Broncos' Henry to learn his fate Friday

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - After weeks of waiting, a decision on Denver running back Travis Henry's appeal of a failed drug test is expected from the NFL on Friday.

Henry said Thursday he did not want to discuss the potential resolution.

However, there is now a feeling among some both in the league and the Broncos front office that if the former University of Tennessee star is indeed told the result of his appeal hearing just two days before a game - because of competitive issues - the ruling could be favorable toward him. The Broncos play at Oakland on Sunday.

Henry has missed the last three games because of the knee injury he suffered at Detroit. He said the extra rest has rejuvenated him.

I feel good enough to play," said Henry, who suffered a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. "If they need me to (carry it 20 times), I'll man up and do it. My knee feels real good."

Henry was notified earlier this season by the league that he had failed a drug test - for marijuana - and has disputed the results to Broncos officials, the league and his teammates since.

Henry had his appeal hearing Nov. 16 with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and other league officials. In that appeal, at least part of Henry's presentation was that the threshhold of what was detected was too low to be anything except second-hand inhalation. Henry is believed to have also shown that he had been tested just days before and just days after the positive test and both of those were negative.

Henry also submitted results - both negative Broncos officials, including coach Mike Shanahan, have said - of a hair sample drug test as well as a lie detector test.

He also filed a lawsuit in September, that's still on-going, against the league over portions of the drug policy.

Shanahan, who said Thursday the team had not yet been notified of a decision by the league, has publicly defended Henry and said if he believed the running back had failed a drug test because he had smoked marijuana Henry would have already been released from the team.

Because he had been suspended for four games in 2005 for a failed drug test, Henry is facing the potential of a year-long suspension if the appeal doesn't go his way.