April 28, 2025 • 38 mins
Enjoy 14 stories from the NFL Draft Days of Von Miller, Louis Wright, Daniel Graham, Champ Bailey, Simon Fletcher, Steve Atwater, Terrell Davis, Rick Upchurch, Howard Griffith, Peyton Manning, Gary Kubiak, Steve Foley, Tyrone Braxon and Bubby Brister. Many of these players also have full episodes on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast (or will someday). If you haven’t listened to them, search them up and check out their conversations!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to a special edition of Cut, Traded, Fired, Retired.
This podcast usually features long form conversations with professional athletes
and coaches, but this one's a little different. I'm your host,
Susie Warton. Every year on eight fifty k away, the
radio home of the Denver Broncos. There are many, many
hours devoted to covering the NFL Draft, and it's all
hands on deck to fill those hours with good content.
(00:22):
The Draft has always been exciting and fun for me,
but I'm not quite up to the level of our
insiders when it comes to knowledge of draft prospects. I've
got a few too many other things going on. So
we did a little brainstorming and figured out a way
that I could contribute by gathering draft stories from past players.
So I started going through my phone and reaching out
to guys and was pleasantly surprised at how many quickly
(00:44):
responded and said they were in I recorded most of
these on a single afternoon, which was a little crazy
and fun, but it was really entertaining to hear all
their different takes. I got fourteen stories in twenty twenty five,
and I'll keep adding more as the years go on.
The fourteen you will hear here in this episode include
Von Miller, Louis Wright, Daniel Graham, Champ Bailey, Simon Fletcher,
(01:06):
Steve Atwater, Terrell Davis, Rick up Church, Howard Griffith, Peyton Manning,
Gary Kubiak, Steve Foley, Tyrone Braxton, and Bubby Brister. Many
of these guys already have an episode on the podcast,
or they're going to be future guests. If you have
not listened to them, search them up and check out
their conversations. For now, let's listen to their draft stories.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Draft Stories with Broncos sideline reporters Susie Warnsi.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
He's a two time Super Bowl champ and a Super
Bowl MVP will someday be in the Hall of Fame
as well as the Broncos Ring of Fame, and that
would be Von Miller. Von. How are you?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
How do you?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
How's it going?
Speaker 1 (01:46):
It's going good? Hey. So let's go back to April
twenty eighth, twenty eleven. You're a Buckets Award winner coming
out of Texas A and m cam Newton goes first
to the Carolina Panthers. Broncos are on the clock. John
Fox and Company select you. What do you remember about
that night? At Radio City Music Hall.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I remember having all my family, you know, with me.
There was a lot of speculation about me going to
number three and the Broncos taking Marcell Darius at two,
and it wasn't until the draft that night until they
made that switch. So I was caught off, you know, Guard, it.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Was a surprise and you had no idea.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
I had no.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Idea, And I knew that the Broncos had a really
good team that just had lost some games that pushed them,
you know, to you know, that draft pick had the
number two draft picks, so you know, I always wanted
to go to Denver, but they had the number two
pick and I didn't know I was gonna make it,
and it was just a pleasant surprise.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
On graft Day.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Was there anybody Vaughn after you got drafted that you
called to maybe thank for being a part of your journeyman?
Everybody saw it on TV because you were the second pick,
so it wasn't any surprise to anyone. But did you
take that moment to thank somebody?
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:51):
You know, John, I was John Elway's first pick, so
I always you know, wanted to you know, prove him right,
and you know, he was a Hall of Fame, the
Duke of Denver, you know, John Hillaway, and that was
his first pick of the GM. So I always wanted
to not only prove him right, re prove myself right.
And you know, just no, no that I appreciate him
picking me at number two, his very first.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Pick of the GM.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
I love that, all right, Von Miller, thank you for
sharing your draft story.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
I appreciate you.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
Thanks, Susie.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
He's in the Broncos Ring of Fame, should be in
the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And in nineteen seventy
five was drafted in the first round by the Broncos,
seventeenth overall. He is Louis right, Hello.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Louie, Hey, Susie. Thanks had good to hear.
Speaker 6 (03:34):
You, boy.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
It's always good to hear your voice here in the
class of nineteen seventy five. So this is pre television.
It happened at the end of January on a Tuesday
and Wednesday. What do you remember about draft Day? Did
you even know what was happening?
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Well, I kind of knew it was happening, and you know,
like you said, it was Tuesday Wednesday. I was at
San Fe State, obviously, but we were on sprint winter break.
I guess I wasn't any schoogleing on and I was
up in pale out at my aunt's house, and I
really wasn't expecting anything.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Nothing.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Well, I mean, I kind of knew they would be
a draft and I might get picked at some point,
but I thought it was a long shot.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
And who called you, Louis.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
You know, I was on this teleconference call. That's what
they used to do back in the.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
They patched you in on the operator board.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
Yeah, I don't know, Sarah's plugging. Uh So, you know
it was Fred Gurky, who was the general manager, and
John Rolston, he's the head coach, and you know, it's
a group of them and they just called you and said, hey,
here you are. It was so low key. It's just
I can't believe that's the way it was. Coincidentally, the Broncos.
(04:43):
I had just played in the Senior Bowl, you know,
like January, a couple of weeks before, and I had
no clue that Broncos were drafting. They were the head
coach of the North team, and uh I played under
that whole staff and they never said a.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Word to me.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Louis, appreciate you giving us your draft store. It's great to.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Hear from you, all right, thanks Judy. It's a pleasure
to be on.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
He had an illustrious career at Thomas Jefferson High School
and at the University of Colorado, and was a first
round pick of the New England Patriots in two thousand
and two. He is Daniel Graham. Daniel Graham, how are you.
Speaker 5 (05:18):
I'm good, How are you doing?
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Doing great? Thank you? Take me back to April twentieth
of two thousand and two. Madison Square Garden is where
the draft took place. You're the twenty first overall pick.
We get you here in Denver as a Denver Bronco
later in your career, but you start out with the Patriots.
What was draft day like for you and who called
you when you got drafted?
Speaker 5 (05:37):
Well, you know, draft day for me, I didn't go
to Madison Square Garden. I was in my parents' living
room and it was a house full of people that
I don't even think I knew half the people. It's
like a wedding, yeah, you know, And I just remember
it was just although I went to twenty first pick,
it was such a long day. I think I might
have set around for four or five hours, and all
(06:01):
the news stations were there, Channel four seventy nine fix.
You know, I have all four mics for each station
on me, and I just remember just sitting there. Everyone's
looking and if a phone or someone calls, and everybody's
you know, being quiet, waiting to see what happens. And
I remember I just looked at my mom and I said, oh,
(06:21):
you know, I just want to get the hell out
of here. And I forgot to turn my mics off,
so all the camera people are laughing and stuff. You know,
I really didn't want to be I'd rather would have
been with my friends in Boulder hanging out. But I
finally get a phone call and soonusly. At the time,
I don't know who coach Belichick is. I don't even
know anything about the New England Patriots. If it wasn't
(06:41):
the Broncos. I wasn't watching NFL football when I was
in college. They tell me that, you know, they're moving
up to draft me as I'm on the phone with
Coach Belichick. Mind you, at the time, I didn't know
who Coach Belichick was. But it's showing on the screen
that the Redskins have traded their pick to the Patriots.
And then that's when everyone in the house found out
(07:02):
who I was talking to you. I mean, the place
went crazy. I mean because this is the defending Super
Bowl champs right now.
Speaker 7 (07:08):
Yeah, the New England Patriots have acquired the twenty first
pick of this draft through Washington Redskins, and the Patriots
have selected Daniel Graham, tight end from University of Colorado.
Speaker 5 (07:21):
Everybody went crazy and stuff, you know when they announced
my name, and you know, I just remember after being
drafted outside talking on a news reporter and they were like, well,
you know who called you?
Speaker 4 (07:31):
And I'm like, I don't know.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
I think the coach, did.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
You know?
Speaker 5 (07:35):
I had no idea what the code of the coach
Belichick's name anything. I just knew that they had Tom
Brady because I just saw that he won the Super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
The year prior.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
That is so funny. You got to know Coach Belichick
pretty well through a couple of Super Bowl championships, though,
didn't you.
Speaker 5 (07:49):
I definitely did you know. And I'm thankful that he
drafted me.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
All right, Daniel Graham, thanks for sharing your draft story, man.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
He is a twelve time Pro bowler in the Broncos
Ring of Fame, a first ballot Hall of Famer, and
in nineteen ninety nine was the seventh overall pick out
of Georgia. He is Champ, Bailey, Champ. How are you.
Speaker 8 (08:12):
I'm great.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
How are you, Sovie, I'm doing just fine. Thank you.
I want you to go back in the hot tub
time machine to your draft day in nineteen ninety nine.
What do you remember. You were the first defensive player
that year, and that year was the year it was
loaded with quarterbacks and just a lot of offensive guys
and you're the first one taken on defense.
