It was a whirlwind day for members of the 2015 Denver Broncos as they gathered at the White House in Washington D.C. for a Presidential ceremony to honor their Super Bowl 50 victory, especially for three members of the team who scored some funny and meaningful private conversations with the President himself.
Current members of the team gathered at the team’s headquarters in Denver early in the morning and returned late at night – all in advance of the first day of mandatory minicamp. Retired players like Peyton Manning and Tyler Polumbus also made the journey, as did players who have moved on to other teams in free agency. It was a grand reunion and a motivator for the current Broncos to make a return trip to meet the President (whoever he or she may be) again next year.
Like true champions, even after an extremely long day filled with travel and emotion, a few select players and head coach Gary Kubiak fielded questions from reporters in an effort to summarize what will surely be one of the most memorable days of their lives.
The Super Bowl 50 MVP, Von Miller, had a chance to speak personally with President Barack Obama, who lauded Miller for subjects other than football.
“He said he liked my shoes,” Miller said. “He liked my dance moves, too. So everything was all good.”
He said the President, a sports fan (even though he picked Carolina to win) would be a welcome addition to the Broncos locker room.
“President Obama is my type of guy. He’d fit in the locker room with us any day.”
For Miller, who’s been on a whirlwind tour that included a stint on “Dancing with the Stars” since his Super Bowl victory, said being the last team to visit the White House during Obama’s Presidency was different than his other experiences.
“It felt surreal. You see him on TV and you hear about what type of guy he is and when he’s right there, he’s all that and more. It was special for me, and I know it’s special for my teammates to share this moment with him.”
Kubiak also had an opportunity to share some private time with the President.
“I got to spend about 10 minutes with him before we actually went out to the podium for the event right there,” Kubiak said. “Got a chance to visit with him, John [Elway], [myself], Joe Ellis and Ms. Bowlen, so got to spend some very special time with him. I enjoyed it.”
The event, and spending such a unique time with his team, brought back memories of their accomplishment back in February.
“There’s been a few months pass since we shared that special game or that special moment as a team, and this kind of is a chance to get everybody back together, spend a day together and recall what exactly happened that day. Like I said, it’s something you’ll cherish for a lifetime.”
One player who cherished the event above all others was Demaryius Thomas, whose mother was released from jail in 2015 due to a Presidential pardon. The President even went out of his way to speak privately with Thomas.
“He held me back for a little second. Everybody was going by shaking his hand, and we had like a 45-second conversation. So it was cool.”
Thomas had prepared a letter for the President in the event they didn’t get a private moment.
“I had [vice president of public relations] Patrick [Smyth] give it to him, and I wrote something thanking him, as well. A little couple points that my mom wanted me to say to him and a couple other things.”
But Thomas used his window with the President to not only say thanks, but also lobby for another important woman in his life who is still in jail.
“I told him, ‘I thank you for what you’ve done for my family [by] giving my mother clemency.’ Also, we talked about my grandmother. Had the application to get everything done, and he’s looking into that, as well.”
The current Broncos get back to work again on Tuesday morning with mandatory minicamp, but no doubt the memories from Monday’s White House visit will keep them motivated well beyond this next week of practices.
