Montee Ball Brings Versatility To Broncos’ Backfield

Montee Ball (38) during rookie minicamp at the Broncos training facility. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

The Denver Broncos were really high on running back Montee Ball. They drafted him over Eddie Lacy, who was predicted to go before Ball despite the toe injury.

“When you look at running backs, I don’t look at too many of the gymnastics, as I call them—height, weight, speed, all that stuff—it’s a special skill being able to run the ball,” head coach John Fox said after the first day of rookie minicamp. “Whether it was Emmitt Smith, who ran a 4.7 coming out, you know you just don’t put a lot of stock in those kinds of things other than the production, and he’s been very productive and really on all three downs. He’s not just a first- and second-down power back.”

The 5-10, 217-pound back out of Wisconsin has production numbers that speak volumes. He amassed 5,140 rushing yards and 77 rushing touchdowns in 49 games for the Badgers. Tack on 598 receiving yards and six touchdowns, and you realize just how much of a scoring threat this guy is.

Ball said that his first practice was run at a faster tempo than any other practices, but he really enjoys having fellow Wisconsin alum Eric Studesville as his running backs coach.

“One thing I really love about him is what he says,” Ball said. “For running backs, he’s not going to tell us we should’ve taken the ball there, we should’ve run in that hole. He just wants us to tell him what we saw. Because the game is all about reacting.”

Make sure to follow Predominantly Orange on Facebook and on Twitter.