Speaker 9 (08:31):
Yeah, you know, it was quite a day, to be honest,
it was, you know something I never expected. I expected
Washington to draft me. They gave me the most time.
They obviously need some upgrades at cornerback, so I was
prepared for that. But if you remember that year, that
was the infamous trade with the New Orleans Saints and
(08:51):
Ricky Williams. When they made that trade, it pushed my
draft pick back two slots. But at the time, you know,
there was a lot of trades happening. Bears were involved,
and I didn't know where I was going. Once Washington
fell back to twelve, they came back to seven, and
then ultimately drafted me at number seven.
Speaker 8 (09:09):
Overall, it worked out.
Speaker 9 (09:10):
I went to where I expected, but it was a
lot of a lot of drama in the middle of there.
Speaker 7 (09:16):
Let me give you the specifics on the Chicago trade
with Washington. To obtain this pick from Chicago, the seventh
pick in the first round, the Redskins traded to the
Bears the New Orleans Saints' first round pick in this
year's draft, New Orleans Saints third round pick in this
year's draft, Washington's fourth and fifth round picks in this
(09:38):
year draft, as well as a third round pick in
the next year's draft, And with the seventh pick, the
Washington Redskins selected Chant Bailey, defensive back University of Georgia.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Were you at the garden for the draft?
Speaker 3 (09:55):
No, I wasn't.
Speaker 9 (09:56):
It wasn't a big deal back then. I was home
my grandma's property. We had a party. Funny enough, a
guy went to high school with Larry Smith, who played
at Florida State. Because of tackle, he was drafted in
the second round. So we had two draft parties going
at one time on the same street, opposite end. So
(10:17):
it was a party in our hometown and everybody was just,
you know, overjoyed with two draft picks and one draft
from our hometown and we've never had that before.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
That is so cool, Champ Bailey, so good to hear
from you. Thanks for sharing your draft story.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Always, Susie.
Speaker 8 (10:30):
Thanks good talking to me, all.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Right, you too, Take care. He's in the Broncos Ring
of Fame and in nineteen eighty five out of Houston,
he was drafted in the second round by the Broncos.
And he is Simon Fletcher Fletch. What's going on?
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Oh, just still basket in the sunshine of the Hall
of Fame induction.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
That's right. In a recent Colorado Sports Hall of Fame inductee.
Congratulations on that.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Hey.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Let's go back to April thirtieth and May first, the
draft took place at the Omnium, New York. Being in
the second round, you of course were not at the
Omni So where were you, Simon when you got the
phone call that you'd been drafted by the Broncos.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
I was about five miles from the dormitory at University
of Houston, at my aunt's house.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Anybody there were just you and your aunt.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Well, my daughter actually had lived in the dorm with
me for a year and a half. She was nineteen
months old. She was there, my aunt, a brother, and
a few cousins.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Pretty small gathering. Oh yeah, nice, all right? And then
who called you? From the Broncos Simon.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
I believe her name was Jenny and Terry. She was
an assistant to coach Reeves at that time.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Okay, so she calls you and then puts coach Reeves
on the phone.
Speaker 10 (11:40):
I assume right now he was still Uh, he was busy.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Yeah, he was busy with Steve Sue, the first round
pick out of over.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Did a coach talk to you or was it just
the assistant that called you?
Speaker 4 (11:52):
Joe, You're okay?
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Stan Jones, who was a defensive land coach.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
At that time, what did you think when you found
out you were going to the Broncos? Did you have
any idea that that's where you might be heading?
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Well, you know, having been in Texas every day of
my life to that point, I was hoping that the
Cowboys or Oilers had drafted me, and other than that,
I was just hopeful to get an.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Opportunity and so never had been to Denver.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
I bet I had never been to Denver. Had friends
who had skied through high school, and I thought, why
would you go so cold in its ninety eight degrees
in Houston year right now?
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Oh my gosh, Sien, that's great. Thank you for sharing
your draft story today. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
You bet.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Take care, Susie Wow.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
He is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and
a Broncos Ring of Famer as well as a two
time Super Bowl champ, and when he was twenty three
years old, he was a first round pick of the
Broncos in nineteen eighty nine. He is Steve Atwater. Steve,
how are you doing pretty good?
Speaker 5 (12:48):
Susie?
Speaker 2 (12:49):
How are you?
Speaker 1 (12:49):
I'm doing well? Thank you. Tell us what you remember
of April twenty third, nineteen eighty nine, as the twentieth
overall pick.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Where were you?
Speaker 1 (12:58):
How'd you find out that you were drafted?
Speaker 11 (13:00):
I was a little Tarkin song with my then girlfriend
now wife of thirty four years, Wow, and my family.
They all drove down from Saint Louis and had a
lot of rests there at Arkansas. Wrong had been the
small apartment and a lot of her family was there too,
(13:20):
and I was forced to get drafted in the first round.
I wasn't sure if I would, but I was definitely
super happy that I did get drafted there in the first.
Speaker 7 (13:28):
Round Denverroncos Denver's first round selection Steve Atwater Defense of
An Arkansas.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
And who called you from the Broncos.
Speaker 11 (13:38):
To be honest with you, I don't remember who it
was that put me on the phone with Dan Reeves
and Charlie Waters. I don't remember who the person was, cold,
but they put me on the phone with coach Reeves
and with coach Charlie Waters.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
And you were in a pretty impressive class that year
as far as the guys that came out, Troy Aikman
was in that class, Barry Sanders, Dion was in it,
Derek Thompson, there were a lot of heavy hitters there
in that For Yeah, there.
Speaker 11 (14:00):
Are a lot of excellent players, guys that went on
to have great careers.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
There are also some.
Speaker 11 (14:05):
Great players who didn't have great careers for one reason
or another. And I always tell people that a lot
has to do with the.
Speaker 12 (14:14):
Situation where you're playing.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
You know, where you get drafted too.
Speaker 11 (14:18):
It's not just hey, how good of a player you are.
Speaker 6 (14:21):
It also has to do with the team that you
go to and how you're able to jail, and.
Speaker 11 (14:26):
My situations just worked out perfectly.
Speaker 12 (14:28):
I had coaches that man I really loved and respected,
and we had a great relationship and was able to
build something special and fortunate now they would have a
little bit of.
Speaker 10 (14:38):
Success more than that.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
All right, Steve, thank you for sharing your draft story. Appreciated.
Speaker 11 (14:43):
Oh absolutely, sus thank you.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
He's in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He's a
Broncos Ring of Famer, two times Super Bowl champ and
in nineteen ninety five, a sixth round draft pick out
of Georgia. He is Terrell Davis, TD.
Speaker 8 (14:57):
What is up? How you doing?
Speaker 1 (15:00):
You were great? Thank you. Can you go back to
April twenty third, nineteen ninety five, you're twenty two years old.
What do you remember about draft Day? Waiting around to
get drafted.
Speaker 8 (15:11):
When I got drafted, it wasn't televised like it is now.
So I was at France House in Atlanta when supposedly
I got drafted, because it was the first day I
was in Atlanta. It was a big party in the
city of Atlanta called the Freak Nick. It was a
big city wide party, and I knew I wasn't getting
drafted in the first day, so I was out at
the big street party at Piedmont Park, and then day
(15:31):
two I woke up. I watched the first part of
the draft because it was on ESPN two at the time.
It wasn't on.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
ESPN almost on the O Show at that point.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (15:42):
Yeah. And then at that point I knew what I
did see myself getting drafted. So I went back out
into the streets and was partying again. And then when
I got back to the house that I was staying at,
I was watching the ticker. The picks were just being
displayed at the bottom of the screen. I saw my
name on the bottom of the ticker. I had already
been drafted.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
But yeah, it was a rerun of the ticker.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
The rerun.
Speaker 8 (16:06):
Yeah, the rerun. So no one called me, oh wow,
drafted and said hey, you know, no, no, if Mike
Shanahan didn't call, I didn't know. The Pot bowlman didn't
called me. It was nothing like that. Now, remember this
is before everyone had a cell phone.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Yeah, this is ninety five.
Speaker 8 (16:23):
It was ninety five, right, So I didn't have a
cell phone, so I had to wait until that night
and then my agent called where I was staying. I
just remember my first thought like Denver I was. I
was disappointed. Two reasons I was disappointed. One, I hadn't
talked to Denver. I had no communication with anybody at Denver.
I don't even remember them coming out to my prota
(16:44):
or anything like that. The second reason it was, you know,
I grew up a Chargers fan. I didn't like Denver,
so I was like, I didn't like the Broncos at all.
It was weird.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
To be honest with you, it turned out okay, though
it turned out okay.
Speaker 8 (16:57):
It turned out okay, it did I can't Yeah, I
guess there's a lesson to be learned there, man, Like
you know, just you never know how it's going to
turn out.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Counter blessings, right, Yeah, I got to catch a blessing.
