Von Miller was undoubtedly the most-impactful player during Denver’s playoff run, but without punter Britton Colquitt the Broncos never would have had a chance.
Throughout the postseason, Colquitt was locked in, averaging 46.6 yards per attempt and pinning nine punts inside the 20-yard line (on 23 attempts).
If it wasn’t for Colquitt bailing Denver’s anemic offense out with booming punt after booming punt, the Broncos defense would have been put in the impossible position of stopping their opponents from converting on short fields. Instead, Colquitt was able to shift the field on a consistent basis, as evidenced in the Super Bowl, where the Panthers’ average starting position was their own 26-yard line. In comparison, the Broncos’ average starting position was the 34-yard line.
In the past, Colquitt had been the highest-paid punter in the NFL, with an average salary of $3.9 million per year. But before the start of the season, like Peyton Manning, he was persuaded to take a significant pay cut (about $1.4 million) — unlike Manning, he did not make that money back with the Super Bowl victory.
Colquitt didn’t mention money, though, when talking to Eric Goodman and Les Shapiro on the Afternoon Drive Tuesday. Instead, he focused on his contribution to the team.
“I knew that the way our team was built, in order for us to make this run and win the world championship, I was going to be called upon and needed. And I took that as a personal challenge,” Colquitt said.
“I just wanted to help my team out as best as I could,” Colquitt continued. “I am honored to say that I did. And I had so many guys on the team and the organization and outside the organization and fans saying that I was a big part of it. I am humbled by that and honored by it. And I want to be that for this team every game for my career here.”
Listen to the full interview with Britton Colquitt in the podcast below …
Catch the Afternoon Drive every weekday from 4p-6p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 or stream live any time for the largest lineup in Denver covering what’s new and what’s next in Colorado sports.
