ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -Forget Rudi Johnson’s swiped luggage. In Mike Shanahan’s eyes, Tatum Bell carries no baggage.
“I judge Tatum by what he’s done here. Tatum did a great job for me,” the Denver Broncos coach Wednesday said after signing Bell to a one-year deal 2 1/2 months after his ignominious departure from Detroit.
Bell, who was captured on camera removing two Gucci bags belonging to his successor when he was released by the Lions on Sept. 2, said he’s patched things up with Johnson, with whom he shares an agent.
He did acknowlege, though, that he feared the embarassing incident had spelled the end of his NFL career before the Broncos came calling this week.
Bell was drafted by the Broncos in 2004 and spent three seasons with them before being traded to Detroit in 2007 in the deal that brought cornerback Dre’ Bly to Denver.
five of their tailbacks, four of them for the season, leaving rookie fullback Peyton Hillis as the last man standing in their battered backfield.
Shanahan has made high character a point of emphasis this season, jettisoning the likes of Travis Henry and Todd Sauerbrun, who ran afoul of both the law and the league.
So, how does the signing of Bell jibe with this philosophy?
“I’m judging Tatum by how he handled himself when he was a Denver Bronco and my relationship with him over the time he’s been here, not (on) all the accusations … over there,” Shanahan said. “If I didn’t know him personally, he would not be here. But since I do know him and I know what he’s done for me, that’s the reason why he is here.”
Bell had one forgettable season in Detroit, rushing just 44 times for 182 yards. The biggest news he made with the Lions came when Johnson, the running back who replaced him on the Lions roster, said Bell took luggage belonging to him from team headquarters.
Johnson said the team’s security director showed him footage of Bell taking two Gucci bags that Johnson had received as a Pro Bowl gift. Johnson said a woman returned the bags to the practice facility without their contents, including $200, his ID and credit cards. Johnson spoke with Bell afterward but didn’t involve police in the matter.
appreciate Shanahan giving me another chance, because of all the stuff I went through in Detroit, you know, not having too much success and then the incident with the bag. Him giving me another chance meant a lot to me,” Bell said.
So, what exactly happened with Johnson’s bags anyway?
“Oh, just a misunderstanding,” Bell said. “I talked to Rudi, we put it behind us and moved on and left everything in Detroit. Now I’m here in Denver and looking to move forward.”
He declined to go into specifics.
“No, no, just leave it at that. It was just a misunderstanding between me and Rudi, and with the Lions. Like I said, we’ve moved on from there,” Bell said.
It’s something a lot of players apparently can laugh about now.
Bell said center Tom Nalen, who is on injured reserve, gave him grief when he walked back into the Broncos’ locker room Wednesday, telling him, “Let me check your pockets!”
“So, it’s all fun and jokes,” Bell said.
Bell even acknowledged that he gave former teammate Roy Williams, now with the Cowboys, permission to dress up as him at the Lions’ annual Halloween party last month. Williams dressed up in a bellhop uniform with a “Hello, my name is Tatum Bell” name tag and a Louis Vitton bag with Johnson’s tag on it.
of the NFL until Shanahan gave him a second chance.
“The Broncos know who I am and I’m not anything like that, so I’m happy to be back,” Bell said.
During his time away from football, Bell worked as a manager at a cell phone store in nearby Aurora.
“I had a job at the mall, man, just supporting my family, doing what I could do,” Bell said, adding the experience helped him become a better man. “I think it helped me mature and respect the real world. Now, I’ve really got a lot more respect for people that work 9-to-5.”
Back in the Broncos’ backfield, Bell is providing quarterback Jay Cutler with a measure of relief.
“He’s got a lot of speed, understands the offense, familiar with our lingo and terminology,” Cutler said. “He should be able to step in and be an immediate impact, hopefully.”
Bell, who ran with the scout team Wednesday, has to get back into game shape quickly.
“The scheme’s still the same,” he said. “They’ve got to get used to me and I’ve got to get used to them. That comes from practice.”
But he doesn’t think it’ll take long to regain his old form.
“I’m extra hungry to go out and prove myself to my coaches, my teammates and everybody else,” he said.
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