How Many Chances did Todd Sauerbrun Expect?

Take every apology Todd Sauerbrun ever gave to fans and teammates, and every promise he made to coaches to stay on the straight and narrow, and throw them out the window.

Todd Sauerbrun doesn’t get it, never did, and apparently never will.

Yesterday the former Denver Broncos punter pleaded guilty to charges stemming from an altercation with a taxi cab driver that took place near the end of the 2007 season. The incident led to his release, upon which the Broncos claimed his belligerent behavior toward the police had more to do with his departure than anything else.

Outside of the court room Wednesday, Sauerbrun was quick to call out his former team, claiming that the Broncos didn’t do right by him.

“The Broncos didn’t give me a fair shot. I don’t think they did me right,” Sauerbrun said after being sentenced to 24 hours of community service for disturbing the peace. “I do feel ill about it.

“And their new motto about character guys? The guys I’ve seen them pick up, you’re going to tell me those are good character people? I think not.”

First, the Broncos did much more than give him a fair shot. They gave him two – and I’d venture to say both were much more than fair for the player. The first time around, the Broncos were willing to overlook Sauerbrun’s DWI arrest and steroid allegations that saw him kicked out of Carolina. Sauerbrun showed his thanks by earning a 4-game suspension for using the banned diet supplement ephedra. He was cut after his four-game suspension concluded in 2006.

The Broncos took another chance – this time even fighting tooth and nail against the New England Patriots – and re-signed Sauerbrun last offseason. The former Pro Bowler said all the right things during the team’s offseason workouts, knowing that he was on thin ice, and had voiced that he had turned over a new leaf.

Five months later, Sauerbrun is on the wrong side of the police blotter again, and he has the unbelievable nerve to say the Broncos didn’t give him a fair shot?

I guess Sauerbrun thinks that looking past two serious transgressions isn’t enough for an NFL team. He knew he was on thin ice and that if he stepped out of line there would be serious consequences.

To top it all off, Sauerbrun shows that he hasn’t grown or matured in the least by calling out other Broncos players. News flash, Todd: stop worrying about others. Just worry about yourself. You lost your shot with the Broncos – others on the team are on their second chances, just like you were.

In the end it’s ironic that an NFL veteran on the wrong side of 35 has to convince a team he’s mature enough to handle being a professional football player. Usually his age and the physical limitations that go with it are enough to scare most teams away. For any team interested in Sauerbrun, they not only have to worry about his leg staying strong as he ages, they have to wonder if he’s grown up. If I were running an NFL team, I wouldn’t take that chance.