Speaker 5 (17:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Hey, TD, So good to hear from you. Thank you
for sharing your draft store. I appreciate It's great to.
Speaker 8 (17:14):
Catch up anytimes get to hear from you.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
He is in the Broncos Ring of Fame, and in
nineteen seventy five out of the University of Minnesota, the
Broncos selected him in the fourth round. He is Rick
up Church, Rick, how are you?
Speaker 13 (17:30):
I am doing wonderful, Southie.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
It's always good to hear your voice. I want you
to go back to that late January. It was when
the draft was in January back in seventy five. It
was a Tuesday night when you got drafted in the
fourth round. What do you remember about that day and
who called you?
Speaker 13 (17:48):
Well, it was truly anticipation going on. We had indoor
practice up at the University of Minnesota. So the guys,
all the guys stayed with me at the dorm. We
were at the dorm there on the on campus, and
we all got together because there was a couple of
other ballplayers that were looking to go in the draft
as well, and so we all got together and just
had a good time talking waiting on the phone calls.
(18:10):
And then when the phone call came, I got on
the phone and it was Fred Girky. Fred Ghirky said,
have you ever been to the my Ohi City?
Speaker 8 (18:18):
Before?
Speaker 3 (18:19):
I said, my Ohi City?
Speaker 2 (18:20):
What's that?
Speaker 13 (18:21):
He says, Well, you're going to be Denver, Bronco. And
I'm like, oh, really, Because they never worked me out,
They never came to talk to me or anything.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
You had no inkling you'd be going.
Speaker 13 (18:32):
There, no inkland whatsoever, no doubt about it. When he
said that, I said, guys, I'm going to the Denver Broncos.
And so Tony Dungee, who was my quarterback at that
particular time at the University of Minnesota, he going runs
in and grabs a map and he's saying, hey, guys,
here's Denver right here. And I didn't even know they
had a team. So, but let me tell you something
(18:53):
I didn't. And so when I flew in to meet
the administration and meet Fred Gurky and John Ross and
those guys, I saw those mountains and I said to myself, boy,
I'm in heaven. I thank God so very much.
Speaker 8 (19:07):
And that was that.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
All right, Rick up Church, thank you for sharing your
draft story. Always great to talk to you.
Speaker 13 (19:13):
Always, Susie, and you guys take care, have a good one.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
He was a two time Super Bowl champion with the Broncos,
but not drafted by the Broncos. In fact, Howard Griffith
was drafted twice. HG. What's up, my man?
Speaker 6 (19:26):
How are you good?
Speaker 5 (19:29):
Good?
Speaker 1 (19:29):
Okay, So let's go back to nineteen ninety one. You're
taken in the ninth round by the Colts. The ninth
round does not even exist anymore. They only go seven,
So you're lucky you even got drafted. Yeah, tell me
about that draft day. And then also in ninety five,
you go in the expansion draft to Carolina.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Wow, talk about being drafted the Indianapolis Coat.
Speaker 6 (19:50):
That was pretty interesting because it was it was still
done over several days, so you know, I think we
had gotten down to day three maybe, And I honestly,
I'm in my parents' basement sleep the day I actually
got drafted, So I was so disappointed and I was
just like, what am I doing?
Speaker 4 (20:07):
What's going on?
Speaker 6 (20:09):
And so I'm sleep and Ron Meyers from it was,
the head coach of Indianapolis calls and says, hey, I
just want to let you know we're getting ready to
draft you and we hope that you're going to be
able to come in and help us in our short
yardage game.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
And you never played for them, did you?
Speaker 2 (20:26):
No?
Speaker 4 (20:26):
I never played for him.
Speaker 6 (20:27):
The start of my career was quite adventurous.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Yeah, no kidding. And then in nineteen ninety five you
go in the expansion draft of Carolina in the eighth round. There.
What was that like being part of an expansion draft?
Speaker 6 (20:39):
It was really interesting. You know, our running back coach
with the La Rams. He was the new running back
coach with Carolina. He called me up one day, Hey,
do you think you want to play for the passes?
Speaker 2 (20:51):
And I'm like, yeah, since you know.
Speaker 6 (20:52):
The Rams didn't protect me so certainly, absolutely, Well, hang on,
you know, we're going to see what happened.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
It was a fun time though.
Speaker 6 (21:01):
You had all these guys coming from different areas and
different different organizations. You know, it was really it was
really a cool opportunity and a cool time.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Well, and that experience in Carolina then had to have
helped you when you came to Denver and won two
Super Bowl championships, and we were very thankful for that,
Howard Griffith.
Speaker 6 (21:17):
I am thankful for as well, because there were other
places I thought I was gonna sign other than Denver.
But I'm so glad I went with my first gut
and sat with them.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Oh we are too, all right, Howard, Thank you for
sharing your draft story. Appreciate it's great to talk to
you as always.
Speaker 6 (21:32):
Take care and hey, hopefully the weather warm up. I'll
get my bike out there this year.
Speaker 9 (21:36):
There you go.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
I love it all right. He would go into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame. He's a Broncos Ring of Famer,
two time Super Bowl champ, and has about a million
other accolades. But on April eighteenth, nineteen ninety eight, he
was the number one overall draft pick out of Tennessee.
Hello Peyton Manning.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Hey sushi, how you doing? Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Absolutely, I know that was a couple of years ago,
but go back to then you had turned twenty two
at the end of March, and so then just a
couple of weeks later, there you are. There's so much
noise about is it going to be you? Is it
going to be Ryan Leaf? So what do you remember
as you look back on that time leading up to
the draft and then also Draft Day at Madison Square Garden.
Speaker 14 (22:19):
Well, it was certainly the exciting time. And like you said,
it's hard to believe it's been almost thirty years now,
and I really didn't know that the Colts are going
to take me up until the day before the draft
that there was a lot of, like you said, a
lot of talk going on who were the Colts going
to take? Was it going to be me or Ryan Leaf?
And the Colts kind of kept their cards close and
(22:40):
didn't really want to reveal what they were going to
do because I'm not sure they really knew. I think
Bill Polly and the general manager, was taking his time,
and so I really didn't know what was going to happen.
So I went to New York not know what was
going to happen. But Bill Pollion called me the day
before and told me he was going to take me.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
So that was a release.
Speaker 14 (22:58):
Although you really don't know for sure until they call
your name out at Madison Square Garden.
Speaker 7 (23:02):
Indian at Quarterback University of Tennessee.
Speaker 14 (23:09):
That was an exciting day because it was really the
first day you were going to start your new job,
and I was glad that the Colts were going to
take me. I was looking forward to going to work there.
They had some young players like Marvin Harrison on the team,
so I was excited when when Commissioner tapyab called my
name and I was ready to get started.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
You've been in some very high pressure situation since then,
so you've learned how to work with that throughout the years.
But was that probably the biggest most stressful moment, even
though you knew the day before. But when Paul Tagliabu
calls your name, it's you and your family's there and
you finally get to get on stage and have that moment.
Speaker 14 (23:43):
Well, I mean, my advice for all players you know
that are going to the draft is to try to
enjoy the moment and not stress over because I mean,
obviously you don't know for sure who's going to take you.
And to me, it was never a goal of mine
to be b number one pick. I wanted to go
to it team that wanted me. That's what I told
the Colts during kind of the pre draft process, is
(24:06):
that I actually want to come to Indianapolis. It's not
far from Knoxville, it's not too far from New Orleans.
I had great respect for Bill Polligan. You know, he
turned around the Buffalo Bills, he turned around to Carolina Panthers,
and I felt like this would be a great place
to kind of go to work and get started. And
so hopefully all these players can kind of enjoy it
and not be mad if certain team doesn't take them
(24:29):
or if they drop a few picks, because once they
call your name out, all that's over with and now
you're going to work. Now you know where you're going
to live, where you're going to start your new job.
And like I said, I flew to Indianapolis after the draft, Susie.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
They gave me a playbook.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
I started studying it.
Speaker 14 (24:47):
I was back in Indianapolis, i think four days later,
getting ready for a mini camp, and so the work
starts immediately. And that'd be my advice for all young
players is hey, enjoy it. Once they call your name out,
go to work.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Question for you, Peyton, that was nineteen ninety eight. Your
family was there, so it wasn't like you could call
people and tell them. Everybody saw it, you know, on
TV at that point. But was there anybody that you
contacted afterwards to thank them for that part of where
you'd come in your journey so far, a coach or
anybody else.
Speaker 14 (25:17):
Well, it was funny, let's see. So I was drafted
in New York. We flew to Indianapolis, you know, did
some interviews, met with the coaches, They gave me the playbook.
Speaker 9 (25:26):
And then.
