As Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix gears up for his first career NFL start on Sunday when the team takes on the Seattle Seahawks, he’s focused on staying in the moment as his real journey begins.

Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix focused on the moment ahead of first start vs. Seattle

Bo Nix has come in right away and has commanded the respect of his teammates, to the point that players voted him as a team captain on Wednesday. For Nix, this is a monumental moment to start his NFL career because not only is he the first Broncos rookie quarterback drafted by the team to start Week 1 (John Elway wasn’t drafted by the Broncos), but he’s the first rookie to wear the captain patch for the team since 1967.

He started Denver’s second preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, but that wasn’t the real deal. Sunday’s season opener against Seattle is, and the stakes are high.

“I think each day you have to look into it and find the perspective in life,” Nix said. “Not many people get to wake up with this opportunity. Not many people have this opportunity for a long time. So you definitely want to make the most of it and see if you can’t make it run for a long time. I do think it’s important to stay in the moment. Once the season’s finished and you’re allowed some time to debrief, you can look back and kind of look at the year, see what you’ve done, see where you can improve and push forward for more. I feel like so far, we’ve been able to really keep it in perspective, really understand that life is fleeting, life happens fast, and this is just one of the many joys of the journey.”

Sunday’s game will bring another joy as he runs out of the tunnel in hostile territory as the team’s hopeful franchise quarterback. There’s a lot of pressure associated with that, but Nix isn’t phased by pressure and has faced moments like this head-on, dating back to his college days when he played in the Iron Bowl as a true freshman. He’s played in Pac-12 championship games and other environments where the crowd is loud, and the stakes are high, and he’s maintained a strong sense of composure.

“It’s huge,” Nix said. “I’ve already been through several atmospheres. This could be different, but I think having been through that and understanding what a loud environment truly means, I think it’s really important. It’s all about communication. It’s all about being on the same page, keeping it simple and going out there and executing your job. When you do that, usually you can take some of the crowd out of it. It’s definitely going to be the whole game; it’s going to be loud. It’s going to be a great atmosphere.”

All eyes will be on Nix and the Broncos offense as the team takes on the Seahawks on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. MT.