ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Chastened by his abrupt release in the spring by Seattle and a pending league-imposed suspension, running back LenDale White went out of his way Thursday to publicly thank coach Josh McDaniels and the Denver Broncos organization for signing him.
“I’m definitely fortunate,” White said after taking part in Thursday’s training camp practice, a day after his signing. “I’m humbled and I thank God I’m out here. I’m just going to keep doing everything I can to get better.”
White was added to shore up the Broncos’ depth and experience after injuries to Knowshon Moreno (hamstring) and Correll Buckhalter (stinger) not only indefinitely stripped the team of its top two running backs but put the ball in the hands of a cadre of youngsters with little or no NFL background at the height of training camp.
A former first-round pick of Tennessee who was traded to Seattle after Chris Johnson’s emergence with the Titans, White must serve a four-game suspension to start the season for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. However, he is eligible to take part in camp and play in exhibition games.
McDaniels has said White has a clean slate as far as he’s concerned and he’ll be judged going forward on his actions with the Broncos, a gesture White appreciated.
“Coach told me I can create my own goals here, I can create whatever I do on the field,” White said. “Hopefully everything will work out.”
A prep standout in Denver before starring at Southern Cal, White said he intends to make the most of his second chance and vowed to stay out of trouble.
“I want to play football. I want to be out here,” he said “This is my love. This is my passion. I want to do this for the rest of my career so I’m going to stay away from everything negative and do whatever I have to do to play.”
He’ll have his family behind him.
“My mom is ecstatic,” White said. “She cried. My grandma would have loved this if she was still here. I’m glad I’m a Denver Bronco. This is where I want to be.”
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WILLIAMS’ DEBUT: Nose tackle Jamal Williams was activated from the physically unable to perform list Thursday and took part in his first practice since signing with the Broncos last spring as a free agent.
Williams, a Pro Bowl player previously with San Diego, tore his triceps in the Chargers’ opener a year ago and missed the rest of last season. He was released by San Diego over the winter.
“It’s been a while. I was knocking out the kinks but I’m glad to be out here,” Williams said. “It’s something special that we’re building here.”
Williams was one of the top nose tackles in the leagues in his 12 seasons with San Diego. He’ll be counted on to anchor the Broncos’ 3-4 defense, taking on double teams in the middle to free up tackling lanes for the linebackers.
“I’m happy to have him out here for the first time and look forward to many more practices with him,” Chargers cornerback Champ Bailey said. “Hopefully he stays healthy and does good things for us.”
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SLIP-AND-SLIDE: In a Broncos’ camp ritual, the team’s rookies got something of a mud bath before Thursday’s practice. With a fire hose used to water down a grassy slope, rookies got a running start and then slid down the muddy, soaked hill in their full uniforms. Then, dripping wet and with mud caked on them, they trotted off to practice.
It was all in fun and the rookies took it in stride, including quarterback Tim Tebow, who was the first to ride the sloppy wave.
“It actually felt good,” he said. “It felt like we were out there playing football, you know? At Florida, we played a lot of games in the mud, so I was used to it.”
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NEWCOMERS: The Broncos signed two free agent wide receivers, Patrick Carter and Britt Davis.
