Kenard Lang had a try out with New Orleans on Thursday. The veteran defensive end was cut by Denver on Sunday.

(denverpost.com)

DENVER (AP) - Kenard Lang is sinking in the depth chart. His spirits remain sky-high.

Lang, who started all 16 games for the Denver Broncos last season after Courtney Brown got hurt in training camp, insisted he wasn't bothered on draft day when the Broncos selected defensive ends Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder with their top two picks.

"The main thing is I want to see young guys succeed. I'm happy for them. I know they're going to make us a better team," Lang said.

He's maintained his upbeat attitude at training camp even though he's listed as the third-stringer at left end behind John Engelberger and Crowder in an abundant field of 16 linemen fighting for probably eight roster spots.

(CBS4/DenverBroncos.com) ENGLEWOOD, Colo. With 10 NFL seasons already logged, defensive end Kenard Lang has long since learned that playing through pain is essential to surviving in the professional ranks.

But one can't merely play through pain. To have the opportunity to play, one must practice with it, as well, and Kenard Lang has done just that during organized team activities, taking part in spite of shoulder pain that first set in last summer.

"I have my good days and my bad days, but it's cool," Lang said. "When training camp comes, there's no such thing as pain."

Lang managed to endure through all 16 games last year in spite of the problem, so making it through the organized team activities -- which see no tackling and no pads -- is relatively easy by comparison.

"I hurt my shoulder in training camp last year and I just played through it through the whole season," Lang said. "You can't complain.

DENVER (AP) - Veteran defensive end Kenard Lang found himself pulling double duty at the Denver Broncos' seven-day quarterback camp that concluded Thursday.

In addition to working on his position, the 12-year lineman found himself a frequent respondent to the inquiries of wide-eyed rookie defensive linemen.

Lang didn't mind.

"I am an instructor and I like the title," said Lang. "Teaching is in my veins. You know, my mom was a principal.

"Here, the position fell into my lap," Lang said.

At the start of camp, Lang found himself helping fourth-round draft choice Marcus Thomas, who was hearing catcalls from Bronco veterans about his stance.

DENVER (AP) - Broncos defensive end Kenard Lang isn't worried about competition from the Broncos' new draft picks.

It's the fact the Denver Broncos selected two defensive linemen from the Florida Gators that has the former Miami Hurricanes' player chafing.

He jokes that it's almost a sin. But he says he'll make an exception for Gators Jarvis Moss and Marcus Thomas.

Lang and Ebenezer Ekuban are penciled in as the starters at defensive end going into the 2007 season. But Moss and second-round draft pick Tim Crowder of Texas will be looking to steal their positions.

Lang says the competition will only make the team better.

(9news.com)

Denver, CO (BlackNews.com) - Kenard Lang, Defensive End for the Denver Broncos, debuts his Foundation to the Mile High City, with his annual Christmas Event, "Shop With A Bronco". Through this event the Kenard Lang Foundation(TM) strives to develop the lives of underprivileged children in its community.

This is the Foundation's inaugural event in Denver, Colorado. However, this event has been bringing holiday smiles to the faces of at risk youth for the past three years in Cleveland, Ohio. Eager to bring the success of this annual event to his new Denver community, Kenard Lang has once again joined forces with Dick's Sporting Goods along with this years' new event partner, Papa John's Pizza.

Born and raised in Orlando, Fla., Kenard, 31, and brother Kevin, 36, were raised by dad, Calvin, who once played semi-pro football for the Charleston Rockets, and mom Johnnie. Kenard left the University of Miami after his junior season and became the Washington Redskins' No. 1 draft pick in 1997. A free agent after the 2001 season, he played with Cleveland until he was released after last season and signed with the Broncos. He is tied with rookie Elvis Dumervil for the team lead in sacks with six.

Klis: You're done with Dove Valley on Friday. What do you do?

Lang: I always go get a haircut.

ENGLEWOOD - Kenard Lang hoped there would be days like these.

After four seasons in Cleveland, when the team never finished better than 9-7 and played in only one postseason game, along with five seasons in Washington, when the team played in only two postseason games, Lang said he likes the view from his spot with the 7-2 Broncos.

"Everything really started to kick in when we started winning," Lang said. "We got to 3-1, to 4-1, now we're 7-2. That's the thing I'm most proud about, we're winning. That's the thing that makes me happy.

Oakland - Ain't no notes column high enough. ...

First he was playing out of position. Then he wasn't playing at all. Then he was out of a job.

So much for Kenard Lang's 2005 season in Cleveland. These days, he's living large in Denver.

Lang was the one who came off the corner to force a fumble by Andrew Walter that sealed the Broncos' 17-13 victory over the Raiders. Nothing out of the ordinary there. The sack was his sixth, tying him with Elvis Dumervil for the team lead and putting him on pace for double digits for the first time in his 10-year NFL career.

CLEVELAND - Before getting dressed after his postgame shower, Kenard Lang quietly and quickly stuffed two packaged Cleveland Browns jerseys bearing his name into a bag.

He didn't want to draw any extra attention to the fact he and the men in the three lockers next to him used to be members of the home team. He also wanted all the talking left to the field.

