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All Healthy Hands On Deck For Broncos

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Oct 15, 2008 10:25 am US/Mountain

All Healthy Hands On Deck For Broncos

Players Who Were Cut From The Team Get Another Chance

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Reporting
Gary Miller
DENVER (CBS4) ― The Broncos don't quite have a help wanted sign hanging outside their Dove Valley facility, but it's close.

Football injuries are an unfortunate fact of life in the NFL, but everyone knows that when someone goes down, his replacement is expected to step right in and get the job done.

Tight end Chad Mustard was just about ready to start his second career as a teacher in Nebraska before starter Tony Scheffler got hurt and the Broncos called him up.

"I saw (Scheffler) come up lame there at the end of the game and I thought, 'Maybe it's just a tweak or something' ... I thought he'd be alright."

Mustard has been waived and then signed again multiple times by the Denver Broncos. That's been his situation since he started in the NFL (He played for Cleveland and Carolina before being a Bronco).

"Hopefully while I'm here I can contribute and hopefully once (Scheffler) is back I can stay," he said.

Obviously the pay as a pro football player is far more lucrative than a teacher's salary, so for Mustard hanging around and being ready to play throughout all these years has paid off.

Glenn Martinez got cut from the team before the season started and was getting used to his second career -- a cleaning business -- but then the Broncos special teams and wide receiver units started to get a little thin.

He rejoined the Broncos roster earlier this month, happily leaving his day job behind, at least for a little while.

"Me and my brothers, we opened up a family business -- a window and carpet cleaning business. My brothers have been doing it for 6 or 7 years."

Martinez got some playing time on Sunday at wide receiver with Eddie Royal being out and Brandon Stokely getting a concussion, and he's been returning kicks for the team. He nearly broke one long return for a touchdown against the Jaguars.

Does Martinez think playing football is more fun than his family business?

"Oh yeah."

Tight end Nate Jackson reflected on the chances unheralded athletes can get in the NFL when they fill in for players who get injured.

"Every week on every single team this is happening," Jackson said. "Guys get opportunities in unexpected ways but you have to take advantage of them."

Long snapper and tight end Mike Leach said that this is the time during the NFL season when a team's depth really starts to pay off.

"The great Patrick Hape (a relative unknown Bronco) once told me 'The more you can do, the more they make you do and the less you get paid.' So I'm ready."

With Martinez, Leach and Mustard in the lineup at this midway point in the season, it's possible the hero in some upcoming game could be the long snapper, the teacher or even the carpet cleaner on the Broncos roster.

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