A big leg and a soft spot

Former Bear Todd Sauerbrun sounds like a changed man. He says he believes he again will be a Pro Bowl punter and credits Broncos coach Mike Shanahan for offering him a second chance despite Sauerbrun being implicated in a steroid scandal at Carolina. “I know it sounds cheesy, but I idolize him,” Sauerbrun said. “Mike Shanahan is one of the coolest human beings I’ve ever been around.” Sauerbrun, leading the AFC with a 46.6-yard average, said “classy” teammates have eased his transition. His locker is plastered with homages to 7-year-old daughter Brooke, who lives in Chicago. He said they talk by phone “four or five times a day. I tear up every time I talk to her. You have no idea what a little girl can do to you.”