Speaker 14 (25:28):
The Colts flew me to Knoxville, where Knoxville kind of
had a little bit of a celebration for me. So
I got to see personally my college coaches. Ashley and
I were dating at the time. She was back there
in Knoxville, so had a chance to celebrate with my
friends and family and college friends, and certainly my college coaches,
(25:50):
coach former and coach Cutliffe, who were such a big
part of my journey. So it was really a special
day because I got to kind of sort of see
all the people in my new football chat sure, but
I also got to go personally thank all the people
that have been a part of my college football chapters.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
So it was a special day.
Speaker 14 (26:07):
And like I said, just four days later, I was
I was back in Indianapolis starting my new jobs. So
it was a day I always remember.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
My parents were there, Cooper was in. Eli didn't make
the cut.
Speaker 14 (26:19):
Eli was. I was back in high school, probably playing
a playing a summer basketball game or something. But it's
changed a lot now. Obviously they invite thirty players now.
Back then, it was just about four of us there
at the draft, and you only were allowed to invite
your parents and maybe one sibling, So it was it
was a smaller, smaller group than it is now. But
it was shortly an exciting day and show than one
(26:42):
I'll always remember.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Was it just you Ryan Leave, Charles Woodson and Curtis
Inas that were the only ones there.
Speaker 14 (26:48):
I think we were the only four there, yeah, which
which you know, back in that room, I mean it
seemed kind of crowded because it was a small room.
Now it's thirty players, And obviously it's more exciting when
you see different players reactions. And I understand players, you know,
wanting to be there if they know their name is
going to be called. If they're not sure, then I
understand maybe not wanting to be there and not having
(27:09):
that you know, sort of reality TV moment. So it's
a personal decision. So you can't blame a player for
going or for not going. You know, it's got to
be a personal decision. I had had a maybe not
so great experience at the Heisman Trophy about four months
before that, and so I wasn't really looking to go
back there and kind of have it. Aha, got your
(27:32):
moment again. Uh, And so I was glad when the
Colts let me know the day before that they were
going to take me, and that kind of provided a
little bit of relief. And like I said, it was
an exciting day once they call my name out.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Yeah, nobody wants the Brady Quinn moment.
Speaker 14 (27:47):
That's right, that's right, all right.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
Hey, Peyton really really appreciate it. Thank you for the
trip down memory lane and sharing your draft story.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
Appreciate you, okay, Susie, thank you.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Take care you too.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
He won a Super Bowl championship as a head coach
with the same franchise that drafted him back in nineteen
eighty three out of Texas.
Speaker 5 (28:06):
A and M.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Hello, Gary Kubiak, how are you.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
I'm good girl.
Speaker 10 (28:10):
How you been just fine?
Speaker 1 (28:13):
It's good to hear your voice. It's great to hear
that you're all retired and hanging out in Texas. But
I want to go back to nineteen eighty three eighth round,
which doesn't even exist anymore, and you get drafted by
the Broncos. Talk about that day? Who called you? Kind
of what happened on draft day for you.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Back then, Susie.
Speaker 10 (28:30):
I mean I didn't have an agent or anything, you know.
I was in school, finishing school. I thought that I
might have a chance to, you know, be a free
agent or something in pro football.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
But I had no idea to get drafted.
Speaker 10 (28:42):
I was doing something that day, I think it was
a Sunday, and my college roommate called me and said, hey,
somebody from the Denver Broncos called looking for you. And
so they left the number. I called the number. It
was John Hadel. He informed me that they had drafted
me with the first pick in the eighth round, which,
like you said me and you wouldn't have got drafted today, right,
(29:02):
and that you needed to be in Denver on Wednesday
afternoon for mini camp. That's how things got started for me.
A big surprise, but a great surprise.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
And then just a few days after you get drafted.
In that time, did you think that you would be
maybe the starting quarterback QB one or what were your
expectations because John Elway comes here on May second, and
you were drafted right at the end of April.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
Yeah, no, I don't.
Speaker 10 (29:24):
I can't sit here and tell you I thought that
I was just hoping for a chance to maybe make
a team. So yeah, by the time I got to
Denver for camp, John had been traded for and the
big thing that went down, and you know, I came
to Denver. My first exposure was going to mini camp
and having to throw a football next to John Elway,
which can be pretty intimidating.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
Oh yeah, you think now you have the experience of
not only the draft as a player, but also as
a coach. So how different was that for you as
a coach, because it's such a different hat. You are
changing lives, especially you know when you were ahead coach,
and the money that's involved. You're changing lives of people
and their families and everything else, and also hoping that
(30:06):
you're making the right decisions for your team.
Speaker 10 (30:08):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I used to love the
draft because it really kind of gets you away from
what you do year round with his x'es and o's
and you know, game day preparation. So there's about a
three month window there, two and a half months where
you're studying college football, learning a lot about young men
who they are as people as well as players, and
you know, trying to make good decisions for your organization.
(30:28):
So I really enjoyed that process. I think sometimes as
a coach you find yourself a lot going back to
when you were young. For me, it was a lot
of fun to see, you know, to try to find
this guy who maybe everybody didn't think was the top
guy but looks back, he's going to be a really
good player, and finding the Terrell Davis's, the Byron Chamberlain,
(30:48):
you know, all these kids like this who we had
so much success with in the later rounds of the
draft in Denver became a lot of fun. So I
really enjoyed the process I learned from Mike, and then
I carried it on as a head coach the same way.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Finding those neils in the haystack. That had to be
the biggest enjoyment I would think of drafting guys.
Speaker 10 (31:06):
Yeah, it really is, you know, because you come across
these kids and you work so hard to get to
know them, and you see a lot of talent that
maybe it just didn't have them form wherever they were
in college, but you felt like, hey, if I can
get to this kid and get him going in the
right direction, you know, maybe we had some success with him.
So I think those things were always very intriguing and
challenging for us as coaches to find.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
I love it.
Speaker 7 (31:28):
Gary.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
Thank you for sharing your draft story, both as a
player and as a coach, and it's great to hear
from you.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Thanks Suzie.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
He's a Broncos Ring of Famer and in nineteen seventy
five was drafted in the eighth round. He was barely
twenty one years old at the time out of Too Lane,
and he is Steve Foley. Steve how are you hey,
Nice to talk to you. Good to talk to you too.
So that seventy five draft was on a Tuesday and
Wednesday at the end of January. There were seventeen rounds.
(31:58):
Were you in the first day or second day?
Speaker 5 (32:02):
I don't recall.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
I wasn't.
Speaker 5 (32:05):
You're not going to believe this, okay, With the story
behind that, John Ralston had sent some guys to Tulane
for kind of like measure guys, run some guys into
forty and whatever else they were going to do. And
they asked me if I would, you know, run a
forty and wage get weighed and measured and all that stuff.
(32:28):
And I told him I wasn't interested in playing pro football,
and so I never did get anything.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
You didn't do any kind of test for them.
Speaker 5 (32:36):
I didn't do one test. Wow, And honestly, nobody contacted
you back then. And I was working out in a
friend of mine's garage right behind Tulane University with my
best friend, Mark Olivari, was a noseguard for Tulane, and
we started listening to the draft and stuff and Mark goes, hey,
(33:01):
they just said your name, I think you got drafted.
I said, did they really? Nobody had called me.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Nobody said anything.
Speaker 5 (33:09):
And law and behold. Later on that day, I got
a phone call from somebody and they said, yeah, the
Bocos drafted you in the eighth round. And I was like, well,
I told him I wasn't really interested, but you know,
maybe if I make it, maybe I'll play a couple
of years and then go do something else.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
How that work out for you? Yeah, it worked out
pretty well.
Speaker 5 (33:34):
Go figure all right.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
Steve Poley, thank you for sharing your draft story.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
Thank you, Susie.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
He's a two time Super Bowl champion, a pro bowler
and went to North Dakota State in nineteen eighty seven.
He was the second to last pick in the draft.
He is Tyrone Braxton. Hey, chicken, what's up?
Speaker 9 (33:53):
Hey?
Speaker 12 (33:54):
How you doing?
Speaker 15 (33:54):
Great to see You're wonderful to be here.
Speaker 1 (33:56):
It's good to have you here. Tell me your draft
day story. Draft. At the end of April and eighty seven,
Vinnie Testaverdi was the number one overall pick, and you
are second to last of the other and around that
doesn't exist anymore twelve exactly.
Speaker 16 (34:10):
And that was crazy because, yeah, my agent was saying, oh,
you're going to middle rounds, this and that and so yeah,
and I was at North Dakota State, so we had
the media and far Go was at my house wday
and waiting for that call, and you know, people started
leaving right and it was, you know, dinner time, six seven.
Speaker 15 (34:30):
No one called, so then everybody leaves. My roommates went
to bed, and my phone rings like at twelve thirty
one in the morning.
Speaker 16 (34:38):
And actually it was the Green Bay Packers, you know
from Wisconsin.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
I'm like cool.
Speaker 16 (34:42):
They're like, yeah, we're just waiting for this next team
to pick.
Speaker 15 (34:45):
And then we're gonna pick you.
