[ NFL ISLANDERS ]
Ashley Lelie is so good it hurts. Lelie turns heads
before getting hurtStar-Bulletin wire services
Earlier this week, cornerback Willie Middlebrooks, Denver's first-round draft choice last year, shredded a hamstring trying to cover this year's top pick out of Hawaii.
Last fall, Lelie gave Air Force head coach Fisher DeBerry, who made the drive north from the Academy to the Broncos' training facility in Englewood, Colo., on Thursday, a headache.
"I think I could get a little bit of his bonus money because we certainly made him look pretty good whenever we played over in Hawaii last year," said DeBerry, who was Mike Shanahan's guest during the five-day minicamp.
Last season Lelie had nine catches for a Western Athletic Conference-record 285 yards with touchdowns of 53, 47 and 76 yards to lead Hawaii to a victory over DeBerry's Falcons.
"You get matched up sometimes one-on-one, and we knew that would happen," DeBerry said. "He ran by us one time, I'll never forget it."
One time?
For the second time since his collegiate career came to an end, Lelie pulled a hamstring. Thursday's injury, much like the one he sustained while working out for teams before the draft, is not thought to be serious.
"This is like my second injury my whole life," Lelie said. "I'm not concerned about it. I just have to get treatment on it."
Lelie still looked very fluid running routes and could have finished the practice if he wanted to but ended the session early as a precaution.
Falcons sign Tanuvasa: The Atlanta Falcons signed free-agent defensive tackle Maa Tanuvasa, the team said.
Tanuvasa was limited to two games last season with San Diego because of an ankle injury. The nine-year veteran, an alumnus of Mililani High School and the University of Hawaii, was waived in training camp by Denver and signed with the Chargers in October.
The 6-foot-2, 270-pound Tanuvasa played for Denver from 1995 to 2000, winning Super Bowl titles following the 1997 and 1998 seasons. He was the team's starting left defensive tackle his final three years and led Denver with 812 sacks in each of its Super Bowl seasons.
Terms of the contract weren't disclosed.
Pats release Katzenmoyer: The New England Patriots released injury-plagued linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer yesterday.
The Patriots drafted Katzenmoyer out of Ohio State with their second pick in the first round of the 1999 draft. He started 11 of 16 games as a rookie and recorded 107 tackles, including 312 sacks, but he damaged a disc in his neck against Buffalo.
