Broncos running back Travis Henry is as fun to watch off the field as he is to watch on the field. I personally like the man.

Henry was suspended for four games in 2005 after a repeat violation of the substance abuse policy. League guidelines stated that failing another drug test within a two-year period would warrant a one-year suspension from play.

He recently tested positive for marijuana within that time span, and his future hangs in the balance.

However, in a battle that has reached the federal court system, Henry is attempting to block the league from testing the sample to confirm the positive test, claiming that National Football League officials wouldn’t allow his expert to be present for the testing of his specimen.

Only months before his most recent positive urine test, NFL fans and ESPN announcers were all on Henry’s case for fathering nine children with nine different women. In response, he said, “A lot of stuff that’s been put out there isn’t true, but I’m not going to get into that right now … The important thing is I want to take care of my kids, really and truly. It’s all good.”

Threatened with jail for falling behind on one of his child support payments, Henry borrowed $9,800 from his former team, the Tennessee Titans, to pay the bill, according to court records. Supposedly, he borrowed the money not long after spending $100,000 on a car and $146,000 on jewelry.

So, why do I like this guy? I’m not just being a loyal Bronco fan on this one. The reality is that, in spite of the constant negative attention from the media, Henry has ranked No. 2 among NFL rushers in his first five games. With 498 yards, he is only nine yards behind Pittsburgh’s Willie Parker, who has 19 more carries.

Some say smoking marijuana could affect performance on the field, although it obviously hasn’t for Henry. The fact is nobody has gotten hurt by it so far.

“But what about the children?” you cry. As far as being a poor role model, no one would have known about Henry’s penchant for pot if the media hadn’t blown it out of proportion.

You can say he’s been a poor father because he bought cars and jewelry before he paid child support, but I found no dates for those purchases in relationship with the child support.

There’s a whole lot of bad media around the guy, and it’s probably because he’s made some sketchy decisions. But you’ve got to love Travis Henry for being Travis Henry. And hey, he’s still playing his heart out. And, isn’t that the thing we as sports fan should be most focused on?