My Denver Broncos Experience

It was July of 2003. I was 10 years old. Living in Canada, the popular sport is hockey. I was new to football but it didn’t take me long to get hooked on it. I live over 15 hours from Denver but had the opportunity to visit for the first time.

I couldn’t sleep. Anxiously waiting to get out of bed and prepare for one of the biggest and exciting days of my life.

As we arrived, we were directed to the handicap parking lot. At this point in my life, I started having trouble walking. I had to start using crutches because my legs started to lose their strength. As we exited our vehicle, we were greeted by employees who told us where we were to go. We ended up being placed in an area right by the doors the players and coaches came out of.

It was an extremely hot day. We needed a lot of sunblock and water. Although the heat was almost unbearable, it was worth it. Without this experience, I wouldn’t be as excited about the NFL as I am today. I would absolutely be a different person. Football is a big part of who I am and what I have become.

I didn’t know what to expect. Let me tell you: it was absolutely more than I expected. See, back then, they had an extremely cool system for people in wheelchairs. Those people were seated in a section right by where the players and coaches came out of their training building. I was mind-blown by these athletes walking by and talking to us for a short period of time (they had to get ready for practice so there wasn’t much time to chat).

However, some of the players did stop quickly for pictures. I had the privilege of meeting players such as quarterback Jake Plummer, running backs Tatum Bell and Mike Anderson, fullback Kyle Johnson, tight end Nate Jackson, wide receiver Ashley Lelie, John Lynch and last but not least, future hall of fame cornerback Champ Bailey.

Then, there was the team store, located between the practice fields and the parking lots. There were so many items to buy there, from t-shirts to hats to pictures to helmet replicas. But not only that. In the back, they had a section for coaches and players to sit and sign autographs for fans. It was unbelievable that even after 2 hour practice sessions, up to 5 coaches/players sat there for however long and took the time to meet their fans.

In this area of the store, there was a huge lineup for autographs. There I was, waiting to head down the line. I couldn’t believe it. I was about to meet some great players. It was unbelievable how kind they all were. One player, defensive tackle Michael Myers, even offered to give me his water bottle. At this stage in my life, I was extremely shy. I said no thank you. Oh boy, what a mistake!

I look at that experience to be pretty funny now. I should have taken it. It’s not every day you get to meet famous people. It’s also rare for them to offer you something.

I also had the privilege of meeting their super bowl winning head coach at the time: Mike Shanahan. He stopped to talk with my family and I and I got a picture with him. In the world of sports, he has got to be the nicest person I have ever had the chance to meet.  

We were in Denver for many days, attending training camp for just a couple of those days. While we were there, one day it started to rain. Everybody was scattering around to get to their vehicles while we see head coach Mike Shanahan coming our direction. He looks at us and says, “Follow behind my vehicle.”

As we entered our own vehicle, we couldn’t believe what just happened! The greatest coach in Denver Broncos history invited MY family to their dome. Looking back, I still cannot believe that happened. It just goes to show what kind of a person coach Shanahan is.

Yup! He brought us inside of their practice bubble, where literally nobody is allowed to enter unless you work for the team, or, like we were: Invited! The media was very confused but we had joy in telling them what actually took place at their outside facility.

What drew him to my family and me? Why us? Nobody is allowed to enter the practice bubble unless you work for the team. It was such an incredible experience. Honestly, I was so shocked and it

It just goes to show what kind of person coach Shanahan is. I will never in my life forget this moment. He had such an enormous impact on me.

Of course, I have been to Denver and Broncos training camp many times since then. I have been to many games (6, to be exact).

From every pass to wide receivers, running backs running between the tackles, every interception thrown, I started to become more and more familiar with the concept of the game.

My interest in the game of football only grew from there, and what better of a team could it have been? Being a Denver Broncos fan has definitely changed my life in some of the most positive and amazing ways.