Program joining kids of all learning abilities resonates for Broncos WR DaeSean Hamilton By Ryan O’Halloran Denver Post May 5, 2019

The connection was instant last month when Broncos receiver DaeSean Hamilton visited Sewall Child Development Center’s main location in Denver.

Sewall provides inclusive education for pre-kindergarten children of typical development in the same classroom as those with special needs such as autism. Hamilton knew how to interact with the children. He knew what the teachers were trying to accomplish and he knew their challenges. And he knew the importance of Sewall’s program because his older brother, Darius, has non-verbal autism.

“Incredible,” said Heidi Heissenbuttel, Sewall’s CEO/President. “He didn’t bat an eye. You would expect an athlete to really get middle-schoolers or high-schoolers — an easier age to grasp. But DaeSean sat right down with the 2- and 4-year olds. It was so impressive.”

Hamilton was equally impressed the tour, enough so to convince him he wanted to develop a relationship, which kick-started Friday when he delivered a keynote speech at the 17th annual Champions for Children luncheon to raise money for Sewall’s nine locations.

“It’s a no-brainer,” Hamilton said. “It was something I didn’t have to think twice about. Being in the NFL, I want to use my platform and I wanted it to be something that’s natural for me and won’t feel like extra effort. It does hit close to home and it’s something I’m interested in on my own rather than having to gain interest and learn about.”

Before going on-stage Friday, Hamilton sat at a table that included Broncos linebacker , cornerback , receivers coach Zach Azzanni and receivers and , all of whom were on-hand for support.

“It’s very impressive,” Patrick said. “I heard about (Hamilton’s story) before he got to the team and when he got drafted, I saw the whole storyline.”

Hamilton is well-schooled with the challenges facing kids with autism and their parents and siblings. He lived it growing up in Fredricksburg, Va., often preparing his older brother for school, making sure he was fed and keeping him entertained.

With his parents serving in the Marines, Hamilton said he was “probably 6 or 7,” when he started to care for Darius, who turned 26 last month and is two years older. He quickly adopted Darius’ schedule as his own. Sure, he missed out on things that a normal elementary school student might experience like hanging out with friends and sleep-overs, but he didn’t care. Family in general and Darius in particular came first. Always.

“I started to get the hang of things and understand things and helping out with my brother, it came as naturally as if I was doing it my whole life, as if it was sports,” DaeSean said. “It became a routine, like going to school or practice.”

Hamilton said he and Darius were together “every single day, almost every second of the day.” He made sacrifices but it never felt like it. Darius wasn’t a burden.

“Not at all,” DaeSean said. “Me hanging out with friends or doing sleep-overs — that didn’t happen often. I didn’t feel the urge to do those things. I became more social in high school, but I never thought I was getting the short end of the stick or it was unfair I had to do those things.”

Because he doesn’t speak, Darius learned visually, which allowed him to pick up sign language. DaeSean followed, watching Darius sign to learn key phrases.

Darius’ day includes a special needs program from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. and community involvement such as helping out at grocery stores. He lives with his parents, both of whom are retired from military service, and would eat McDonald’s cheeseburgers and French fries every day if permitted. Disney movies are his favorite form of entertainment.

It didn’t take long for Hamilton’s new Broncos teammates to realize the importance of Darius in his life.

“As soon as I met DaeSean, I watched a story about him and his brother and then being around him more, I’ve gotten more information about how much his brother and his family in general mean to him,” Sutton said.

Now in its 75th year of operating inclusive early education programs, Sewall has nine locations throughout the Denver area, instructing nearly 400 children ages toddler through pre-school. Each class numbers around 15 kids, including 5 to 8 with special needs.

Inclusion is Sewall’s modus operandi for more than two decades, but that wasn’t always the case.

Heissenbuttel started working at Sewall in 1987 as a teacher. Her first class: Eight children, all with special needs. Even with a teaching assistant and a therapist in the classroom, navigating each day was like running uphill, especially considering five of the children weren’t bathroom-trained.

“There were no models for the children to learn from,” Heissenbuttel said of the special needs kids being in their own classroom. “There was a belief system that was really entrenched — kids will learn better separately. For a child who had no language skills, how do they learn? By hearing other people talk. There was only so much I could say to eight kids on different levels.”

Research in the late 1980s indicated that joining typical kids and special needs kids in the same classroom benefits everybody. With the support of their board, Sewall’s staff introduced the inclusion model and Heissenbuttel said the impact was noticed “automatically.”

So why were the results so positive?

“Kids want to learn from other kids way more than adults and the (special needs) kids would start doing what the neuro-typical kids were doing,” Heissenbuttel said. “They both make better academic gains. They both make better social and emotional gains — attention span, regulating emotions, problem solving.”

