The piercing eyes and fire red hair create squirms. And questions.
Linebackers create fear with hits, but art? Drawn on Danny Trevathan’s left pectoral, the possessed doll “Chucky” stares back at onlookers.
“I was scared of clowns as a little kid, but not Chucky. Chucky’s like my little brother,” Trevathan said Thursday of his newest tattoo. “I have seen every one of the movies. I wasn’t scared. I know they are kind of creepy. After awhile, you just catch on.”
For Trevathan, the ink provides a peek behind the curtain, explains why, after multiple knee injuries, he leads the Broncos in tackles. He remains strong in his faith, devoted to his daughter. When he pulls on his helmet, though, he undergoes a transformation. It’s too simple to say it’s “Child’s Play,” but Trevathan competes with a fervor of a kid trying to earn his varsity letter.
“I think I like Chucky because I am a defensive guy, an aggressive guy,” Trevathan said.
The scar on his left knee reveals how much he loves football and the challenge he faced at regaining a starting job. Poised for a Pro Bowl-caliber 2014 season, Trevathan wrecked his knee in training camp. He re-injured it twice during the regular season, requiring reconstructive surgery on his kneecap. Trevathan never doubted he would return, gaining confidence as he learned to trust pushing off his knee and stopping abruptly.
But at what level?
“I started to wonder if I could be my old self. It took some time, and it will still take some time. I am almost were I want to be,” said Trevathan, who has made 16 tackles, 13 unassisted. “The beginning has been encouraging. During games I don’t think about it. This defense is not hard, not hard at all. Be short with what you are doing and do it fast. If you mess up, do it at 100 miles per hour. I am getting there, but I am not satisfied. I am hungry.”
Trevathan approached rehab like an oncoming blocker. He knuckles under to no one. Life in the trainer’s room can be a lonely existence, creating a disconnect and loss of identity. Brandon Marshall, who flanks Trevathan at linebacker and spent time rehabbing his foot alongside his friend, saw a teammate determined to shape his future not wallow in the past.
“I always knew there was greatness in him, that he had the will and desire to come back. To me it looks like 2013 all over again,” Marshall said of the season Trevathan finished with a career-best 124 tackles. “We discussed about how we were going to play together again and have success. Our goal was to be premier players.”
The defense boasts a battery of stars, reflected in the statistics. The Broncos rank second in yards allowed (487) and takeways (seven). The concerns about Marshall and Trevathan’s recovery from injuries have quietly dissolved.
“For starters, Greek (trainer Steve Antonopulos) had a great plan for them. He kept them moving forward. They are peaking at the right time,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “Both are full go now. You are seeing two really good players, and the more they play together, it’s only going to get better.”
Beyond health, Trevathan and Marshall faced questions about their size in a 3-4 defense. They must be strong enough to shed blockers, but quick enough to guard running backs and tight ends in space. Marshall remains in the game on passing downs, logging 114 snaps, with Trevathan excelling against the running game, playing 70 snaps.
“Those guys back there are doing a good job of protecting us,” defensive end DeMarcus Ware said. “Danny has the most tackles, and he came and told me that. I told him, ‘you know, keep eating. You keep making those plays.’^”
It wasn’t that long ago, nine months, Trevathan navigated the locker room on crutches. His comeback offers shades of fearlessness. Perhaps not surprising for someone with a horror icon on his chest.
“There are not too many linebackers in the league stronger and more aggressive than us. That’s the type of player I am. I don’t care how big you are. I don’t care how wide you are, how physical you are and how you try to run people over,” Trevathan said. “You have to bring your game to play me. I am getting back to my mean self. I am ready for anybody who thinks they can come here and take me on.”
Troy E. Renck: trenck@denverpost.com or @troyrenck