Speaker 16 (34:47):
And a couple of seconds later they're like, oh no,
they just picked you and hung up before I could ask, well,
who was it?
Speaker 3 (34:53):
Right?
Speaker 16 (34:53):
It was then the phone rings again as the Broncos.
And the funny part is was Ginny Anne I remember,
you know from Broncos. She called me up and said, well,
we drafted you. You got to be on the flight
at seven in the morning.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
So I flew up.
Speaker 15 (35:06):
We flew out of Firego the next morning. Oh so
it's me and you know then that's when I met
Ricky de Till, Michael Brooks, Mark Mumford, all these guys
in my drafty class.
Speaker 9 (35:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 15 (35:19):
Wow, Bruce Plummer was another DV. We all met that
day the.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Next day, so it was like up, lady, what a whirlwind, right,
and then boom, let's go chicken. Thanks for telling your
draft story.
Speaker 15 (35:31):
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
He's a two time Super Bowl champ and in nineteen
eighty six out of Northeast Louisiana, he was a third
round pick by the Steelers. We would get him later
in his career with the Denver Broncos. He is the
one and only Bubby Brister. Bubby, how are you?
Speaker 2 (35:48):
I'm doing great, dogd how are you doing?
Speaker 3 (35:49):
On?
Speaker 1 (35:50):
And just fine? Thank you. What do you remember about
your draft day in nineteen eighty six when you got
taken by the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
Well, in the second round, the Los Angeles were trading
Jeff Kemp to the forty nine Ers and Georgia Frontier.
The owner of the Rams called me and said they're
getting ready to draft me. And so I was really
excited to go in the second round. I thought I
might be a middle round pick. And so they couldn't
trade Jeff Kemp in time, and they passed their pick,
and they couldn't trade a quarterback to get a quarterback.
Speaker 8 (36:18):
So before the.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Rams picked in the third round. The Steelers scowed me up,
so in the long run, I was glad I got
drafted by the Steelers. You know, great organization, the whole
nine yards.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
Absolutely, And you are one of few athletes that get
drafted by different leagues, because in nineteen eighty one you
were actually drafted for baseball by the Detroit Tigers.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
I was drafted by the Tigers, and I decided to
go and give up my scholarship at Alabama Bear Bryant
Simon to play quarterback there, and he wouldn't let me
play baseball and football. So I got drafted by the Tigers.
Believe it or not. Jim Leland was my coach. No,
and that's like and they wouldn't let me pitch, and
I was a thrower, so they put me in center field,
which I felt like I was in outer space. And
(37:00):
I told Jim, I said, if you don't let me pitch,
I'm gonna quit, go back to college and play football.
And he, oh, you ariscuate, you're not gonna quit. Well,
I quit. And four years later he was a Pirates
manager and I was a Steelers quarterback. There was the
wall between the locker rooms and three river stadium.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
Oh, you actually played in the same stadium.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Yeah, so the playing and weird in spring practice in
eighty six and I walked in. I said, Jim, I
could play quarterback for Chuck Nole, but I couldn't freak
and pitch for you. He likes Bobby Damn Brister, probably with.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
A cigarette in his mouth, right.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Yeah, we smoked cigarette the dugout. I probably shouldn't say that.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
I think that's common knowledge back then. Bobby. It's so
good to hear from you. Appreciate your sharing your draft
story stories.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
Yep, yeah, go Broncos I'll see you and I'll see
you in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 1 (37:46):
That sounds good. All right, Thanks Bobby, Thank you, Bubby
Brister and all the rest. How fun were those stories?
New regular episodes of Cut, Traded, Fired, Retired are released
on Tuesdays. Please follow and download this podcast wherever you
listen to podcasts, and keep up on new releases by
following on Twitter and Instagram at CTFR podcast and also
(38:07):
on the website ctfrpodcast dot com. I'm your host, Susie Wargen.
To learn more about me, visit susiewargin dot com. Thanks
so much for listening, and until next time, please be careful,
be safe and be kind. Take care,
Welcome to a special edition of Cut, Traded, Fired, Retired.
This podcast usually features long form conversations with professional athletes
and coaches, but this one's a little different. I'm your host,
Susie Warton. Every year on eight fifty k away, the
radio home of the Denver Broncos. There are many, many
hours devoted to covering the NFL Draft, and it's all
hands on deck to fill those hours with good content.
(00:22):
The Draft has always been exciting and fun for me,
but I'm not quite up to the level of our
insiders when it comes to knowledge of draft prospects. I've
got a few too many other things going on. So
we did a little brainstorming and figured out a way
that I could contribute by gathering draft stories from past players.
So I started going through my phone and reaching out
to guys and was pleasantly surprised at how many quickly
(00:44):
responded and said they were in I recorded most of
these on a single afternoon, which was a little crazy
and fun, but it was really entertaining to hear all
their different takes. I got fourteen stories in twenty twenty five,
and I'll keep adding more as the years go on.
The fourteen you will hear here in this episode include
Von Miller, Louis Wright, Daniel Graham, Champ Bailey, Simon Fletcher,
(01:06):
Steve Atwater, Terrell Davis, Rick up Church, Howard Griffith, Peyton Manning,
Gary Kubiak, Steve Foley, Tyrone Braxton, and Bubby Brister. Many
of these guys already have an episode on the podcast,
or they're going to be future guests. If you have
not listened to them, search them up and check out
their conversations. For now, let's listen to their draft stories.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Draft Stories with Broncos sideline reporters Susie Warnsi.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
He's a two time Super Bowl champ and a Super
Bowl MVP will someday be in the Hall of Fame
as well as the Broncos Ring of Fame, and that
would be Von Miller. Von. How are you?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
How do you?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
How's it going?
Speaker 1 (01:46):
It's going good? Hey. So let's go back to April
twenty eighth, twenty eleven. You're a Buckets Award winner coming
out of Texas A and m cam Newton goes first
to the Carolina Panthers. Broncos are on the clock. John
Fox and Company select you. What do you remember about
that night? At Radio City Music Hall.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I remember having all my family, you know, with me.
There was a lot of speculation about me going to
number three and the Broncos taking Marcell Darius at two,
and it wasn't until the draft that night until they
made that switch. So I was caught off, you know, Guard, it.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Was a surprise and you had no idea.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
I had no.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Idea, And I knew that the Broncos had a really
good team that just had lost some games that pushed them,
you know, to you know, that draft pick had the
number two draft picks, so you know, I always wanted
to go to Denver, but they had the number two
pick and I didn't know I was gonna make it,
and it was just a pleasant surprise.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
On graft Day.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Was there anybody Vaughn after you got drafted that you
called to maybe thank for being a part of your journeyman?
Everybody saw it on TV because you were the second pick,
so it wasn't any surprise to anyone. But did you
take that moment to thank somebody?
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:51):
You know, John, I was John Elway's first pick, so
I always you know, wanted to you know, prove him right,
and you know, he was a Hall of Fame, the
Duke of Denver, you know, John Hillaway, and that was
his first pick of the GM. So I always wanted
to not only prove him right, re prove myself right.
And you know, just no, no that I appreciate him
picking me at number two, his very first.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Pick of the GM.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
I love that, all right, Von Miller, thank you for
sharing your draft story.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
I appreciate you.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
Thanks, Susie.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
He's in the Broncos Ring of Fame, should be in
the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And in nineteen seventy
five was drafted in the first round by the Broncos,
seventeenth overall. He is Louis right, Hello.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Louie, Hey, Susie. Thanks had good to hear.
Speaker 6 (03:34):
You, boy.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
It's always good to hear your voice here in the
class of nineteen seventy five. So this is pre television.
It happened at the end of January on a Tuesday
and Wednesday. What do you remember about draft Day? Did
you even know what was happening?
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Well, I kind of knew it was happening, and you know,
like you said, it was Tuesday Wednesday. I was at
San Fe State, obviously, but we were on sprint winter break.
I guess I wasn't any schoogleing on and I was
up in pale out at my aunt's house, and I
really wasn't expecting anything.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Nothing.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Well, I mean, I kind of knew they would be
a draft and I might get picked at some point,
but I thought it was a long shot.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
And who called you, Louis.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
You know, I was on this teleconference call. That's what
they used to do back in the.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
They patched you in on the operator board.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
Yeah, I don't know, Sarah's plugging. Uh So, you know
it was Fred Gurky, who was the general manager, and
John Rolston, he's the head coach, and you know, it's
a group of them and they just called you and said, hey,
here you are. It was so low key. It's just
I can't believe that's the way it was. Coincidentally, the Broncos.
(04:43):
I had just played in the Senior Bowl, you know,
like January, a couple of weeks before, and I had
no clue that Broncos were drafting. They were the head
coach of the North team, and uh I played under
that whole staff and they never said a.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Word to me.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Louis, appreciate you giving us your draft store. It's great to.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Hear from you, all right, thanks Judy. It's a pleasure
to be on.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
He had an illustrious career at Thomas Jefferson High School
and at the University of Colorado, and was a first
round pick of the New England Patriots in two thousand
and two. He is Daniel Graham. Daniel Graham, how are you.