Once a child is identified with a disability, an individual family service plan and individual education plan is established. Goals for autistic preschoolers (preschoolers with autism) may be to learn how to identify 10 words or use an assisted technology device that allows them to communicate by pushing on squares that give the verbal cue. For typical preschoolers, goals may include increasing their vocabulary from 500- 1,000 words.

Yes, typical kids in the Sewall system learn patience, compassion, and empathy, but that is only a part of their experience, according to Heissenbuttel, who said “they learn more across the board.”

Once they enter kindergarten age, some kids at the Fillmore location go to the second floor to attend the REACH charter school (kindergarten-grade 5).

Earlier this year, a member of Sewall’s board of directions became familiar with Hamilton’s story and went through former Broncos running back Reggie Rivers (who has emceed Sewall events in the past) to get in touch with Hamilton. Sewall resonated with Hamilton because if a similar program was available when he was younger, he and his brother might have shared a classroom and thus, Darius may have showed more development.

“Back when I was in school, my brother (and other special-needs kids) were on their own lunch schedule, recess schedule — they didn’t get to interact with kids who don’t have special needs,” Hamilton said. “They were alienating them when they didn’t need to.”

Hamilton’s involvement with Sewall could raise money to be allocated to improving the facilities and also keeping teacher salaries competitive. Another aspect Hamilton wants to stress is helping special needs kids from lower-income families. Heissenbuttel estimated 75 percent of the children in Sewall’s are from families below the poverty line.

“The inclusive part of Sewall is special,” Hamilton said. “There are families in lower-income or less-wealthy families that have kids with special needs, but don’t have access to these resources. That’s something I have been thinking about for a long time. You go to Sewall and see kids with great access, you wonder about doing it country-wide across the U.S.”

Kickin’ it with Kiz: Why battle between Joe Flacco and for Broncos’ QB job might be more competitive than you think By Mark Kiszla Denver Post May 5, 2019

Can somebody kick you out of Denver? You are a complete moron. Clearly John Elway has said Joe Flacco is the Broncos’ starting quarterback. And what are the odds any first-round quarterback turns your team around in the very first year? If it’s not over 50 percent, I’m cool that rookie Drew Lock waits his turn. So sit down, shut up and eat your ice cream, Kiz.

Kevin, his way or highway

Kiz: Lock isn’t a patient dude. Not certain his make-up is suited to standing, clapping and hollering attaboys. I’m betting Lock will compete hard to be starter from Day 1. And that’s a good thing. Unless Broncos are playoff-bound, Lock will start at least one game in 2019. By the way: My favorite ice cream flavor is pistachio. In a cup. Two scoops. Please. And thanks.

Michael Porter Jr or Lock? Which Missouri alum will be a better pro in Denver?

Y.M., asks hard questions

Kiz: Porter brings more athletic skills to the basketball court than Lock does to a football huddle. But the Porter basketball family seems cursed by poor health, while Lock is young and unbroken. So my official answer is: I dunno. That’s my cop-out. Sticking to it.

I didn’t get when you all wrote last summer what a great deal the Nuggets made in signing Will Barton to a four-year, $53 million contract. This team needed a shot-blocker then and still needs one now. Trading Barton wouldn’t get a rim-protector. Letting forward Paul Millsap go might.

Holland, busting on Barton

Kiz: The NBA playoffs hold up a harsh mirror to a team’s flaws. Make any excuse you want, but Barton and Millsap have punched below their salary weight in the playoffs.

The Nuggets’ real problem in the playoffs is “Silent Stan” Kroenke not appreciating fans who have supported his (bad) product for years. Give the kids a T-shirt, and stop passing out the dumb bracelets at games. I don’t even wear the shirts, but it’s the principal of the matter. I’ve been a season-ticket holder for 13 years and see other NBA teams going all out for their fans.

F.E., basketball fashionista

Kiz: The staff here at Kickin’ Headquarters isn’t very sharp (as you well know). But if we understand your complaint correctly, what you desire is for Nuggets ownership to give fans a shirt?

The Rapids have had worse teams. Way worse. This midfield/forward combination should not be winless through 10 games.

Chris, never saw storm coming

Kiz: Well, Anthony Hudson had to go. Not sure players totally bought soccer ideas of a coach from a rugby country. Glad to see Conor Casey, a proud alum of Denver South High, get his shot as coach. The only problem? Casey might still be a better player than most guys on this sorry roster.

And today’s parting shot is a response to seeing the scruffy Size 18 work boots that new Broncos offensive lineman wore to team headquarters after being drafted.