The major story line for the Broncos' first game in Cleveland since the franchise returned to the NFL in 1999 was the six former Browns who now wear orange and blue, especially the defensive front, all Cleveland castaways prospering in the AFC West.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Kenard Lang didn't have much of a choice. Last season the Cleveland Browns asked him to move from defensive end to outside linebacker, a position he hadn't played since high school, so he switched.

Lang wasn't happy last season, but he laughs about it now. He's with the Denver Broncos, back at defensive end, and enjoying his new surroundings.

"It didn't work out," Lang said. "So be it. Things like that happen for a reason. That happened for me to come here."

(CBS4/DenverBroncos.com) DENVER Defensive lineman Kenard Lang expressed his displeasure on the recent on-field fight between his former University of Miami Hurricanes and Florida International University. The melee ultimately led to 31 players between the two schools being suspended by their respective conferences.

The fight is a black eye on a tough season for perennial power Miami, which is currently unranked.

"They're going to get back on track but it was somewhat disappointing," Lang said. "We are a class university. Some people might disagree with it. I'm appalled at that. But anyway, we're good guys. We're going to be alright."

(cbs4denver.com)

It's safe to say DE Kenard Lang is exceeding expectations thus far in a larger role with the Broncos. Starting in place of the injured Courtney Brown, Lang, signed in the offseason to fill a situational pass-rushing role, has managed to hold his own against the run. Backup John Engelberger has also performed well.
(profootballweekly.com)

While defensive end Courtney Brown makes progress toward getting back to the field, his replacement is making a statement in his 10th NFL season.

Kenard Lang can stay on the field.

With Brown out, Lang - basically signed as pass-rushing insurance in March - has stepped in and become an integral part of the Broncos' defense. Lang has been part of the starting lineup since the beginning of the preseason because Brown has been out since Aug. 9 knee surgery.

Kenard Lang introduced Denver fans to his sack dance Sunday after dumping Marc Bulger for a seven-yard loss.
"Oh, I mean I've been doing that for a while now," said Lang, who joined the Broncos from Cleveland in the offseason. "That's just my way of showing celebration. I go out there and have fun, I try to party like a rock star. Everybody knows when a rock star parties, he's like two seconds away from going to jail.
"Out there on that field, you don't go to jail. You can go out and have as much fun as you want. That's why I love it. Everybody has fun and enjoys the game."
Lang joked that he learned his moves from his mother: "My mama showed me that dance. No, I'm just kidding. My mama would kill me if she heard me say that."
(abclocal.com)

Back where he belongs -- Think Kenard Lang is happy to play at defensive end for the Broncos, the AFC runners-up last season?     Lang spent last season at linebacker in the 3-4 scheme of the AFC North doormat Browns, and he makes it clear that he didn't much care for that position. Or canned meat, for that matter.     "If you're used to eating Spam for these past four years -- Spam, Spam, Spam, you know what I mean? -- and then you have a chance to eat some steak and some lobster, some filet mignon, you're going to do everything you can to stay that way," Lang said. "Linebacker, a guy goes in motion, things switch up, you drop, you cover -- that was too much for me. I had too much smoke coming out of my ears."

(washingtontimes.com)

Lang was signed as a free agent this offseason after Cleveland cut him in a salary cap purge. He became the fifth member of the "Browncos," joining Brown, Warren, Ekuban and Myers as former Browns in Denver. He's moved back to his natural position after switching from defensive end to linebacker last season. Now, he's glad Cleveland's in his rearview mirror and he's eager to put Denver's D-line on the map. "Every team that I've been on, the defensive line has been the dominant group," said Lang, a 10th-year pro out of the University of Miami. "When you take pride in your group, you want your group to be the best. That's what our D-line is trying to do. Everybody talks about how good the linebackers are and the secondary, but you all rarely talk about the D-line here, right?" He's out to change that.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Sometimes, a problem can lead to an unexpected solution.
Within the span of a week earlier this month, the Broncos lost Courtney Brown and Gerard Warren for the balance of the preseason due to knee and toe injuries, respectively. But all that did was give Kenard Lang and Demetrin Veal the opportunity to start at end and tackle, and provide extra repetitions for players behind them like end Elvis Dumervil and tackle Antwon Burton.

Two backups, Demetrin Veal and Kenard Lang, both who were starters Saturday night due to injures, took last weekend’s criticisms personal and did something about it right away. One glaring weakness from last weekend’s performance, and the one thing that was emphasized through most of this week in practice, was Denver’s pass rush.

The work paid off for Denver starting at the first snap. Defensive linemen Veal and Lang, along with the Broncos’ entire defensive line, put enormous pressure on Titans’ quarterbacks all game long.

Both linemen had sacks in the game, setting up what could be a formidable defensive line once the line gets healthy.

“I just take my hat off to the guys — they were ready to play and made some good effort,” Shanahan said after Saturday’s game. “We had a chance to evaluate a lot of players. We had some guys that that are competing very hard, and are very close in a lot different positions, and that’s what you want. You want some depth and I think we saw some today. It was nice to see [DT] Demetrin Veal get a couple sacks in there. I thought [DE] Kennard [Lang] put a little pressure on the quarterback as well, and that’s always nice to see with a few of your guys out.”

(thedenverdailynews.com)