Speaker 5 (05:18):
I'm good, How are you doing?
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Doing great? Thank you? Take me back to April twentieth
of two thousand and two. Madison Square Garden is where
the draft took place. You're the twenty first overall pick.
We get you here in Denver as a Denver Bronco
later in your career, but you start out with the Patriots.
What was draft day like for you and who called
you when you got drafted?
Speaker 5 (05:37):
Well, you know, draft day for me, I didn't go
to Madison Square Garden. I was in my parents' living
room and it was a house full of people that
I don't even think I knew half the people. It's
like a wedding, yeah, you know, And I just remember
it was just although I went to twenty first pick,
it was such a long day. I think I might
have set around for four or five hours, and all
(06:01):
the news stations were there, Channel four seventy nine fix.
You know, I have all four mics for each station
on me, and I just remember just sitting there. Everyone's
looking and if a phone or someone calls, and everybody's
you know, being quiet, waiting to see what happens. And
I remember I just looked at my mom and I said, oh,
(06:21):
you know, I just want to get the hell out
of here. And I forgot to turn my mics off,
so all the camera people are laughing and stuff. You know,
I really didn't want to be I'd rather would have
been with my friends in Boulder hanging out. But I
finally get a phone call and soonusly. At the time,
I don't know who coach Belichick is. I don't even
know anything about the New England Patriots. If it wasn't
(06:41):
the Broncos. I wasn't watching NFL football when I was
in college. They tell me that, you know, they're moving
up to draft me as I'm on the phone with
Coach Belichick. Mind you, at the time, I didn't know
who Coach Belichick was. But it's showing on the screen
that the Redskins have traded their pick to the Patriots.
And then that's when everyone in the house found out
(07:02):
who I was talking to you. I mean, the place
went crazy. I mean because this is the defending Super
Bowl champs right now.
Speaker 7 (07:08):
Yeah, the New England Patriots have acquired the twenty first
pick of this draft through Washington Redskins, and the Patriots
have selected Daniel Graham, tight end from University of Colorado.
Speaker 5 (07:21):
Everybody went crazy and stuff, you know when they announced
my name, and you know, I just remember after being
drafted outside talking on a news reporter and they were like, well,
you know who called you?
Speaker 4 (07:31):
And I'm like, I don't know.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
I think the coach, did.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
You know?
Speaker 5 (07:35):
I had no idea what the code of the coach
Belichick's name anything. I just knew that they had Tom
Brady because I just saw that he won the Super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
The year prior.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
That is so funny. You got to know Coach Belichick
pretty well through a couple of Super Bowl championships, though,
didn't you.
Speaker 5 (07:49):
I definitely did you know. And I'm thankful that he
drafted me.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
All right, Daniel Graham, thanks for sharing your draft story, man.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
He is a twelve time Pro bowler in the Broncos
Ring of Fame, a first ballot Hall of Famer, and
in nineteen ninety nine was the seventh overall pick out
of Georgia. He is Champ, Bailey, Champ. How are you.
Speaker 8 (08:12):
I'm great.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
How are you, Sovie, I'm doing just fine. Thank you.
I want you to go back in the hot tub
time machine to your draft day in nineteen ninety nine.
What do you remember. You were the first defensive player
that year, and that year was the year it was
loaded with quarterbacks and just a lot of offensive guys
and you're the first one taken on defense.
Speaker 9 (08:31):
Yeah, you know, it was quite a day, to be honest,
it was, you know something I never expected. I expected
Washington to draft me. They gave me the most time.
They obviously need some upgrades at cornerback, so I was
prepared for that. But if you remember that year, that
was the infamous trade with the New Orleans Saints and
(08:51):
Ricky Williams. When they made that trade, it pushed my
draft pick back two slots. But at the time, you know,
there was a lot of trades happening. Bears were involved,
and I didn't know where I was going. Once Washington
fell back to twelve, they came back to seven, and
then ultimately drafted me at number seven.
Speaker 8 (09:09):
Overall, it worked out.
Speaker 9 (09:10):
I went to where I expected, but it was a
lot of a lot of drama in the middle of there.
Speaker 7 (09:16):
Let me give you the specifics on the Chicago trade
with Washington. To obtain this pick from Chicago, the seventh
pick in the first round, the Redskins traded to the
Bears the New Orleans Saints' first round pick in this
year's draft, New Orleans Saints third round pick in this
year's draft, Washington's fourth and fifth round picks in this
(09:38):
year draft, as well as a third round pick in
the next year's draft, And with the seventh pick, the
Washington Redskins selected Chant Bailey, defensive back University of Georgia.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Were you at the garden for the draft?
Speaker 3 (09:55):
No, I wasn't.
Speaker 9 (09:56):
It wasn't a big deal back then. I was home
my grandma's property. We had a party. Funny enough, a
guy went to high school with Larry Smith, who played
at Florida State. Because of tackle, he was drafted in
the second round. So we had two draft parties going
at one time on the same street, opposite end. So
(10:17):
it was a party in our hometown and everybody was just,
you know, overjoyed with two draft picks and one draft
from our hometown and we've never had that before.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
That is so cool, Champ Bailey, so good to hear
from you. Thanks for sharing your draft story.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Always, Susie.
Speaker 8 (10:30):
Thanks good talking to me, all.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Right, you too, Take care. He's in the Broncos Ring
of Fame and in nineteen eighty five out of Houston,
he was drafted in the second round by the Broncos.
And he is Simon Fletcher Fletch. What's going on?
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Oh, just still basket in the sunshine of the Hall
of Fame induction.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
That's right. In a recent Colorado Sports Hall of Fame inductee.
Congratulations on that.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Hey.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Let's go back to April thirtieth and May first, the
draft took place at the Omnium, New York. Being in
the second round, you of course were not at the
Omni So where were you, Simon when you got the
phone call that you'd been drafted by the Broncos.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
I was about five miles from the dormitory at University
of Houston, at my aunt's house.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Anybody there were just you and your aunt.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Well, my daughter actually had lived in the dorm with
me for a year and a half. She was nineteen
months old. She was there, my aunt, a brother, and
a few cousins.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Pretty small gathering. Oh yeah, nice, all right? And then
who called you? From the Broncos Simon.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
I believe her name was Jenny and Terry. She was
an assistant to coach Reeves at that time.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Okay, so she calls you and then puts coach Reeves
on the phone.
Speaker 10 (11:40):
I assume right now he was still Uh, he was busy.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Yeah, he was busy with Steve Sue, the first round
pick out of over.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Did a coach talk to you or was it just
the assistant that called you?
Speaker 4 (11:52):
Joe, You're okay?
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Stan Jones, who was a defensive land coach.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
At that time, what did you think when you found
out you were going to the Broncos? Did you have
any idea that that's where you might be heading?
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Well, you know, having been in Texas every day of
my life to that point, I was hoping that the
Cowboys or Oilers had drafted me, and other than that,
I was just hopeful to get an.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Opportunity and so never had been to Denver.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
I bet I had never been to Denver. Had friends
who had skied through high school, and I thought, why
would you go so cold in its ninety eight degrees
in Houston year right now?
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Oh my gosh, Sien, that's great. Thank you for sharing
your draft story today. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
You bet.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Take care, Susie Wow.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
He is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and
a Broncos Ring of Famer as well as a two
time Super Bowl champ, and when he was twenty three
years old, he was a first round pick of the
Broncos in nineteen eighty nine. He is Steve Atwater. Steve,
how are you doing pretty good?
Speaker 5 (12:48):
Susie?
Speaker 2 (12:49):
How are you?
Speaker 1 (12:49):
I'm doing well? Thank you. Tell us what you remember
of April twenty third, nineteen eighty nine, as the twentieth
overall pick.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Where were you?
Speaker 1 (12:58):
How'd you find out that you were drafted?
Speaker 11 (13:00):
I was a little Tarkin song with my then girlfriend
now wife of thirty four years, Wow, and my family.
They all drove down from Saint Louis and had a
lot of rests there at Arkansas. Wrong had been the
small apartment and a lot of her family was there too,
(13:20):
and I was forced to get drafted in the first round.
I wasn't sure if I would, but I was definitely
super happy that I did get drafted there in the first.
Speaker 7 (13:28):
Round Denverroncos Denver's first round selection Steve Atwater Defense of
An Arkansas.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
And who called you from the Broncos.
Speaker 11 (13:38):
To be honest with you, I don't remember who it
was that put me on the phone with Dan Reeves
and Charlie Waters. I don't remember who the person was, cold,
but they put me on the phone with coach Reeves
and with coach Charlie Waters.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
And you were in a pretty impressive class that year
as far as the guys that came out, Troy Aikman
was in that class, Barry Sanders, Dion was in it,
Derek Thompson, there were a lot of heavy hitters there
in that For Yeah, there.