Hey, somebody should hook this man up. Risner needs to be the first NFL player with a boot deal.

Josh, riding Kansas plains

QB gets possible Broncos-record-undrafted player contract By Mike Klis 9NEWS May 5, 2019

Welcome to Denver, Brett Rypien.

The Broncos were so impressed with the Boise State quarterback, they gave him the financial incentive of a mid-round sixth round draft pick—even though Rypien went undrafted.

Rypien, the nephew of former Washington quarterback Mark Rypien, was lured to the Broncos with a $146,000 guarantee. It may well be the richest guarantee given to an undrafted rookie in Broncos history. And it’s certainly the richest undrafted guarantee of the John Elway era.

Last year, quarterback Luke Falk, the No. 199 pick in the sixth round of the 2018 draft, received a $148,832 guarantee.

Tom Brady was once drafted with the No. 199 pick.

Rypien’s staggering guarantee does not necessarily mean he’s guaranteed to make the Broncos’ 53-man roster. Rypien’s guaranteed money breaks down to a $10,000 signing bonus and $136,000 in salary for 2019.

It just so happens $136,000 is the salary for a full-season practice-squad player.

Rypien actually got a three-year, $1.765 million contract from the Broncos: $505,000 in 2019 (with the $146,000 guaranteed); the $585,000 minimum salary in 2020 (non-guaranteed) and $675,000 in 2021 (non-guaranteed) salary.

It virtually assures Rypien will be part of the Broncos’ quarterback room in 2019 although it’s not a fully guarantee.

Veteran backup Kevin Hogan recently received a $300,000 signing bonus on a one-year, $1.29 million contract from the Broncos. Hogan has a chance to stick with veteran Joe Flacco and second-round rookie Drew Lock assured of making the 53-man roster.

Should Rypien stick with the Broncos on their practice squad, he would have to pass through waivers. The bet here? Rypien won’t play much in the preseason to increase his chances of clearing waivers. If Rypien does get decent playing time in the preseason, it would not bode well for Hogan.

A couple other players from the Broncos list of 17 undrafted players who have a chance to stick with the team when the final, 53-man rosters are set in September: Cornerback Alijah Holder, edge rushing outside linebacker , inside linebacker Joe Dineen and possibly receiver Trinity Benson. They all received five-figure signing bonuses.

The signing bonuses (and total guarantee if different from bonus) of the Broncos’ 17 undrafted rookies:

CB Alijah Holder, Stanford, $18,000 ($30,000)

LB Malik Reed, Nevada, $15,000

QB Brett Rypien, Boise State, $10,000 ($146,000)

LB Joe Dineen, Kansas $10,000

WR Trinity Benson, East Central (Okla.), $10,000

LB Josh Watson, Colorado $7,500

RB Devontae Jackson, $7,000

OL Brian Wallace $5,000

OL Josh Leglue $5,000

WR Kelvin McKnight, Samford, $5,000

TE Austin Fort, Wyoming, $3,500

OL , Arizona State, $3,000

WR Romell Guerrier, Florida Tech, $3,000

DL Jaylen Johnson, Washington, $2,500

FB George Aston, Pittsburgh, $2,000 ($8,000)

LB Ahmad Gooden, Samford $2,000

OL Ryan Crozier, Connecticut, $0

Broncos trivia quiz: Let's see how well you know the team's holdout history By Mike Klis 9NEWS May 5, 2019

This quiz is for you Chris Harris Jr.

With the Broncos' star cornerback skipping the team's offseason program, 9News devotes this entire quiz to Bronco holdouts over the years, whether they were unofficial holdouts from the offseason workouts, or officially by missing portions of mandatory minicamps or training camps.

It’s a little easier than past quizzes, so you must correctly answer 5.5 of the 9 questions to call yourself a diehard Broncos fan.

QUESTIONS

1. Contract haggling caused this rookie player to miss the first two days and three practices of the Broncos’ “soft opening” training camp in 2010 that was for rookies and quarterbacks.

2. This player is still kicking seven years after he skipped the Broncos’ 2012 offseason workouts in protest of his one-year, $2.654 million franchise tag.

3. This player essentially killed his career by holding out from the Broncos’ offseason workout program and training camp in 2006 before he was traded prior to the team’s third preseason game.

4. After gaining just 451 yards combined in his first three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, this running back replaced Broncos’ holdout Bobby Humphrey and rushed for 1,037 yards in 1991 to make the .

5. In a moment of negotiating pique, Broncos star cropped out general manager John Elway from his Instagram photo taken from a summer 2016 White House visit.

