Davis says he's back to old form

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By DARRELL FRY

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 29, 2001

Terrell Davis showed up at Broncos training camp last week and announced he plans to prove he's still the same punishing runner he was before injuries ruined his past two seasons.

Davis, who has missed 24 games the past two seasons because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in 1999 and an ankle/foot injury in 2000, scoffed at suggestions that he might be washed up or not as durable as before, saying he has had to prove himself throughout his career "over and over and over and over."

Mind you, early in camp Davis was slowed by an old hamstring injury, but he took part in both workouts Saturday.

"People are going to talk. That's just the way it is," said Davis, who rushed for 2,008 yards in 1998. "It's going to be fun to come back and be presented with this challenge. I look forward to it."

Except for the hamstring, which isn't serious, Davis, who turns 29 in October, said he should be as healthy as he has been in a long time and feels he's ready to reaffirm his place as the primary ball carrier. He's competing in camp with Olandis Gary and Mike Anderson, both 1,000-yard rushers.

But there's talk that the Broncos won't keep all three, although Davis' place is safe.

WHO ARE YOU CALLING OVERWEIGHT?: If you want to get yourself in big trouble, ask the Bears' 380-pound tackle, Ted Washington, about his weight.

Every day in camp players are being fined by the team $188 for every pound over their prescribed playing weight, but there have been no reports on how much Washington has had to pay because reporters are afraid to ask him.

In fact, coach Dick Jauron is a little apprehensive about it, too.

"As you all realize, Ted's a lot bigger than I am, and if he's sensitive about his weight with (the media), do you think I'm going to ask that question?" the coach said.

RUBBING BEN GAY THE RIGHT WAY: One of the stories of the year -- in addition to the comeback of New England's Robert Edwards -- could be the comeback of Cleveland running back Ben Gay.

Gay was a Texas high school superstar, who was loosely compared to Bo Jackson until he faded in college, bouncing between Baylor and Garden City (Texas) Community College and later the Canadian Football League.

He's now in the Browns' camp, a sleek 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, and has shown flashes of his old self. He's wearing Jackson's old number, 34.

"It seems like every year there's a story like this," Browns vice president of football operations Dwight Clark said. "But this to me is more intriguing than any I've been involved with, just because he was such a great high school player and then nobody knew what happened to him. He's such a mystery."

If nothing else, he ought to wind up in a few commercials for the rubbing cream (Ben Gay) that shares its name with him.

TAKING IT LIKE A MAN: There are a lot of not-so-nice things you can say about Kerry Collins. He was a drunk. A coward. A quitter. And on and on.

But give the guy credit for not sticking his head in the sand since his awful Super Bowl performance last season at Raymond James Stadium. Remember his five interceptions?

Well, not only has Collins talked openly about his poor play that day, but he named his new puppy "Fiver Interception Collins."

"Certainly, I wish I played better and it was a great opportunity, but it didn't work out," Collins said. "But now, I'm at the point where I think back to all of last season, and there were a lot of encouraging things that happened. So I'm not going to let that one game take away from the good things we did last year."'

The Chesapeake Bay Retriever was born on Super Bowl Sunday.

DID YOU KNOW?: When comedian Dennis Miller made his Monday Night Football debut at last year's Hall of Fame preseason game, it was the first time he attended an NFL game since he was 7.

- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

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