The Lead
Former offensive lineman Orlando Franklin is no stranger to Broncos fans. Even those who may not recall his three years with the team may now know him as a host on 104.3 The Fan.
But he's gotten even more familiar with fans recently, as he's welcomed some to join him on hikes around the state.
"I found a way to do things where I can see Colorado, burn a ton of calories," Franklin told FOX31 Denver’s Evan Kruegel, "but meet new, good people as well."
It began when he found a book of 50 hikes in Colorado at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. When he asked for advice on social media, a few people turned up, and since then, it's been a Saturday tradition.
Really, making new friends has been just an added benefit of his hiking program; the main goal has been to lose weight. And in that way, it's been a complete success. Franklin told Kruegel that he's lost almost 100 pounds, and he hiked his first fourteener (a mountain with an elevation of at least 14,000 feet) over the summer.
"I told myself, because we were getting ready to have our second child, this is something that I have to do," Franklin said. "I have to make sure that I have more energy, we're playing man-to-man defense now, one parent has one kid, the other parent has the other, so you're fully engaged."
Franklin told Kruegel that he also hopes his tale and his accomplishment will inspire others to enjoy the great outdoors.
Below the Fold
Even if Netane Muti does not make his second start on Saturday against the Bills, his first one was productive. The Denver Post’s Ryan O’Halloran talked to the rookie lineman to hear about the experience. "At first, I was nervous, but once I started playing, all of that faded away," Muti told O'Halloran. "It was a fun experience and I hope to get to do it again."
In need of a wide receiver in your fantasy football playoffs? ESPN’s Matthew Berry gave some love to an underrated veteran Bronco who received votes in his “pass-catchers I love in Week 15” section. "Tim Patrick is a thing," Berry wrote. "He now has 10-plus fantasy points in five consecutive games. (No, we're not counting the game in which the Broncos played a practice squad wide receiver at quarterback.)"