Besides Elway and Miller, three other Broncos posed in the photo. One was DeMarcus Ware. Name the other two (half point for each).

6. Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips criticized this player not because of his 51-day holdout in 1990, but for showing up out of shape two days before the start of the season.

A. Alphonso Carreker

B. Andre Townsend

C. Ron Holmes

D. Warren Powers

7. The Broncos had 9 players – count ‘em, 9 – hold out from the start of their 1992 training camp in Greeley.

One was first-round draft pick Tommy Maddox. The other eight were veterans who didn’t have contracts in what was the year before NFL free agency as we know it began in 1993.

Name two of the eight veteran holdouts who were later elected into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame.

8. In one of the most misguided unofficial holdouts, this aging Broncos running back skipped the team’s 10 organized team activity (OTA) practices in the spring of 2013, even though the team had just added rookies Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson to a group that already included former first-round draft pick Knowshon Moreno and second-round pick Montee Ball.

This veteran running back did show up for the team’s mandatory minicamp on June 12, 2013 but was released two days later.

9. This mercurial Broncos star became an official contract holdout when he missed not only the three weeks of OTAs but the mandatory three-practice minicamp in June 2009, the first year the Broncos were led by Josh McDaniels.

To avoid hefty fines, this player showed up for training camp, but when McDaniels let it be known the team would not renegotiate his contract, this player was caught on camera petulantly punting a football away after a drill.

ANSWERS

1. Tim Tebow

That’s right, for a couple days in 2010, football’s most marketable, All American boy was just another show-me-the-money athlete in America.

A first-round rookie that year, Tebow did sign a five-year, $11.25 million contract before the full-squad start of training camp so he was not officially a holdout.

Still, as coach Josh McDaniels said following one pre-training camp practice that Tebow missed: "We went through 60 pages this morning in an installation meeting, and those pages are filled with information.’’

2. Matt Prater

He returned in time for the 2012 training camp after signing a four-year $13 million contract that made him the NFL’s fifth highest-paid kicker.

Prater was the NFL’s top kicker a year later in 2013 when he made 75 of 75 extra points and 25 of 26 field goals, including a league-record 64-yard make against Tennessee. His 64-yard field goal remains the NFL record going on six years later.

Prater, though, was released after serving a four-game suspension to start the 2014 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Upon Prater’s return, the Broncos wanted to keep the strong- legged Brandon McManus.

Prater caught on quickly with the Detroit Lions where he has been so successful he is playing on his second contract extension that averages $3.8 million a year. Prater will turn 35 in August and currently ranks 39th in all-time scoring with 1,240 points.

3. Ashley Lelie

After leading the NFL in yards-per-catch in back-to-back seasons of 2004-05, Lelie, the Broncos’ first- round draft pick in 2002, held out in the final year of his contract that was to pay him $800,000.

His holdout ended when head coach Mike Shanahan traded his No. 2 receiver to Atlanta in late-August 2006, in exchange for draft picks. Lelie wound up playing just three more seasons with three teams. He averaged just 16 catches for 247 yards and one TD in those final three years.

To top off his regrettable holdout, an NFL arbiter ruled Lelie had to repay $600,000 of his first-round signing bonus back to the Broncos for violating his contract.

4. Gaston Green

Humphrey rushed for 1,151 yards and 7 and 1,202 yards and 7 touchdowns in his first two NFL seasons of 1989-90 with the Broncos.

His holdout prior to the 1991 season was ill-fated against the uncompromising Dan Reeves and Pat Bowlen and by the time Humphrey returned late in the season, he stood on the sidelines and watched Green finish off his terrific year.

Humphrey would finish with just 33 yards with the Broncos in 1991 and 471 the next season with the Dolphins to finish his career.

Green fell off to 648 rushing yards in 1992 and was traded the next offseason to the Los Angeles Raiders, where he never played and never got another NFL carry.

5. Peyton Manning and Gary Kubiak

The famous photo from left to right was Kubiak, head coach of the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 title team; Ware, a pass-rushing outside linebacker; Miller, the Super Bowl 50 MVP; Manning, in his final appearance as a Bronco after retiring three months earlier; and, depending on which version Von displayed, Elway or not Elway.

Miller wound up signing a six-year, $114.5 million contract in mid-July that made him the NFL’s highest- paid defensive player with an average of $19.083 million per year. (Miller is now the 5th highest paid among NFL’s defensive players, behind Khalil Mack, Aaron Donald, DeMarcus Lawrence and Frank Clark).

6. C) Ron Holmes

The defensive end signed a two-year, $1.4 million contract two days before the start of the 1990 season. Holmes had just 1.0 sack through his first 12 games before adding two more in the final two games. By then it was too late in the Broncos’ 5-11 season.