Speaker 11 (14:00):
Are a lot of excellent players, guys that went on
to have great careers.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
There are also some.
Speaker 11 (14:05):
Great players who didn't have great careers for one reason
or another. And I always tell people that a lot
has to do with the.
Speaker 12 (14:14):
Situation where you're playing.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
You know, where you get drafted too.
Speaker 11 (14:18):
It's not just hey, how good of a player you are.
Speaker 6 (14:21):
It also has to do with the team that you
go to and how you're able to jail, and.
Speaker 11 (14:26):
My situations just worked out perfectly.
Speaker 12 (14:28):
I had coaches that man I really loved and respected,
and we had a great relationship and was able to
build something special and fortunate now they would have a
little bit of.
Speaker 10 (14:38):
Success more than that.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
All right, Steve, thank you for sharing your draft story. Appreciated.
Speaker 11 (14:43):
Oh absolutely, sus thank you.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
He's in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He's a
Broncos Ring of Famer, two times Super Bowl champ and
in nineteen ninety five, a sixth round draft pick out
of Georgia. He is Terrell Davis, TD.
Speaker 8 (14:57):
What is up? How you doing?
Speaker 1 (15:00):
You were great? Thank you. Can you go back to
April twenty third, nineteen ninety five, you're twenty two years old.
What do you remember about draft Day? Waiting around to
get drafted.
Speaker 8 (15:11):
When I got drafted, it wasn't televised like it is now.
So I was at France House in Atlanta when supposedly
I got drafted, because it was the first day I
was in Atlanta. It was a big party in the
city of Atlanta called the Freak Nick. It was a
big city wide party, and I knew I wasn't getting
drafted in the first day, so I was out at
the big street party at Piedmont Park, and then day
(15:31):
two I woke up. I watched the first part of
the draft because it was on ESPN two at the time.
It wasn't on.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
ESPN almost on the O Show at that point.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (15:42):
Yeah. And then at that point I knew what I
did see myself getting drafted. So I went back out
into the streets and was partying again. And then when
I got back to the house that I was staying at,
I was watching the ticker. The picks were just being
displayed at the bottom of the screen. I saw my
name on the bottom of the ticker. I had already
been drafted.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
But yeah, it was a rerun of the ticker.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
The rerun.
Speaker 8 (16:06):
Yeah, the rerun. So no one called me, oh wow,
drafted and said hey, you know, no, no, if Mike
Shanahan didn't call, I didn't know. The Pot bowlman didn't
called me. It was nothing like that. Now, remember this
is before everyone had a cell phone.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Yeah, this is ninety five.
Speaker 8 (16:23):
It was ninety five, right, So I didn't have a
cell phone, so I had to wait until that night
and then my agent called where I was staying. I
just remember my first thought like Denver I was. I
was disappointed. Two reasons I was disappointed. One, I hadn't
talked to Denver. I had no communication with anybody at Denver.
I don't even remember them coming out to my prota
(16:44):
or anything like that. The second reason it was, you know,
I grew up a Chargers fan. I didn't like Denver,
so I was like, I didn't like the Broncos at all.
It was weird.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
To be honest with you, it turned out okay, though
it turned out okay.
Speaker 8 (16:57):
It turned out okay, it did I can't Yeah, I
guess there's a lesson to be learned there, man, Like
you know, just you never know how it's going to
turn out.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Counter blessings, right, Yeah, I got to catch a blessing.
Speaker 5 (17:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Hey, TD, So good to hear from you. Thank you
for sharing your draft store. I appreciate It's great to.
Speaker 8 (17:14):
Catch up anytimes get to hear from you.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
He is in the Broncos Ring of Fame, and in
nineteen seventy five out of the University of Minnesota, the
Broncos selected him in the fourth round. He is Rick
up Church, Rick, how are you?
Speaker 13 (17:30):
I am doing wonderful, Southie.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
It's always good to hear your voice. I want you
to go back to that late January. It was when
the draft was in January back in seventy five. It
was a Tuesday night when you got drafted in the
fourth round. What do you remember about that day and
who called you?
Speaker 13 (17:48):
Well, it was truly anticipation going on. We had indoor
practice up at the University of Minnesota. So the guys,
all the guys stayed with me at the dorm. We
were at the dorm there on the on campus, and
we all got together because there was a couple of
other ballplayers that were looking to go in the draft
as well, and so we all got together and just
had a good time talking waiting on the phone calls.
(18:10):
And then when the phone call came, I got on
the phone and it was Fred Girky. Fred Ghirky said,
have you ever been to the my Ohi City?
Speaker 8 (18:18):
Before?
Speaker 3 (18:19):
I said, my Ohi City?
Speaker 2 (18:20):
What's that?
Speaker 13 (18:21):
He says, Well, you're going to be Denver, Bronco. And
I'm like, oh, really, Because they never worked me out,
They never came to talk to me or anything.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
You had no inkling you'd be going.
Speaker 13 (18:32):
There, no inkland whatsoever, no doubt about it. When he
said that, I said, guys, I'm going to the Denver Broncos.
And so Tony Dungee, who was my quarterback at that
particular time at the University of Minnesota, he going runs
in and grabs a map and he's saying, hey, guys,
here's Denver right here. And I didn't even know they
had a team. So, but let me tell you something
(18:53):
I didn't. And so when I flew in to meet
the administration and meet Fred Gurky and John Ross and
those guys, I saw those mountains and I said to myself, boy,
I'm in heaven. I thank God so very much.
Speaker 8 (19:07):
And that was that.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
All right, Rick up Church, thank you for sharing your
draft story. Always great to talk to you.
Speaker 13 (19:13):
Always, Susie, and you guys take care, have a good one.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
He was a two time Super Bowl champion with the Broncos,
but not drafted by the Broncos. In fact, Howard Griffith
was drafted twice. HG. What's up, my man?
Speaker 6 (19:26):
How are you good?
Speaker 5 (19:29):
Good?
Speaker 1 (19:29):
Okay, So let's go back to nineteen ninety one. You're
taken in the ninth round by the Colts. The ninth
round does not even exist anymore. They only go seven,
So you're lucky you even got drafted. Yeah, tell me
about that draft day. And then also in ninety five,
you go in the expansion draft to Carolina.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Wow, talk about being drafted the Indianapolis Coat.
Speaker 6 (19:50):
That was pretty interesting because it was it was still
done over several days, so you know, I think we
had gotten down to day three maybe, And I honestly,
I'm in my parents' basement sleep the day I actually
got drafted, So I was so disappointed and I was
just like, what am I doing?
Speaker 4 (20:07):
What's going on?
Speaker 6 (20:09):
And so I'm sleep and Ron Meyers from it was,
the head coach of Indianapolis calls and says, hey, I
just want to let you know we're getting ready to
draft you and we hope that you're going to be
able to come in and help us in our short
yardage game.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
And you never played for them, did you?
Speaker 2 (20:26):
No?
Speaker 4 (20:26):
I never played for him.
Speaker 6 (20:27):
The start of my career was quite adventurous.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Yeah, no kidding. And then in nineteen ninety five you
go in the expansion draft of Carolina in the eighth round. There.
What was that like being part of an expansion draft?
Speaker 6 (20:39):
It was really interesting. You know, our running back coach
with the La Rams. He was the new running back
coach with Carolina. He called me up one day, Hey,
do you think you want to play for the passes?
Speaker 2 (20:51):
And I'm like, yeah, since you know.
Speaker 6 (20:52):
The Rams didn't protect me so certainly, absolutely, Well, hang on,
you know, we're going to see what happened.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
It was a fun time though.
Speaker 6 (21:01):
You had all these guys coming from different areas and
different different organizations. You know, it was really it was
really a cool opportunity and a cool time.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Well, and that experience in Carolina then had to have
helped you when you came to Denver and won two
Super Bowl championships, and we were very thankful for that,
Howard Griffith.
Speaker 6 (21:17):
I am thankful for as well, because there were other
places I thought I was gonna sign other than Denver.
But I'm so glad I went with my first gut
and sat with them.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Oh we are too, all right, Howard, Thank you for
sharing your draft story. Appreciate it's great to talk to
you as always.
Speaker 6 (21:32):
Take care and hey, hopefully the weather warm up. I'll
get my bike out there this year.
Speaker 9 (21:36):
There you go.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
I love it all right. He would go into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame. He's a Broncos Ring of Famer,
two time Super Bowl champ, and has about a million
other accolades. But on April eighteenth, nineteen ninety eight, he
was the number one overall draft pick out of Tennessee.
Hello Peyton Manning.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Hey sushi, how you doing? Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Absolutely, I know that was a couple of years ago,
but go back to then you had turned twenty two
at the end of March, and so then just a
couple of weeks later, there you are. There's so much
noise about is it going to be you? Is it
going to be Ryan Leaf? So what do you remember
as you look back on that time leading up to
the draft and then also Draft Day at Madison Square Garden.
