05-09-25 Justin Stepp with KOA Sports

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Denver Broncos Rookies Medatory mini camp for the rookies
began today. The media will get a chance to cover
it tomorrow and to help us discuss one particular rookie,
Pat Bryant out of Illinois, we head out so the
kate with common spirit, health, highline and bring on Justin Stepp,
who is his wide receivers coach out there. Justin, thank
you so much for the time you're on with Dave Logan,

(00:20):
Ryan Edwards and Rick Lewis. How are you, sir?

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Uh No, Well, I appreciate you guys. Give me a
chance to take it on with you.

Speaker 3 (00:26):
Yeah, good to coach, Good to have you on. So
I think fans are excited and interested in Pat Brian
before they even have a chance to see what he's
going to be like as a Denver Bronco. You you
would know better than anybody because you coached him. What
two or three qualities are most impressive to you in

(00:46):
terms of his his football skill and acumen?

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yeah, I think number one is just how smart he is.
And you know, we played him a lot of different
plays a lot of different places in our offense. We
played him in side, we played him outside, I mean, heck,
the game went a touchdown against Rutgers. He switched himself
to the to the outside receiver and caught a game
win a touchdown pass. So he's got a real hot
football IQ. He's a really tough kid, you know, Coach Bielima.

(01:13):
On our program, we talk about tough, smart, dependable. You
literally won't find a tougher guy. You won't find a
smarter guy. And you know a dependable guy that you
know all all the games this year, I don't know
if Pat had I don't know if he had double
digit m He's the entire season through through twelve games.
So he's a really smart player. He's really tough, and

(01:34):
he's dependable.

Speaker 4 (01:35):
Hey, coach, I grew up in the Midwest, was always
a fan of the fighting Alni and when Pat Bryant
got drafted, he was off a lot of people's radar,
certainly here in Denver. And when you go now and
really look at tape on him, you can see why
Sean Payton was impressed with him. What do you see

(01:56):
as his comp in the NFL? The upside of Pat Bryant?
What is he where could he end up being? What
type of player?

Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yes, sir, I think I forget the name of the guy.
That is the guy that plays for the Saints. That
coach Tayton heard that he he compare Pat Bryant T.

Speaker 4 (02:15):
Thomas.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Yeah, yeah, yes, sir, And I thought it was a
great player comp too, you know, more of a physical kid.
You know, I've never seen a guy actually really enjoy
the physicality of blocking and the demeanor that comes with it.
And I told him all the time, you have no
idea how much better, how much easier it makes my
job and the player the young kids watch the best player,

(02:37):
the best receiver in the room block the way you
do it makes my job so much easier. But a
kid that a kid is not a kid anymore, but
a guy that just wins contested catches. He has an
unbelievable ability to make plays at the catch point in
one on one situations. And he's just I mean, he's
just clutch. He is. Anytime we needed a big player

(02:58):
this year, he he made it and he showed up
in the biggest moments. And that's what your best players do.
And he leads. He was the first one in the
building every day. You know, I gave him a hard time.
I told him he was like an old man already.
He was the first one in there and he'd stay
and watched them. He'd had practice wife before I did.
And then he was the last one to leave. He
came to work, and then he went back and hung

(03:20):
out with his fiance and now wife like they just
he was. He was a pro, you know, before he
before he ever joined the Broncos. But I think that
Michael Thomas player compence is a good one because I
see him the same way.

Speaker 1 (03:35):
Yeah, he said, he said that to us no block,
no rock on the night that he was drafted by
the Broncos. He said that he prides himself on that ability. Also,
he said he likes to put DB's into the dirt,
which we of course loved here in Denver chatting here
with Justin Stepp, wide receiver coach out there in Illinois.
Personality I'd love to get to know because his personality, boy,
it just jumped off the page when we talked to
him on Friday night. Tell us a little bit more

(03:57):
about your interactions. You guys named him a captain out there,
imagine for a reason.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
Yes, sir, Yeah, he's a four year guy here, you know,
with In this in this world of college football. You know,
he played behind Isaiah Williams, and not behind him, but
with and Casey Washington. He ended up getting drafted by
the Falcons and Isaiah with the Bengals, and so he
wasn't a featured guy, you know, really until this last
year and that stuff that doesn't happen anymore. Usually those

(04:25):
guys will will leave. So I think the most the
most important thing about Pat Brian is he's a loyal dude.
Like he is a he is loyal and if you know,
if he knows he's got your back, you got his back,
he's going to have yours. A real fun guy to
be around, and he's not the most honestly, he goes,
oh he's unbelievable. I interviews, but you know you put

(04:45):
him in a in a room, he's not gonna sit
in there and talk the whole time. He'll he'll hold
the whole room accountable. I think our guys really appreciated
the fact that when Pat actually did get up and
speak like everybody and I'm just I'm not talking about
the receivers. It was the whole team that up and
paid attention because they you know, when Pat Bryant speaks
of you know, everybody's watching and everybody's listening. So a

(05:07):
really good leader. He's just a solid guy. He's a
really solid guy.

Speaker 3 (05:12):
Coach, you had a chance to uh to coach Cortland
Sutton as well. In fact, you named uh. I think
he named one of your sons after Courtland. What what
similarities between the two players, just in terms of football
stuff did you did you find?

