When Willis McGahee broke into the league in 2003, he was coming off a horrific injury suffered in his last college game -- three torn ligaments in his left knee on a hit from Ohio State's Will Allen in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.
Given that injury and the typically short career span of running backs, McGahee's goal upon being a first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills was simple: make it to 10 seasons. He did that by arriving in training camp Thursday. Now he hopes for more, his career being rejuvenated by his move to Denver and a Pro Bowl season last year.
"It makes you feel young again, because I was telling somebody, 'Man, all I want to do is get to 10 years,'" McGahee said thursday. "Now I'm at 10, I want to go more. So, keep on going until the wheels fall off, baby."
McGahee hopes that third-round pick Ronnie Hillman can spell him well enough to keep the nagging injuries that dogged him in 2011 from returning, thus extending his effectiveness. He's taken the San Diego State product under his wing -- but hasn't treated Hillman, the Broncos' youngest player at 21 years of age, like a rookie.
"I don't even call him 'Young Rook.' I call him Ronnie," McGahee said. "Ronnie is one of the guys, man. I'm not one of those guys that's going to bother the rookies, because I didn't get bothered when I was a rookie, so I try not to do anything like that.
"I just mess with him in meetings, like, 'You don't (sit) in meetings like this is college.' The meetings here are long. But he's coming around. He's adjusting pretty well."
You can get up-to-the-minute Broncos updates from Andrew Mason via @CBSSportsNFLENand @MaxBroncos.
