DENVER — Nearly nine months have passed since Alex Singleton tore his anterior cruciate ligament, and as the moment of his return during training camp nears, he finds that even some of the mundane aspects of football stir him.
“So even just two weeks ago, we got our helmets fitted — [and] you get emotional,” he said.
It’s what happens when you have an injury that provides a brush with career mortality. Especially for a player like Singleton, who took the road less traveled to the NFL, detouring through the Canadian Football League. He didn’t make his NFL regular-season debut until nearly five years after he concluded his college career at Montana State.
“Every step, you get excited and a little emotional about it and just kind of push through,” He said. “But, yeah, I’m really excited to get going with the guys and excited to just continue to just take those steps to get you back on the table.”
The circumstances of Singleton’s injury last year at Tampa Bay were odd. He knew he did something to his knee on the sixth play of the Broncos’ Week 3 win over the Buccaneers; he just didn’t know what it was.
He played on, unaware. Discomfort and swelling set in afterward.
Three days later, he was still with the Broncos when they practiced at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. Singleton recalled how a Broncos public-relations staffer quickly guided him back inside the training facility there so media wouldn’t see him watching practice, as word of the linebacker’s torn ACL hadn’t broken yet.
Of course, there was another potential hazard at the plush — but remote — resort.
“It’s not crutch- or ACL-torn-friendly,” Singleton said. “So there were times if it was haunted, I would have been the one that got attacked.”
But that trip passed without incident, and the Broncos subsequently returned home for a fortnight. Then he missed the trip to New Orleans while he underwent surgery; he didn’t travel to Baltimore and Kansas City in early November while he recuperated.
Still, Singleton was a presence.
“Sean (Payton) kind of forced me to be around, which I’m thankful for now,” Singleton said.
In Week 12 at Las Vegas, the 32-year-old veteran returned to the road.
“That was really good for my mental health,” Singleton said. “The coaches kind of relied on me, which was nice. You see a lot of guys sometimes get pushed to the side, and I didn’t have that.
“And our training staff is great, so, I was taken care of in the building. So, everything from the Broncos, what they were able to do for me meant a lot and meant the world. So, I’ve been here the entire time. And why I feel like I’m on schedule so, I’ll be back out there when I’m supposed to be.”
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SINGLETON HELPED RAISE MONEY FOR FREEDOM SERVICE DOGS
The veteran linebacker spoke as part of Healthy Swings, an annual charity home-run derby held at Coors Field by UCHealth to raise money for Freedom Service Dogs, an organization which trains and provides dogs for veterans and first responders with PTSD or traumatic brain injury, as well as individuals with limited mobility or young people with autism.
It was scheduled to take place in front of at least 1,000 fans, but rain canceled it.
Nevertheless, a slew of Broncos players joined Singleton to interact with including defensive end Zach Allen, edge rusher Jonathon Cooper, wide receivers Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims Jr. and Courtland Sutton, kicker Wil Lutz, cornerbacks Damarri Mathis, Ja’Quan McMillian and Pat Surtain II, running back Jaleel McLaughlin, guard Quinn Meinerz and tight end Adam Trautman.
The conditions didn’t prevent $175,000 from being raised for Freedom Service Dogs.
Seeing the canines at work Thursday night blew Singleton, one of the most-charity-minded Broncos, away.
“The fact that these dogs can pick up on cues of somebody — it was really cool to learn and pretty incredible,” Singleton said. “The dogs behaved a lot better than mine!
“And just seeing some of them in the back with their handlers it’s really cool and it’s really special.”
“… To give [people] a companion that can help them 24/7, it’s really special. It’s really cool.”
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