Speaker 2 (05:29):
Uh? The physicality? You know, it's interesting because you know
when Courtland was with me, he was six four twenty
five and obviously that you see that kid. You see
a guy that size, you know he's going to be physical.
Pass not as big, but pass just as physical. And
just the one on one catches, you know, I think,
I mean, heck, I think Courtland actually enjoyed it more
when the closer the DV was to and the more

(05:51):
comfortable we felt with catching the football. And I think
Pat's a lot of the same way. It's hard to
find guys that can that can make those plays with
guys on their hip, you know, in tight coverage, and
both of those guys had had that same quality. And
as far as as far as the human beings, man,
they're just I mean, I named my son after Courtland.
You know. Everybody came in when Courtland was getting drafted

(06:12):
was like, man, look, this guy knows the maintenance people,
he knows the janitors, he knows everybody. There's got to
be something wrong with this kid. And I said, man,
I'm naming my son after him. So I don't know
what else to tell you. You know, we're not having kids,
so there's not there's not going to be a Pat
another Pat running around. But it's the same, it's the
same thing, and he's about the right things. He works
his butt off. You know, he comes from a really

(06:33):
good family, and he's just he's the kind of guy
that that that that that you want to be around,
that if you have a daughter, that you would lest
your daughter day in the heartbeat.

Speaker 3 (06:41):
Coach.

Speaker 4 (06:41):
One more thing for me. The forty time that Pat
Bryant ran at four to six something, I don't remember exactly,
but a lot of fans here looked at that and go, wow,
you know, he's he can't run. I don't know what
Courtland ran at the combine. I'm guessing maybe a little
faster than that in four five? Was he a four
or five?

Speaker 3 (07:01):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (07:02):
So does that concern you at all? Or is he
does he a football speed, I guess is the question
I'm asking.

Speaker 2 (07:09):
Yeah, he just he just has the ability to get open,
you know. I think of one time where he got
caught this year was against Rutgers, and I think it
was on about place seventy two and it was on
a third down within a drive and he came back.
We ran a little corner stiff and he the routes
at sixteen yards deep. He came back and attacked the football.
I think he caught it nine yards deep and turned
it up the sideline. I think he just ran out

(07:30):
of gas. But you look at the rest of the tape,
he doesn't get caught. You know, he does a great job.
He has an unbelievab ability to use his body and
lean vertical in the guys and create separation at the
break point of her out. And that's what I tell
my guys in this in my room, I said, then listen,
if you can figure out a way to use your
body and use the tools that you have and create
separation at the top of the route, you don't have

(07:51):
to run for four four five. I was honestly was
shot because I thought T would run four five, but
he does. He has football speed, he has the ability
to get open, and I don't think that's going to
be an issue for him.

Speaker 1 (08:04):
Coach Steph, this was a lot of fun. Really appreciate
the insight. Best of luck this upcoming season. Thank you
so much.

Speaker 2 (08:10):
I appreciate you guys for having me on.

Speaker 1 (08:12):
Thank you, coach Coach Stapp justin staph wide receiver coach there.

Speaker 3 (08:15):
What the way was talking about? He got caught inside
the ten. Yes, he ran all the way up the
sideline and he got tracked down. But that speed is
enough speed to be a productive player at that position
in the league. And I've said that before. I would
guess more than sixty percent of the of the starting
wide receivers, so thirty two teams, sixty four maybe eleven

(08:39):
personnel and extra, so somewhere between sixty five and one
hundred receivers that you could say are starters in the league.
I bet sixty plus percent run right now, somewhere between
four five seven and four six five.

Speaker 1 (08:57):
And the biggest thing for him is the reliable hands right,
and the Broncos certainly could have used more of that
last year. Adding reliable hands this year guy has one
drop last season, and as he pointed out, we talked
about a lot on draft night, it's three walk off wins.
That's such a that's such a big deal to have
clutch players like that.

Speaker 4 (09:16):
Yeah, you know he's listed at six foot two. Courtland's
six six fo Yeah, so what nothing?

Speaker 1 (09:26):
I know what you're smiling?

Speaker 3 (09:27):
No, I just know, I just something struck me.

Speaker 4 (09:31):
It's funny. In the interview, it was, yeah, I'm having
a hard time refocusing after that. I mean, actually, you
know what, there's good Mexican food and Champagne. Apparently it's
a great restaurant there. I don't imagine, right, don't you think.

Speaker 3 (09:46):
I've never been?

Speaker 1 (09:47):
But I would trust it.

Speaker 3 (09:48):
You're oh, I've never been. I mean i've been because
the Bronco has actually played a preseason game against the
Bearers in Champagne, Illinois. Okay, right, so yeah, I've been there,
but I can't remember the name of that Mexican restaurant. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (10:05):
So, so what was I saying?

Speaker 3 (10:07):
Oh, six to two, Dave?

Speaker 4 (10:10):
You know, he runs a four to six something and
you mentioned you think that's fast enough for a guy
his size. I thought he was a little taller than that.
Because I heard all the Courtland comps.

Speaker 3 (10:19):
Yeah he's not as big as court No he's not.
Apparently there are a whole bunch of receivers not as
bit I mean Courtland. When you get up next to
him in person, honestly good. He looks like an outside linebacker.
Big dude. He's a big, big player.

Speaker 1 (10:33):
And he bolt up a bit when he got because
I remember when he was drafted he was like a
stream being, and then he bolt up as he kind
of got into the league.

Speaker 3 (10:40):
I got some go ahead good Mexican food.