"Not coming to training camp isn't a problem," Phillips said in his weekly press conference near season’s end. "I mean, that's a contract thing, and I can understand that part. But not being ready to play, I can't understand that."

7. Simon Fletcher and Shannon Sharpe

The 1992 training camp began July 19 and both ended their holdouts by month’s end.

Fletcher finished as the Broncos’ all-time sack leader in 1995 with 97.5 – a record that held 23 years until Von Miller got his 98th sack in Denver’s 14th game last year.

Sharpe finished as the team’s all-time leader in receptions (675) and receiving touchdowns (55), and was second to Rod Smith in receiving yards (8,439) when he retired after the 2003 season. Sharpe is also in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The other six Bronco veteran holdouts prior to 1992: Defensive ends Ron Holmes and Warren Powers, offensive guard Doug Widell, offensive tackles Jeff Davidson and Harvey Salem and Pro Bowl running back Gaston Green.

That’s right, Holmes held out for the second time in three years. Holmes and Powers were the last two players to end their holdouts. Holmes lost his starting job to Kenny Walker and played in only eight games, none as a starter, in 1992, his final NFL season.

Powers was waived before playing in a game for the Broncos. He played in seven games for the Rams, none as a starter, in 1992, his final NFL season.

8. Willis McGahee

After rushing for 1,199 yards in the Tebow Season of 2011, McGahee was on his way to a second consecutive 1,000-yard season in 2012 when he suffered a leg fracture and torn MCL in game 10 that ended his season with 741 yards.

After his OTA absence and release in 2013, McGahee caught on with the Cleveland Browns but had just 377 yards rushing in 12 games in what was his final season. Moreno and Anderson, meanwhile, both went on to have 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the Broncos.

9. Brandon Marshall

After recording 102 and 104 catches and 1,325 and 1,265 yards in his previous two seasons of 2007-08, Marshall reached escalators that upped his 2009 salary to $2.198 million.

Still, he wanted long-term security and after he was snubbed by McDaniels and Bowlen, Marshall came through with another 101 catches for 1,120 yards in 2009 – even though he was suspended from the final game by McDaniels for conduct detrimental to the team.

A restricted free agent after the 2009 season, Marshall was traded to the Miami Dolphins and wound up with five more 1,000-yard-plus seasons with three teams, although he never played in a playoff game.

He is 16th all-time with 970 career receptions and after getting released by multiple teams the past two seasons, it appears his playing time is finished.

Undrafted QB Brett Rypien drawn to Denver by Rich Scangarello, Broncos’ ‘investment’ By Nicki Jhabvala The Athletic May 5, 2019

The calls came in heavy Saturday afternoon as the NFL Draft stretched into the latter rounds. Brett Rypien, a four-year starter at Boise State, believed that one would be from an NFL executive congratulating him on becoming their latest selection.

Rypien had been told that some teams — including the — had him graded as high as a fourth- or fifth-round prospect. But no congratulatory call came. Instead, Rypien was bombarded by teams trying to gauge his interest as a college free agent.

When the draft concluded, he had mere minutes to pick his first NFL home among a long list of offers that were whittled to three viable options. He chose Denver, a team that had earlier traded for Joe Flacco, re-signed veteran Kevin Hogan and traded up to draft Drew Lock in the second round.

The Broncos, in a show of significant interest, offered Rypien a contract with a $146,000 guarantee — among the largest for an undrafted free agent this year — including a $10,000 bonus. At a minimum, he’ll have a spot on the practice squad should he clear waivers.

“I wanted a team that was going to be invested in my development,” Rypien told The Athletic. “I knew the coaching staff believed in me and thought I was a draftable player. I had a really good relationship with coach (Rich) Scangarello throughout the entire pre-draft process, so I think that was probably the biggest part for me. I want to go to a place where I knew I was going to get a shot to develop and be a guy eventually.”

Throughout the pre-draft process, Rypien — the nephew of former Super Bowl champion Mark Rypien — drew comparisons to Nick Mullens, the undrafted quarterback out of Southern Miss who morphed into an eight-game starter in San Francisco last season. Mullens’ quarterbacks coach was Scangarello, an offensive guru who has built a reputation for developing veteran and rookie quarterbacks alike in his short time in the NFL.

Scangarello’s recent track record and communication with Rypien throughout the pre-draft process ultimately lured him to Denver.

