FanHouse Travis Henry

Here's to hoping LaMont Jordan makes the Denver Broncos roster. New head coach Josh McDaniels brought in just about every available free agent running back this offseason to compete for a handful of spots.

And in light of the recent news that the Mirage hotel and casino in Las Vegas has sued Jordan over allegations that he owes them $20,000 in gambling debts, well, he could probably use the steady paycheck.

Via the Las Vegas Sun:

In his seven-year NFL career, Travis Henry rushed for more than 1,350 yards three times. After stints in Buffalo and Tennessee, his last carry came with the Broncos in 2007.

Then-coach Mike Shanahan explained that Henry was released less than a year after the Broncos signed him because the running back lacked commitment. Maybe at his day job, but that certainly wasn't the case in all aspects of Henry's life; in March we learned that he had 11 kids by 10 women, so he's clearly committed to something.

As it turns out, his astounding ability to procreate is the least of his worries, even though there was a time, after signing a five-year, $25 million deal, when he couldn't afford to make his child support payments (although, oddly, it didn't prevent him from dropping $250K on jewelry).

I hate to make light of someone with multiple kids, especially if they're not available to take care of them all.

But Travis Henry has 11 kids.

He's done multiple interviews in the last few years saying he wants to take care of the kids. The last time Henry was in Dallas, though, he attended a Pacman Jones party -- then a few days later, he got popped by police.

Henry is in jail for some issues. Like I said, I'm not making light of things, just trying to figure out how somebody can be this socially irresponsible.

---

---

Randy Moss is the best wide receiver in the NFL. For different reasons, Al Davis, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have a lot to do with that. But before his professional football career, Moss was a legit basketball player, too.

He was twice named Mr. Basketball in West Virginia, and even contemplated the two-sport route at one point. So when he says LeBron James could play in the NFL, I believe him. And not just suit up George Plimpton style, either. Moss thinks LeBron, an All-Ohio wideout in high school, would dominate.

It seemed Braylon Edwards had weathered the worst of it. Speculation had the Browns trading him out of Cleveland by draft weekend, yet four days later, he's still on the roster.

Maybe head coach Eric Mangini thought Edwards could find his '07 Pro Bowl form (maybe). Or perhaps general manager George Kokonis scared off potential suitors by asking for too much in return (more likely).

After I wrote this morning about former NFL running back Travis Henry, saying he has nine children by nine different women, I was informed that I was mistaken.

The sad, pathetic story of Travis Henry, who went from a multimillionaire NFL star to a man who can't pay his bills and may spend most of his life behind bars, has been well documented. But a new profile of Henry in the New York Times may do the best job yet of explaining how Henry got where he is.

Former Bills, Titans and Broncos running back Travis Henry, who has nine children with nine different women, was shot down by a judge on Thursday when he went to court in an effort to have his child support reduced.

Just think, there was a time when the Broncos thought Travis Henry was the worst thing that could ever happen to their running game. Turns out the Henry era was only the precursor for the unit's complete collapse this season. Peyton Hillis will miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury, which makes him the sixth Bronco running back to go down to injury this season.

Hillis became the latest name in the pantheon of "unknowns who Mike Shanahan plugged in successfully." He was a seventh-rounder on a team loaded with backs but ran for 305 yards and five touchdowns over the last four weeks.

Michael Pittman, Anthony Aldridge, Andre Hall and Ryan Torain are already out for the season. Selvin Young, the starter at the outset of the season, has played in just one of the last eight games because of a groin injury. Given all those players, its amazing that Hillis even made the team and lasted long enough to help them over the last month

That leaves Tatum Bell, one-time Bronco starter and scourge of the Lions locker room, and P.J. Pope as the only healthy running backs in the Rockies. The Broncos did give wide receiver Eddie Royal three carries yesterday, so perhaps they'll be creative in filling the need. Or, more likely, they'll just put even more on Jay Cutler's shoulders.

The Lord works in mysterious ways. Tatum Bell, released by the Lions prior to the season for being a better luggage thief than running back, now finds himself back in the league. And all it took was for the Broncos to lose 25 running backs to injured reserve.

Denver originally selected Bell in the second round of the 2004 draft, but traded him to the Lions last year in a deal that brought cornerback Dre' Bly to the Broncos. During the '07 season, Bell played in only five games and rushed for 182 yards, and then, after turning to a life of crime some eight months later, the team cut ties with him.

Desperate times and whatnot have forced the Broncos to re-sign Bell, and NFL.com's Adam Schefter reports that there's a pretty good chance he'll play this weekend against the Falcons. Apparently, Mike Shanahan has less confidence in a Peyton Hillis-featured running attack than I do.

Unlike Daunte Culpepper and Ty Law, two players recently signed after extended layoffs, Bell won't take long to get up to speed because this is his second tour with the Broncos. And more importantly, as Gretz points out, he's also "familiar with the locker room and, you know, where all the guys keep their luggage."

Amen to that. Now let's all pray for Travis Henry.