With the very recent signing of Joel Dreessen to a Denver Broncos contract, his return home prompted me to take a look at the common bond he shares with other previous Broncos.
This blog won’t be about Peyton Manning and might not be as interesting to some readers, but it might be a fun look at 12 players who grew up in Colorado, played high school football in our state, went on to play college football in Colorado, and then reached the NFL with the Broncos, the team that all of them grew up watching.
Dreessen went to Fort Morgan High School and was on the state 3A championship tam there in 1999. He had the added honor of being named a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete, making him the only Bronco player ever to have a Colorado prep state title, NFF scholar/athlete status, plus in state college play (Colorado State) and ultimately the Broncos. When you can count the list on a single thumb, that’s a short list to be on.
There are 11 others who played at all three levels in Colorado, even though they did not necessarily win a state prep title.
Alphabetically, Dreessen’s 11 “teammates” on this list include:
The University of Colorado’s legendary Bobby Anderson, an All-American for the Buffs who played in high school at Boulder and was Denver’s number one draft choice in 1971—he is the only one on this list to have been a number one selection in the NFL draft.
He did lead Boulder HS to the 1963 state title, was inducted into the Colorado High School Activities Association Hall of Fame in January, and also is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, the Big Eight Hall of Fame and the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. And if the NFF had been doing their scholar/athlete awards for high school products back in 1963, Bobby probably would have won that too!
Ronnie Bradford went to Adams City HS and played defensive back at CU before becoming a Bronco from 1993-95.
Jeff Campbell (who sometimes had the nickname “Soupy,” as in the soup) was a tough but diminutive punt return specialist who went from Battle Mountain HS to the CU Buffs to a 1994 campaign with the Broncos.
Rick Dennison prepped at Rocky Mountain HS and then went on to play at CSU, where he also earned a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering, then had a notable two-decade career with the Broncos as a player and coach. People often say you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to play and coach pro football, but Rick is one, regardless!
Daniel Graham went to Denver’s Thomas Jefferson HS, then on to CU and played for the Broncos from 2007-10. An excellent tight end, Daniel has the distinction of being the only member of this list who is also part of a father-and-son Broncos tandem, as his dad Tom was a fine linebacker for the Broncos during his own NFL career.
Dave Logan joins Anderson as the two most accomplished multi-sport athletes on this list. Logan is one of just two players, ever—with Dave Winfield being the other—to have been drafted in football, baseball and basketball. Logan prepped at Wheat Ridge HS before going on to CU and then having a stint with the Broncos to end his pro career. Of course, Logan also is the Broncos’ radio voice on KOA and had won six state titles as a high school coach. Dave Logan is the only prep coach in American history to have won six state titles at the highest level of classification with at least three different schools (Arvada West, Chatfield, and four at Mullen). Again, he is on a national list that you can count on one finger.
Keli McGregor is known to most as the late, brilliant president of the Colorado Rockies. But back in the day, before his administrative career in baseball, he was a football star for thr Lakewood HS Tigers, went on to play at CSU, and then began his pro career with the Denver Broncos in 1985.
Erik Pears is a huge (6-8, 305-pound) NFL tackle who started with the Broncos from 2006-08, but before that he played HS football at Kennedy and college ball for the CSU Rams.
Tyler Polumbus was an offensive tackle at Cherry Creek before matriculating at CU and playing for the Broncos from 2008-09.
Tom Rouen has two world championship rings as the Broncos’ punter in Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII, but his did his first punting at Heritage HS and for the CU Buffs. Rouen punted for Denver from 1993-2002, and before winning championship bling with the Broncos was the punter on Cu’s national championship team as well!
Ed Smith is not well known to the modern era fan, but he is one of the most unusual guys on this list. Smith is a native of Nassau, Bahamas who never had seen football until he came to Denver during his junior year of high school. Smith played at George Washington HS and then went on to play at the highly prestigious Colorado College, where he made his mark as a three-year starter and Kodak All-American. He is in the Colorado College Hall of Fame. The first Bahamian to play in the NFL, Ed Smith was drafted in the 13th round by the Broncos as a 230-pound defensive end in 1973 and played in Denver from 1973-75. He was listed at 241 pounds as an NFL defensive end but made up for it with tremendous speed and overall athleticism.
That’s the list, twelve players who played high school and college football in Colorado and ultimately achieved professional success with the Denver Broncos.
Tags: Bobby Anderson, Colorado, Colorado State, Daniel Graham, Dave Logan, Ed Smith, Erik Pears, Jeff Campbell, Jim Saccomano, Joel Dreessen, Keli McGregor, Rick Dennison, Ronnie Bradford, Tom Rouen, Tyler Polumbus, University of Colorado
Damn the new blogs, how about giving us a warning!
C&P from last blog:
Thats too bad, he helped a lot of people on this blog.. and managed some fun games. Did it have to do with the Tebowmaniacs?
Dreessen… If you grew up a bronco fan that would be a dream come true for soooo many people! Congrats, welcome, hope your happy!
jwscout……….