“We first talked at the combine and had a good conversation there and from there we just kind of kept in touch and he was asking me how my training was going,” Rypien said. “I don’t think he went to any pro days, but we had stayed in contact so when that situation came down to it, he was a guy that liked my film and he was pushing hard for me in that building. That’s something you want when you get to choose where you want to go.”

Throughout the offseason, Broncos general manager John Elway and Scangarello laid out general philosophies for their offense and their hope for years to come. Three coaching changes in four years have hindered the development of players across the roster, but especially at the quarterback position, where the Broncos have been trying to find a consistent starter in the wake of Peyton Manning’s retirement.

“I’ve said so many times, obviously the quarterback is very important and the skills of the quarterback are very important, but also what you put around the quarterback and the system that the quarterback’s going to be in is very, very important too,” Elway said at the NFL scouting combine. “I think it’s all of those factors. You don’t just draft a quarterback and stick him in with what you’re doing. You’ve got to figure out what’s the best fit for you and what you’re going to do on offense.”

Despite having only four years of coaching experience in the NFL and not one as a coordinator, Scangarello’s appeal to the Broncos was rooted in his ability to help quarterbacks of various strengths and experience. Since Elway took over the team’s football operations in 2011, the Broncos have drafted six quarterbacks and ushered in veterans via trade and free agency, as well as undrafted free agents. Although seventh-rounder Trevor Siemian surprised as a 24-game starter, none of the Broncos’ drafted or college free-agent quarterbacks are still on the roster.

Hogan, a waiver claim last year, is the most-tenured Bronco in the room. He has yet to play a snap for the team.

Continuity with the system and the hiring of a staff focused on developing younger players as well as those late in their careers has Elway hopeful the Broncos can reverse their recent history.

But doing so has also required a fresh look at the position as a whole.

“My background in college has really helped me in the evaluation process and at the professional level, just because the games have gone two different directions — college and the NFL,” Scangarello said during the Broncos’ recent veteran minicamp. “You have to be creative with how you evaluate a quarterback. I don’t think you can do it the way it was done 15 years ago. I just believe that you’re not evaluating the same thing. You have to be innovative in a sense, I guess, with how you grind on these guys a little bit. Everyone has their own way around the league, and I have mine. So far, it’s been very good. Kyle Shanahan had a lot of success doing it, showed me some things — and I’m very proud to have learned from him — that I use in the evaluation process as well.”

Scangarello’s system is founded on the one Kyle Shanahan ran in San Francisco, which is derived from Mike Shanahan’s offense that Gary Kubiak employed in Baltimore in 2014, with Flacco.

It’s also one that won’t be all that foreign to Rypien.

As the Washington State high school record-holder for passing yards (13,044) and completions (1,006), Rypien — also the valedictorian at Shadle Park High in Spokane — spurned offers from Washington and Washington State to become the highest-rated commit in Boise State history.

He started 49 games for Boise, becoming the Mountain West’s all-time leader in passing yards (13,581), completions (1,036) and 300-yard games (21). But his production in high school and college was met with tempered scouting reports, including one from The Athletic’s Dan Brugler, who wrote Rypien possesses “nothing extraordinary that would suggest he can pick apart NFL defenses, projecting as a potential backup due to his intelligence and intangibles.”

Much like Kellen Moore, the former Boise State quarterback who signed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2012. Moore spent six years in the league and is now the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive coordinator.

And maybe even a little like Mark Rypien, a former sixth-round pick out of Washington State who spent his early years on the Redskins’ injured reserve list before emerging as a starter and Super Bowl XXVI MVP.

That was more than four years before Brett was born.

“I’ve gone back and watched a couple of his games, obviously the most important one being the Super Bowl that he won,” Brett said. “I’ve watched that a couple times as a kid. I think that gives you motivation to think that I can do this myself. If my uncle Mark can do it, why not me? I think I’ve always had that mentality and it’s so cool just to know he got to play on that big of a stage as well.

Boise was once home to multiple Broncos starters, including Matt Paradis and Ryan Clady, but it hasn’t churned out a drafted quarterback in 44 years.

Rypien, however, was more interested in the fit — a fit that would ultimately help him at the next level.

“I wanted to play in a pro-style system and I wanted to be under center, and I think that’s helped me a lot moving into this transition as well,” he said. “Moving from high school to college I had no under- center experience. That was definitely a big transition. Just learning run-game footwork, how to get out under center, where your foot placement needs to be — it’s definitely a different transition, so I think from that standpoint I’m happy that I have a lot of under-center experience in college.”

In Denver, Rypien’s fit on the depth chart will be determined by his play over the next three months. Flacco is the starter and Lock is a second-rounder in development. And although Elway said there will be a competition for the No. 2 job, draft status and contracts will undoubtedly play a role in the hierarchy.

