said.
He was taken to the Englewood Police Department, where he was processed and then released into the custody of a sober third party.
A Broncos spokesman declined to comment.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell contributed to this report
