FAMILIAR GROUND
RB Forsett has played for Kubiak
“H e don’t make the law. He Justin Forsett.”
That’s the inside-joke Twitter avatar of the Broncos’ newest running back, with a photo of him in a state trooper uniform. Forsett was signed Monday off the NFL’s waiver wire to replace the injured Kapri Bibbs and he arrived at Dove Valley with, as Gary Kubiak said, “a lot of juice.”
Forsett, 31, in his ninth NFL season, returned to familiar ground with the Broncos, even if he’s never played for them. Through stints with the Seahawks, Texans and Ravens, Forsett played with several current or former Broncos coaches, including Kubiak, Gregg Knapp, Rick Dennison and Alex Gibbs. And he played in college at California with fellow running back C.J. Anderson, the Broncos No. 1 back who is out for the season with a knee injury.
After sweeping into Dove Valley, Forsett talked with reporters about his arrival in Denver. Q: How relieved are you that it worked out you’re in Denver? A: It’s a godsend. I’m extremely excited to be here with this organization and be among family. Q: Did you talk to C.J. Anderson when you got here? A: Definitely. He was one of the first guys to reach out to me. We went to Cal together, played with each other, and I’d come back in the offseason and work out with him, try to show him the ropes. It’s good to be here with him. Q: Why does the Gary Kubiak offensive scheme work so well for you? A: I’ve spent a lot of time in it, a lot of reps. My first introduction with that system was way back with Greg Knapp (former Seahawks coordinator, now Broncos quarterbacks coach) in Seattle, way back in my second year in the league. And I got a lot of tutelage under Alex Gibbs (former Broncos assistant), who was big in this offense. And then I went to Kubiak in Houston and I’ve kinda been with it ever since. Q: How are you physically? Can you take 10-12 carries on Sunday? A: Oh yeah. My thing is, over my whole career, you never know when your opportunity will come. But you can control how you prepare for that moment. That’s been my mindset all year, to be prepared for the moment when it came. And now I’m ready. Q: You must have known there would be interest in someone picking you up. Did you know ahead of time the Broncos were interested? A: I was having dinner with my wife and two boys. We knew when the deadline was, on 4 o’clock (ET) Monday. So we were waiting on a call. And to hear that Denver claimed me, we were excited. I was hoping (the Broncos would call). When I came in this facility and saw familiar faces, coach Kubiak and Knapp and Rico (Broncos coordinator Rock Dennison) and all those guys, that’s family to me. I always wanted to be here. Q: What has been missing from the Denver running game that you can make up for? A: I don’t know. But I know my skill-set. Some of the versatility, being able to run routes out of the backfield, split out wide, run the ball in an outside and inside zone scheme. My thing is, I want to be a spark. That’s my objective. Q: That 2014 season, what went so well for you with Kubiak in Baltimore when he was the offensive coordinator? A: Just him believing in me, giving me an opportunity. I’m a guy who, when I come off the bus, I don’t wow you with appearance. I’m 5-foot-8, 197 pounds. Coach Kube doesn’t care. We had an experience with each other and he trusts me. We’ve had a lot of success. The terminology and everything, I’ve been with it maybe seven out of the nine years I’ve played in this league. So it’s familiar to me. I feel at home. And I still have a lot to give. Being here gives me that opportunity. Q: Kubiak keeps talking about your enthusiasm. He says you brought a lot of juice to the team. Do you feel like a spark? A: I’m enjoying the transition. It’s been fun getting back to familiar faces and a familiar playbook. There are a lot of leaders on this team. They’re very vocal on the field and in the locker room, encouraging guys. There is a lot of enthusiasm around here. Q: Sometimes fans think of football players like robots. But you’re very real on Twitter. It’s insightful hearing a running back say he has to take a break from football because his kids want to watch “Land Before Time.” A: That’s my little outlet. I enjoy it. It’s fun. That’s me, that’s all me. I don’t put on a show on social media. I just try to let people in and let them know what I’m doing. Find ways to be encouraging and maybe make people laugh at the same time.