Asked if he expects to compete for the backup job, Rypien said, “I think that’s everybody’s mentality.”

“You just want to go in and you want to be the best possible player,” he added. “Whatever that means for me this year, whether that’s a 53-man roster spot or going to the practice squad and developing for a year, we’ll see how it all shakes out. I’m just trying to focus on what I can control, and that’s coming in with a great attitude. It’s going to be helping Drew out as well to speed up his development so we both can learn the offense faster together and help each other that way.”

Deciding the top 100 players in Broncos history By Jim Saccomano DenverBroncos.com May 5, 2019

The 2019 season is shaping up to be a great year for pro football and the Denver Broncos.

This is the 100th anniversary of the and the 60th anniversary of the Denver Broncos and the other original League teams.

It is also the 50th consecutive year of home sellouts for the Broncos, and our great and beloved team owner Pat Bowlen this summer will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Mr. B. would always say the game revolves around the players, and with that in mind the Broncos are helping celebrate the NFL's 100th year by naming our Broncos Top 100 team.

On the weekend of Oct. 13, when Pat Bowlen and Champ Bailey are to be honored in Denver with the presentation of their Hall of Fame rings, select members of the Broncos Top 100 Team will participate as well.

Most important is that our great fans get a chance to participate online by voting for (or writing in) the players that they consider to be among our top 100.

I am honored to have a role in this selection process, along with Broncos alumni and Senior Digital Reporter Andrew Mason.

The fan voting will continue through the month of May, and I strongly encourage all our fans to participate.

No team can truly exist without its fans, and the greatest of teams have the greatest fans. Really, that is true.

We could not do this without you, and every name submitted will be considered.

The concept of a top 100 brings up some very interesting thoughts, none of which are wrong.

Does a top 100 guy have to play 10 years? Or five years? Or less?

The answer is that any of those is a possibility.

Greatness is measured by performance, what we see on the field, and we all know it when we see it. I personally do not think there is a requirement regarding number of seasons played, just so someone has done enough on the field to be considered one of our greatest ever.

We all know some players are obvious, like Hall of Famers John Elway, Floyd Little and Shannon Sharpe.

Ring of Famers are obvious choices, but what about the likes of so many who have contributed to our championships, from Super Bowl winners to conference and division champion contributors.

We have had well over 1,000 players suit up as members of the Broncos, and every era and decade has had its greats.

Our fans have watched them all, some fans going back to the first years of play and some perhaps having moved to Denver in the last few years.

It does not matter. Every fan has his or her opinion and we want to hear from all of you.

I could name a lot of players that I think are great candidates, as I have seen every player who has played for us, but I think it very important that I not prejudice the voting by suggesting that I might favor one over another.

But you have watched them too. And whether you watch in person or on television, it all counts and so does your opinion.

The voting is online so it does not require postage, just having opinions about your favorites and typing a few strokes on your laptop.

A lot of times when players are talking about hustle and game attitude, they say they make sure they put everything they have onto the field that day.

This is what I want our fans to do as well.

Do not leave your opinions on our greatest players in your minds. Go on line and tell up who you think belongs. These will be very tough choices, and we really want your input in selecting our Broncos Top 100 team.

Opinion: NFL really means Not For Long, so rookies, here's advice on reality of league By Jarrett Bell USA Today May 5, 2019

Welcome to the NFL, rookies. Or something like that.

As rookie minicamps across the league commenced this weekend, I’m compelled to weigh in as an observer who has witnessed the NFL arrivals and departures of hundreds over the years.

First off, as you sit in your team meeting, take a look at the rookie on your left … and then have a glance at the rookie to your right. Statistically speaking, two of you (no, Kyler Murray, this doesn’t apply to you) won’t be there next year.

That’s as good of a fact-of-NFL-life barometer as any.

Have you seen the turnover rate? No, I’m not talking about and pick-sixes. It’s the bottom third of the roster. In the salary cap era, teams typically recycle backup players and special-teamers like used paper bags. There’s a reason the length of an average NFL career is around three years – and it’s not Drew Brees, the resilient Saints quarterback, 40, heading into NFL Year 19.

So, heed the words of Jerry Glanville, who famously declared that the NFL stands for, “Not For Long.”

Oh, so you have no idea who in the heck Glanville is? Well, coaches recycle, too. He once coached the Falcons, installed a run-and-shoot offense (that was ahead of its time when you consider the spread schemes of today) and left tickets at will call for Elvis.

And he had a way with words.

You may have been the big man on campus in college, voted most likely to succeed in high school and hailed as a prodigy in Pop Warner football, but now you’re surrounded by peers who similarly carry impressive credentials.

