Lelie finds himself in middle of the action

By Ryan Thorburn
Special to The Advertiser

SAN FRANCISCO — The situation yesterday called for Ashley Lelie.

Ashley Lelie, an NFL rookie from Hawai'i, was drafted in the first round and plays for the Denver Broncos. Advertiser library photo

It was third-and-goal, and the rookie from Hawai'i was drafted in the first round to make just such a play.

So, Mike Shanahan called Lelie's number without hesitation and Brian Griese calmly lobbed him a jump ball.

Incomplete. But not the end of the story.

"As sweet as can be," Lelie said of his afternoon, which would improve after he was unable to come down with the football late in the second quarter. "The only thing that would have been better is if I would have got that touchdown."

The Broncos settled for a Jason Elam field goal, which cut the lead to 7-3 before the intermission. The score would be the first of 24 consecutive points en route to a 24-14 victory over San Francisco.

Lelie got a second opportunity to make his mark. With the Broncos clinging to a 17-7 advantage in the fourth quarter, the offense was facing a key third-and-5 from its own 16-yard line.

A first down would keep the chains and clock moving. A forced punt would keep the 49ers in the game.

Griese connected with Lelie for 11 yards, the first of what is expected to be many NFL receptions for No. 85.

"It kept the drive going," Lelie said of the series that gave Denver a 24-7 cushion. "It shows they have a lot of confidence in me. I'm just glad they do."

Rod Smith, Ed McCaffrey and Shannon Sharpe combined for 10 catches, a below average Sunday afternoon for the trio. The veteran trio's output made the contributions of Lelie and Scottie Montgomery, who capped off the crucial drive with an 11-yard touchdown reception, that much more important.

"Whenever backups get in and score and contribute it makes it that much better," said Lelie, who was embraced by his former college quarterback and training camp teammate, Nick Rolovich, after the game. "It makes you feel like more a part of the team."

Griese is no longer grumbling about a lack of offensive weapons. And as the season moves along he is obviously getting more comfortable with his new options.

"We can really help this offense a lot," Lelie said. "They can't always stop the run and they can't always stop the pass. You can see we're a really balanced offense and we've got a lot of weapons."

Lelie was aware many of the San Francisco fans who tuned in to the game were doing so from Hawai'i.

"I was a big fan of the Niners for awhile. I was very excited about this game," Lelie said. "I was showing everybody back home how the team was doing and proving we're a good team this year."

After a late touchdown run by Jeff Garcia that closed the score to 24-14, the 49ers attempted an onside kick.

Jose Cortez kicked the ball to the Denver 42, where Lelie fielded the ball, but didn't try to advance it. It sealed the victory for the Broncos with 1:22 remaining.

"I was so nervous on that play," Lelie said. "That was definitely icing on the cake."