Tracking Torain
July 8th, 2008, 2:57 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Mark Heller
His senior season at Arizona State was derailed by injury, Ryan Torain has a chance to earn some valuable playing time in Denver come training camp. (Jennifer Grimes/Tribune)
All has been quiet on the Arizona State front since the football team announced it will stay in its new bubble in Tempe and go to Camp Tontozona for one scrimmage in August.
It’s a polarizing issue between upholding tradition, and the sights and sounds of Camp T, and competing in the college football arms race which comes with the Sun Devils’ new indoor facility. Many of you weighed into us with your thoughts from this news, which we always encourage and welcome.
But here’s a less controversial nugget. NFL training camps begin at the end of the month, so I wanted to pass along this story about Ryan Torain, who feels like he’s found a pot of gold by being picked in the fifth round by Denver, a haven for unheralded running backs under coach Mike Shanahan.
Most fifth-rounders rarely see the field, except in Denver, where Mike Anderson, Olandis Gary, Selvin Young and even former University of Arizona star Mike Bell thrived (for at least a while) after being second-day draftees.
Torain may be fourth on the depth chart heading into camp, but that, too, rarely seems to matter in the Mile High City.