Sure, talent is a great separator. It’s why some players get second and third chances despite shady stuff that happened off the field. Yet when the talent fades, you’ll quickly find that in some ways you were nothing more than a number. You can only be so sentimental.

Ask Clay Matthews. For years, he was the signature pass-rusher for the Packers, wearing No. 52 as he came off the edge. Green Bay dumped the former first-round pick this year after 10 seasons and 83 1/2 sacks, leaving him to latch on with the Rams. This weekend, the Packers unveiled a new No. 52: , the latest first-round pick.

No wonder Matthews mused on Twitter, “The body’s not even cold yet lol.”

The body. That would be yours, sacrificed to pursue the dream career that risks, in worst-case scenarios, someday suffering from the effects of CTE. During the combine, I asked a few prospects if they worried about long-term issues that might stem from head trauma. They weren’t sweating it. Like many before them, they insisted they knew what they were signing up for.

I’ve often run into retired players, hobbling because of old injuries, insist they’d do it all over again. I believe them. That’s true passion.

Even so, if you run into DeMaurice Smith, the players union chief, he might urge you to treat yourself as a business. That’s sound advice, one that Smith has often repeated to the constituents. You’re a professional – embarking on a career with the uncertainty of not knowing when it will end.

And timing has it that you’ve come to the league just in time to catch additional uncertainty related to a possible labor battle between the NFL Players Association and NFL owners. Last time, in 2011, the players were locked out for an entire offseason before a new collective bargaining agreement was struck. Next time, the work stoppage could be even uglier. So, brace (and save) for that.

Meanwhile, take care of that body. James Harrison, who had enough gas to run 100 yards with an interception return TD in Super Bowl XLIII, used to spend $300,000 per year on various specialists to train and maintain his body. Yes, it was a tax write-off. And Harrison, who entered the league as a undrafted free agent and was cut multiple times before getting on the track to become the Steelers’ all- time sack artist, played 15 NFL seasons.

Back in the day, I used to marvel at , the NFL’s all-time leading receiver, who played 20 seasons. Rice was an undeniable fitness buff whose regimen included running up hills. And in 49ers practices, he and Roger Craig had the habit of running out every single play to the end zone – even simple slant routes -- to condition themselves physically and mentally.

Yet something Rice once told me also left an impression. He maintained that he didn’t have a dime left from his first NFL contract (probably a four-year rookie deal), because he trusted the wrong person to handle finances. Good for Rice, he had a long career and was able to make up for early losses.

There are too many cases, though, where poor financial management and bad advice have left players who have seemingly struck it rich holding the bag.

Keyshawn Johnson, picked No. 1 overall in 1996 and now the co-founder of a sports agency, once warned that the type of ego that can fuel success on the field can ruin a financial portfolio. Too many, Johnson explained, took on undue risks while seeking investment home runs rather than safer, more conservative gains.

Bottom line: Be careful with your money and whom you trust as advisor. It sounds simple enough, right? Just know that so many players caught up in money messes never thought it would happen to them.

Now that preparations are in full swing to learn the playbook, remember this: It doesn’t matter now where – or if – you were drafted. Yes, it will affect the size of your rookie contract. And the higher picks will get more favorable practice reps.

For the long haul (and the second contract), draft status won’t define you.

Tom Brady, the guy with the TB12 Method, is the best example. He was a sixth-round pick. Just like Antonio Brown, now the NFL’s best receiver. The aforementioned Rice was the third receiver drafted in 1985, 16th overall.

No, Dwayne Haskins, the Ohio State quarterback snagged 15th overall by Washington, should only feel somewhat slighted that the Giants picked Duke quarterback Daniel Jones with the sixth pick. I mean, Dan Marino was drafted 27th overall, was 24th … and Joe Montana was a third-round pick.

Then again, Josh Rosen was a top-10 pick last year. Now he’s in Miami, already working under his fourth different O-coordinator (Chad O’Shea) in a year. Talk about adapting to change. At least the trade from Arizona leaves Rosen to work with a respected quarterbacks guru, Jim Caldwell.

He knows better now: Nothing is a given in the NFL.

Which is exactly why new Cleveland coach Freddie Kitchens insists there will be no more Super Bowl predictions coming from the team’s top pick, cornerback Greedy Williams. Sure, Williams was just excited, like so many Browns fans inspired by the offseason moves.

But quick, send the memo to Jersey, where Jones is talking about the goal of winning multiple Super Bowls, like the man he is pegged to ultimately replace, Eli Manning.

It’s not about what you say, rookies. It’s all about action. And not for long.