ENGLEWOOD, Colo. --With his four-game suspension in the past, tight end Virgil Green will no longer be working out at a local fitness center every day.
He also might have less time to play Madden and watch SportsCenter, which Green said were his primary post-workout activities.
When he rejoined his teammates Monday at the club's Dove Valley headquarters, it didn't seem like the second-year tight end had any problem with that.
"I woke up this morning and I couldn't even stay in my bed," said Green with a smile stretched across his face. "I just got up, started listening to music and getting my day going, getting back to my old ways. Today (felt) much like Christmas Day."
The 2011 seventh-round draft pick played in 15 games last year, his rookie campaign, contributing mostly as a blocker.
While Green said he watched "every snap" of the Broncos' games this year, getting through Sundays was the most difficult.
"On gamedays, it seemed like forever," he said. "You're just watching the game, like, 'Man, I wish I could be out there.'"
Now that he's back with the team, Green is looking forward to building chemistry with the quarterback leading the Broncos. The 24-year old said he has been watching Peyton Manning since he was 10 years old. Being on the same team as Manning is a reality that he could hardly describe.
"Just to be in practice with the guy, just to be in meetings and see his work ethic and where he's at, it just motivates me as a young player," he said. "Just being on the field with Peyton, you just feel like everything is at ease, everything is under control because he has been in every situation you could ever imagine. So just being on the field with him is always exciting."
Though he regrets the time he missed, Green said the experience, as a whole, was a positive one. He returns to the team with an amplified appreciation for the opportunity he has with the Broncos, after working out with athletes who are still looking for a home in the NFL.
"I got to just appreciate the situation I'm in because some guys weren't able to come to a team today," Green said.
"Honestly, it brought back a new excitement for me now," he continued. "I'm excited just to practice. I can't wait to get to practice. This experience really hasn't been bad for me because I've just embraced the positive things that have come with it."
