I wish I was as thin as Broncos Country’s patience.
This came to mind while watching the Broncos practice on Thursday morning. Before the unscripted flyover, before the press conferences, before the injury updates, there was a moment of pause.
Former Oregon Duck Bo Nix dropped back during practice and fired a dart to tight end Lucas Krull. Release the Quackin’. This is what we all came to see — the young kid microwaving his development. Krull made the catch. Then he didn’t, the football swatted away by a defensive back, followed by trash talk.
Seeing the ball on the grass, memories flooded my head of the past eight seasons, all ending without a playoff berth, seven straight finishing with a losing record. There was a time the postseason felt like the Broncos Invitational, something to plan around like Christmas and birthdays. We knew the Broncos would be in. The only question was, how many games would they win?
When will the present get closer to the past?
When the Broncos won Super Bowl 50, receiver Marvin Mims Jr., whose 50-yard touchdown from Jarrett Stidham provided the workout’s top highlight, was 12 years old. Nix was 14.
The Broncos last endured a stretch like this without a winning record from 1963 to ’72. It took an unforgettable group of players to erase those memories. Two were recognized Thursday as tight end Riley Odoms and defensive back Steve Foley were elected to the Broncos’ Ring of Fame.
Foley attended practice because — unlike Odoms, who lives in Texas — he lives near the facility. Foley is the fifth member of the Orange Crush defense to receive the honor, joining Hall of Famer Randy Gradishar, should-be-a-Hall of Famer Louis Wright, linebacker Tom Jackson and safety Billy Thompson. The 1977 team provided a watershed moment, putting Denver on the map as a metro city and a sports market.
When Foley spoke to the media, he made a connection. A prediction.
“It was a special time. It was Mile High Magic. I have never seen such a rabid group of fans, and finally something came to the middle of the country and they had to pay attention to us,” Foley said. “I do know this, being from New Orleans, and watching Sean Payton all these years and always rooting for (the Saints), I knew once we got him (in Denver), he was going to right the ship. It’s just a matter of how long it takes.”
What if Foley’s right?
We spend so much time talking about what’s wrong with the Broncos that everything this team does is viewed with suspicion. There is no benefit of doubt after letting Nathaniel Hackett do donuts in his clown car in the parking lot. There is no reservoir of goodwill after starting 13 quarterbacks since Peyton Manning, and paying the last one $124 million for 11 victories.
Foley watched practice, and walked away impressed with the energy, the attitude, the attention to detail. This is a team in transition, younger at multiple positions, and hungrier at many of them with competition existing at running back, receiver and in the secondary.
Foley knows what success looks like. During his 11-year career, which included a franchise-record 44 interceptions in 150 games, he experienced one losing season. When he spoke to the Broncos players on Thursday, he reminded them of the importance of playing not for honors, but for each other. Payton echoed the message, explaining that some of them in the meeting room might become Ring of Famers. But you know what makes that possible?
“You have to win,” Payton said.
In his second season, Payton continues to bring in more players he knows, and more coaches and scouts from the Saints that know him. When Foley played, he was surrounded by continuity and excellence. But let’s not dismiss his talent.
Former coach John Ralston watched Foley play quarterback at Tulane and believed he would make a great defensive back. Consider this: Foley started in the Super Bowl in the 1977 season as a right cornerback. He started nine years later in the Super Bowl as a free safety.
Who does that?
Foley was universally liked and respected. He became a coach on the field.
This is provided as anecdotal evidence that he wasn’t having a fever dream as a former player giddy from having a day pass at practice. He sees the game through famed defensive coordinator Joe Collier’s eyes. Collier was Bill Belichick before Belichick, a genius at finding what players did well and molding them into a selfless scheme. Foley’s only regret after learning the news from Broncos owner Greg Penner was that he could not hang up and call Collier. One of the NFL’s greatest assistant coaches, Collier passed away at the age of 91 earlier this month.
Seventeen years ago, Foley and his business partner and former Broncos linebacker Bob Swenson developed land in Dacono, north of Denver. One of the main streets? Joe Collier Drive.
So yes, Foley knows what a standard looks like.
Is there room for Sean Payton Circle in his next project? For a coach to finally bring the Broncos past and present together again?
“He will not tolerate mediocrity, and that starts a culture,” Foley said. “Players are going to come into it, and there is going to be a winning culture here.”