ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Eleven months is a long time. It felt like an empty eternity for Broncos receiver K.J. Hamler after he underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee and a dislocated hip that required pins to fix. Hamler retreated to a dark place, lonely in rehabilitation and inconsolable following the death of his grandmother Ethel Gooding.
Therapy, family and faith have brought him full circle. Hamler will play on Saturday night against the Minnesota Vikings for the first time since suffering devastating injuries against the New York Jets on Sept. 26. Denver7 spoke exclusively with Hamler following Thursday's practice after it was revealed he would face the Vikings, his inspirational recovery reaching another mile marker.
"It's a blessing man, just being able to see where I first started until now. Just getting out on that field is going to be an amazing, amazing accomplishment for me," said Hamler, who lost 40 pounds following surgery, but added it all back with muscle while working out with Broncos strength and conditioning coach Loren Landow.
"I haven't played ball in a year. So it's just about going out there and getting a feel for it again."
Hamler, 23, enters his third season with a healthy perspective, but lofty expectations. The Broncos drafted him in the second round three years ago to create lightning strike plays with his speed. He remains a blur in practice. Now it's about seeing it translate to a game.
"I want to prove that I've still got it. Go out there and do what I need to do, do what I was born to do, what I was trained to do," said the former Penn State standout. "I want to just go out there and play ball. Being back out there, that's the most amazing part about it."
Because of injuries, Hamler has been limited to 35 catches for 455 yards and three touchdowns in his career, including a game-winner vs. the Chargers. As such, spraying a little WD-40 on the legs on Saturday cannot hurt.
"You want to get him started, you want to get his confidence back. He has been in a controlled setting this whole time," Broncos offensive coordinator Justin Outten said. "He's eager, man. He's revving to go. We are excited to see him back between the white lines."
Footnotes
Quarterback Brett Rypien will start the preseason finale against the Vikings. He said he has learned to "take nothing for granted" in the NFL. He is vying for the backup job with Josh Johnson, who started the first two preseason contests. Johnson is considered to have the edge, though Rypien closed the gap with his strong outing against the Bills. ... The Broncos added linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel and waived linebacker Barrington Wade with an injury settlement after he hurt his elbow in practice this week.
