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Denver Broncos: Historical look at 5 times team brought in a big-name RB

By Travis Wakeman

Gaston Green runs through a hole during a game against Cleveland on December 8, 1991.
Gaston Green runs through a hole during a game against Cleveland on December 8, 1991. /
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SAN FRANCISCO – SEPTEMBER 15: Garrison Hearst #20 of the San Francisco 49ers runs against John Mobley #51 of the Denver Broncos during an NFL game at Candlestick Park on September 15, 2002, in San Francisco, California. The Broncos defeated the 49ers 24-14. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO – SEPTEMBER 15: Garrison Hearst #20 of the San Francisco 49ers runs against John Mobley #51 of the Denver Broncos during an NFL game at Candlestick Park on September 15, 2002, in San Francisco, California. The Broncos defeated the 49ers 24-14. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) /

Garrison Hearst

The Broncos decided to take a shot on another aging running back in 2004, bringing in Garrison Hearst after a successful stint with the San Francisco 49ers.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 1993 draft, Hearst was a star at Georgia in college, finishing third overall in the 1992 Heisman Trophy voting. The Arizona Cardinals drafted him but after three seasons there, he was a surprise cut in training camp.

He signed with the Cincinnati Bengals and played there one season before being released. The 49ers then took a shot on him and he posted two fantastic seasons there in 1997 and 1998.

He finished third in the NFL with 1,570 yards rushing in 1998. But the following year, he developed a serious condition known as Avascular Necrosis, a condition where the talus bone in the foot basically dies.

Hearst worked hard to get back and after two years out of football, he returned to the field in 2001 and rushed for 1,206 yards, leading to him being named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He would played two more seasons for the 49ers before being released following the 2003 campaign.

That’s when the Broncos decided to kick the tires on him but he was only used sparingly in the 2004 season, carrying the ball just 20 times and scoring one touchdown. His season that year ended with him on injured reserve with a broken hand.

The Broncos chose not to bring him back in 2005.

The Broncos hoped they were getting the guy who revived his career in San Francisco and became a real force with that team, but he wasn’t even a useful role player with the Broncos as his best days were clearly behind him.

Overall result: Didn’t work out

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