Lelie's career day comes up at price in Broncos' loss
By Ryan Thorburn
Special to The Advertiser
OAKLAND — Ashley Lelie was bleeding in the postgame locker room. It felt good, really good.
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In the most physical game of his career, the rookie from Hawai'i proved to be as tough as he is fast, making four difficult catches for a career-high 106 yards.
Former UH star Ashley Lelie had a career day yesterday with 106 yards.
His body, which will be sore today, will recover. But if the Denver Broncos do not make the playoffs, it will take Lelie much longer to get over the agony of yesterday's 28-16 loss to Oakland at Network Associates Coliseum.
"They just got after it more than we did," Lelie said after his first 100-yard game. "We thought we had a chance, definitely. We got a couple turnovers but didn't capitalize."
Lelie — who averaged 26.5 yards per catch, including a long of 48 yards — kept the Broncos' faint comeback hopes alive by making a 17-yard reception on fourth-and-15. But Ed McCaffrey and Shannon Sharpe let catchable throws slip through their hands in the end zone at the end of the last-minute drive.
"I made mistakes, there was a couple penalties that were called because of me," Lelie said. "I wouldn't say it was my best game, no. But I had fun out there until we lost."
After the game, the Broncos also lost wide receivers coach Karl Dorrell. He will begin his new job as UCLA's head coach this week.
Lelie, who has progressed while the team struggled during the second half of the season, will miss his position coach. He credits Dorrell with helping him not only survive, but thrive at the end of a long rookie season.
"All of my improvement I really contribute to him, basically," said Lelie, who has emerged as a big-play threat at the No. 3 receiver position where he has 34 receptions for 520 yards and a touchdown. "He helped me from when I first got drafted. When I was in Hawai'i he was calling me and talking to me and trying to give me pointers on how to work out and stuff like that."
Most NFL players lose weight during the season. Lelie is five pounds heavier now than he was when training camp broke.
"I think my overall body strength and being able to get off the line and being able to block has improved," he said. "(Dorrell) put me in the weight room three times a week, and I'm really getting a lot bigger and a lot stronger and I'm really starting to feel it now."
Lelie and the Broncos aren't feeling very well after going from 6-2 to 8-7. But, believe it or not, they still have playoff possibilities.
To get in they must beat Arizona on Sunday and have Cleveland lose at Atlanta and the New York Jets lose at home to Green Bay.
"We have something to play for," Lelie said. "We still have something to try to go get next week."
