Finally, after more than three years of waiting and wondering, Gaston Green had his chance. The Denver Broncos running back had scored the first rushing touchdown of his NFL career, and now came his opportunity to celebrate.
Would he spike the ball? Would he throw it into the stands?"I don't remember what I did," Green said.
Green probably doesn't remember what he did after his five-yard touchdown run last Sunday against San Diego because there were more to follow. He later galloped 63 yards for a score, then capped the day with a 20-yard touchdown in the Broncos' 27-19 victory.
Maybe he'll come up with a routine by Sunday night if he scores a touchdown when the Broncos (3-1) face the Vikings (2-2) at the Metrodome. Maybe he's just out of practice, since his only previous NFL touchdowns had come on a pass reception and a kickoff return during the 1990 season with the Los Angeles Rams.
That's a far cry from his college days at UCLA, where he became the Bruins' all-time leading rusher. Although he was a first-round draft pick of the Rams in 1988, Green spent most of the next three years sitting on the bench. He started only three times, and he rushed for only 451 yards before being traded to the Broncos on draft day last April.
Green has rushed for 360 yards this year, ranking third in the AFC and sixth in the NFL in yards gained. He had 127 yards on 24 carries against San Diego, 92 yards in 25 attempts against Seattle and 116 yards in 24 tries against Cincinnati.
"It's been like a new life for me," Green said. "At first, I thought I was going into the same kind of situation I had with the Rams. Denver had Bobby Humphrey, an All-Pro, and I thought I was going to be his backup and not get to play much."
Humphrey became embroiled in a contract dispute and isn't playing, so Green has taken over as the starter. And he's making the most of his opportunity.
Coach Dan Reeves is as euphoric as Green over how the situation has worked out. But Reeves isn't laying claim to being a genius for making the trade.
"I wish I could take credit for being that smart," Reeves said. "But we were really looking for a way to help Gerald Perry (the offensive lineman who went to the Rams). He needed a new place to play, and we were just looking to pick up some draft choices, not necessarily players. We thought Gaston could be a backup for us behind Bobby."
Perry, an offensive tackle, had been in several encounters with the law in Colorado and was a liability for the Broncos. The Rams acquired Perry and a 12th-round choice for Green and a fourth-round pick.
"It's hard to measure what Gaston has meant to the team," Reeves said. "But he's been tremendous."