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Broncos Sign 2nd Round Pick Eddie Royal

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Jul 24, 2008 5:15 pm US/Mountain

Broncos Sign 2nd Round Pick Eddie Royal

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By Pat Graham, AP Sports Writer
DENVER (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: Eddie Royal
Pete Eklund, Denver Broncos Football Club

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The Denver Broncos announced the signing of their second round draft pick Eddie Royal on Thursday.

The team has now signed eight of their nine draft selections from the 2008 NFL Draft.

Royal is expected to be a key player on the Broncos punt and kickoff return special teams units.

Royal, of Virginia Tech, 5-9 5/8, 184, is an excellent kick returner and is expected to compete for the starting role right away in training camp.

Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan said he was excited to learn that Royal was available at No. 42 in the draft. The team had earlier drafted offensive tackly Ryan Clady with the No. 12 position, another player they were looking to to fill a need.

"We were hoping we'd get these two guys," Shanahan said. "It's never happened that way."

Clady remains the only drafted player unsigned by the Broncos.

Royal On Appreciation

Royal takes nothing in life for granted, a lesson he learned following the massacre on his campus in April 2007.

"I appreciate everything," said Royal, who was taken by Denver with the 42nd pick.

Royal was in his apartment, getting ready to head onto campus, when he saw the news of the shooting on television.

"It felt like a movie. You didn't really want to believe that it was happening," Royal said. "It was a crazy feeling and it's something you don't want to ever relive."

Royal said that playing football again on Sept. 1 against East Carolina helped in the healing process for him, his teammates and the university.

"You saw a lot of tears in the stadium, but it was good to get people's minds off everything," Royal said.

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