I think he had some clashes with a few people and he said he didn’t find the blog fun anymore……………so he just up and left and hasn’t been back since.
Not sure if he’s still reading or not, but he hasn’t commented since his last post.
jwscout, contrary to popular belief, its not always the “tebowmaniacs” fault. As kod as stated, a couple of clashes, lack of fun, etc. I can point u to his goodbye message and u can draw ur own conclusions if you’d like.
TRB
On a previous post i addressed our cap. In particular it was the DP article about it. 40 mil and 39 spent.
The issue with that is he just took all the guaranteed money and added it together. To figure out the avg cap hit you take the guaranteed money and divide that by years on the contracts. Mays 3 year 12 mil 4 mil guaranteed contract doesnt mean its 4 mil against the cap this year. They could of structured it to where this year is just in bonuses or something else.
In that article the guy who wrote it also didnt add the 1.6 mil for the money that was taken away from the Cowboys and Redskins. Doesnt add the money that wouldve been Tebows contract and doesnt add the 2.5 mil the Jets paid us for the Tebow trade.
Alright………..let’s fess up TRB………..it was the both of us that drove him off the blog! LMAO
Also according to a article on Mile high report Manning got an advance or something with lowered his cap hit from 18 mil to around 13 mil
BFE – Nice mock on previous blog. Sure hope Cox falls to #25. If he’s there, take him!!
I just hope that DREESEN turns out to be a BEAST on the field!!!
I never really watched him close as a Texan, but I seem to remember them being proficient at the least!
GO BRONCOS!!!
Adam Schefter
New OT rules passed. Same system for regular season as the postseason.
Adam Schefter
All turnovers now will be subject to review like scoring plays. No coaching challenged will be needed.
Adam Schefter
San Francisco 49ers reached agreement with former Giants running back Brandon Jacobs.
Adam Schefter
Pushing back trade deadline from week 6 to week 8 was tabled until May. More discussion with NFLPA needed
I say Elway has to be fired. He is ruining our brocos. He was a great player but he should stay at that because he su.cks in his job now. Please fire Elway please. We dont have a good team rightnow and will never have a good team with Elway here and not playing quarterback.
TRB – I know it’s about vision as well in return game, but good point.
Next thing the league will implement is the spot of the ball will be subject to review on all plays.
broncoway………….
That post was idiotic. How exactly is Elway ruining this organization? Because he let go a QB he didn’t want and signed one of the best QBs of our generation to lead our team? Because he helped draft Von Miller, who has the potential to be a pro bowl calibre player for years and years to come?
Please don’t just come on here spouting garbage like that when you don’t even back your comments up with examples.
You must just be a bitter Tebow fan that can’t accept the fact that our FO didn’t think he was the franchise QB of the Denver Broncos.
We all need to remember that football is nothing more than a business and will be operated as such. It is more and more becoming restricting and actually in my opinion becoming too structured. Too many rules and regulations affecting the game. I was a fan of the old overtime rule always have been and always will be. This chance of both teams getting a chance is nonsense. How about the team step up and make a play to stop them instead of letting them score and we get a chacne anyway.
By the way I don’t live in Denver but I see there are some nasty fires going on hope everything goes O.K. there for the people who got evacuated away. My heart goes out to all of Colorado…
new blog
Broncoway what you’ve just said … is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
I think you forgot Sam Brunelli from Weldona.Played college ball at Colorado State College in Greeley (now UNC) and played for the Broncos in the early 70′s.
@Broncos LAX Haha!!! classic and fitting reference to Billy Madison there. @ Broncoway But that is very true, Elway has done a very respectable job in resurrecting our beloved franchise, I really don’t need to say it twice….but, VON MILLER, PEYTON MANNING, and a PLAYOFF WIN with a qb who has half the skill-set Manning has(Imagine what we can do with a 2x better QB)…I figured being the only 4 time MVP in league history would speak for itself, but I guess not. I liked Tebow, and respected his enthusiasm, and ethics for the game that he brought back to Denver. I loved his Never give up attitude, but, that being said, I think Manning is CLEARLY a much BETTER QB, and is going to be more prone for success… I love Elway as a player, and FO decision maker equally… Von Miller will be one of the best LB’s of our generation, and Peyton will help carry this team to a Superbowl in the next 2 years, mark these words. No offense, but in my book I’d say Elway has a very legitimate resumé for only being in the FO for two Years!!!!
Can wait to see the first action of Manning as a Bronco!!! VON MILLER+DUMERVIL+MANNING+THOMAS+MCGAHEE+BAILEY+DECKER+CALDWELL+DREESEN+TAMME+PORTER= Top 7 offense, Top 10 Defense, and Eventually a SuperBowl for the Broncos.
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Joel Dreessen is actually the 13th Colorado prep/college/Bronco…..
Kory Sperry graduated from Pueblo County High School in 2004. He then played at Colorado State University until 2009. He was picked up briefly by the Broncos in 2010.