Speaker 14 (22:19):
Well, it was certainly the exciting time. And like you said,
it's hard to believe it's been almost thirty years now,
and I really didn't know that the Colts are going
to take me up until the day before the draft
that there was a lot of, like you said, a
lot of talk going on who were the Colts going
to take? Was it going to be me or Ryan Leaf?
And the Colts kind of kept their cards close and
(22:40):
didn't really want to reveal what they were going to
do because I'm not sure they really knew. I think
Bill Polly and the general manager, was taking his time,
and so I really didn't know what was going to happen.
So I went to New York not know what was
going to happen. But Bill Pollion called me the day
before and told me he was going to take me.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
So that was a release.
Speaker 14 (22:58):
Although you really don't know for sure until they call
your name out at Madison Square Garden.
Speaker 7 (23:02):
Indian at Quarterback University of Tennessee.
Speaker 14 (23:09):
That was an exciting day because it was really the
first day you were going to start your new job,
and I was glad that the Colts were going to
take me. I was looking forward to going to work there.
They had some young players like Marvin Harrison on the team,
so I was excited when when Commissioner tapyab called my
name and I was ready to get started.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
You've been in some very high pressure situation since then,
so you've learned how to work with that throughout the years.
But was that probably the biggest most stressful moment, even
though you knew the day before. But when Paul Tagliabu
calls your name, it's you and your family's there and
you finally get to get on stage and have that moment.
Speaker 14 (23:43):
Well, I mean, my advice for all players you know
that are going to the draft is to try to
enjoy the moment and not stress over because I mean,
obviously you don't know for sure who's going to take you.
And to me, it was never a goal of mine
to be b number one pick. I wanted to go
to it team that wanted me. That's what I told
the Colts during kind of the pre draft process, is
(24:06):
that I actually want to come to Indianapolis. It's not
far from Knoxville, it's not too far from New Orleans.
I had great respect for Bill Polligan. You know, he
turned around the Buffalo Bills, he turned around to Carolina Panthers,
and I felt like this would be a great place
to kind of go to work and get started. And
so hopefully all these players can kind of enjoy it
and not be mad if certain team doesn't take them
(24:29):
or if they drop a few picks, because once they
call your name out, all that's over with and now
you're going to work. Now you know where you're going
to live, where you're going to start your new job.
And like I said, I flew to Indianapolis after the draft, Susie.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
They gave me a playbook.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
I started studying it.
Speaker 14 (24:47):
I was back in Indianapolis, i think four days later,
getting ready for a mini camp, and so the work
starts immediately. And that'd be my advice for all young
players is hey, enjoy it. Once they call your name out,
go to work.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Question for you, Peyton, that was nineteen ninety eight. Your
family was there, so it wasn't like you could call
people and tell them. Everybody saw it, you know, on
TV at that point. But was there anybody that you
contacted afterwards to thank them for that part of where
you'd come in your journey so far, a coach or
anybody else.
Speaker 14 (25:17):
Well, it was funny, let's see. So I was drafted
in New York. We flew to Indianapolis, you know, did
some interviews, met with the coaches, They gave me the playbook.
Speaker 9 (25:26):
And then.
Speaker 14 (25:28):
The Colts flew me to Knoxville, where Knoxville kind of
had a little bit of a celebration for me. So
I got to see personally my college coaches. Ashley and
I were dating at the time. She was back there
in Knoxville, so had a chance to celebrate with my
friends and family and college friends, and certainly my college coaches,
(25:50):
coach former and coach Cutliffe, who were such a big
part of my journey. So it was really a special
day because I got to kind of sort of see
all the people in my new football chat sure, but
I also got to go personally thank all the people
that have been a part of my college football chapters.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
So it was a special day.
Speaker 14 (26:07):
And like I said, just four days later, I was
I was back in Indianapolis starting my new jobs. So
it was a day I always remember.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
My parents were there, Cooper was in. Eli didn't make
the cut.
Speaker 14 (26:19):
Eli was. I was back in high school, probably playing
a playing a summer basketball game or something. But it's
changed a lot now. Obviously they invite thirty players now.
Back then, it was just about four of us there
at the draft, and you only were allowed to invite
your parents and maybe one sibling, So it was it
was a smaller, smaller group than it is now. But
it was shortly an exciting day and show than one
(26:42):
I'll always remember.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Was it just you Ryan Leave, Charles Woodson and Curtis
Inas that were the only ones there.
Speaker 14 (26:48):
I think we were the only four there, yeah, which
which you know, back in that room, I mean it
seemed kind of crowded because it was a small room.
Now it's thirty players, And obviously it's more exciting when
you see different players reactions. And I understand players, you know,
wanting to be there if they know their name is
going to be called. If they're not sure, then I
understand maybe not wanting to be there and not having
(27:09):
that you know, sort of reality TV moment. So it's
a personal decision. So you can't blame a player for
going or for not going. You know, it's got to
be a personal decision. I had had a maybe not
so great experience at the Heisman Trophy about four months
before that, and so I wasn't really looking to go
back there and kind of have it. Aha, got your
(27:32):
moment again. Uh, And so I was glad when the
Colts let me know the day before that they were
going to take me, and that kind of provided a
little bit of relief. And like I said, it was
an exciting day once they call my name out.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Yeah, nobody wants the Brady Quinn moment.
Speaker 14 (27:47):
That's right, that's right, all right.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
Hey, Peyton really really appreciate it. Thank you for the
trip down memory lane and sharing your draft story.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
Appreciate you, okay, Susie, thank you.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Take care you too.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
He won a Super Bowl championship as a head coach
with the same franchise that drafted him back in nineteen
eighty three out of Texas.
Speaker 5 (28:06):
A and M.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Hello, Gary Kubiak, how are you.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
I'm good girl.
Speaker 10 (28:10):
How you been just fine?
Speaker 1 (28:13):
It's good to hear your voice. It's great to hear
that you're all retired and hanging out in Texas. But
I want to go back to nineteen eighty three eighth round,
which doesn't even exist anymore, and you get drafted by
the Broncos. Talk about that day? Who called you? Kind
of what happened on draft day for you.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Back then, Susie.
Speaker 10 (28:30):
I mean I didn't have an agent or anything, you know.
I was in school, finishing school. I thought that I
might have a chance to, you know, be a free
agent or something in pro football.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
But I had no idea to get drafted.
Speaker 10 (28:42):
I was doing something that day, I think it was
a Sunday, and my college roommate called me and said, hey,
somebody from the Denver Broncos called looking for you. And
so they left the number. I called the number. It
was John Hadel. He informed me that they had drafted
me with the first pick in the eighth round, which,
like you said me and you wouldn't have got drafted today, right,
(29:02):
and that you needed to be in Denver on Wednesday
afternoon for mini camp. That's how things got started for me.
A big surprise, but a great surprise.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
And then just a few days after you get drafted.
In that time, did you think that you would be
maybe the starting quarterback QB one or what were your
expectations because John Elway comes here on May second, and
you were drafted right at the end of April.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
Yeah, no, I don't.
Speaker 10 (29:24):
I can't sit here and tell you I thought that
I was just hoping for a chance to maybe make
a team. So yeah, by the time I got to
Denver for camp, John had been traded for and the
big thing that went down, and you know, I came
to Denver. My first exposure was going to mini camp
and having to throw a football next to John Elway,
which can be pretty intimidating.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
Oh yeah, you think now you have the experience of
not only the draft as a player, but also as
a coach. So how different was that for you as
a coach, because it's such a different hat. You are
changing lives, especially you know when you were ahead coach,
and the money that's involved. You're changing lives of people
and their families and everything else, and also hoping that
(30:06):
you're making the right decisions for your team.
Speaker 10 (30:08):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I used to love the
draft because it really kind of gets you away from
what you do year round with his x'es and o's
and you know, game day preparation. So there's about a
three month window there, two and a half months where
you're studying college football, learning a lot about young men
who they are as people as well as players, and
you know, trying to make good decisions for your organization.
(30:28):
So I really enjoyed that process. I think sometimes as
a coach you find yourself a lot going back to
when you were young. For me, it was a lot
of fun to see, you know, to try to find
this guy who maybe everybody didn't think was the top
guy but looks back, he's going to be a really
good player, and finding the Terrell Davis's, the Byron Chamberlain,
(30:48):
you know, all these kids like this who we had
so much success with in the later rounds of the
draft in Denver became a lot of fun. So I
really enjoyed the process I learned from Mike, and then
I carried it on as a head coach the same way.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Finding those neils in the haystack. That had to be
the biggest enjoyment I would think of drafting guys.
Speaker 10 (31:06):
Yeah, it really is, you know, because you come across
these kids and you work so hard to get to
know them, and you see a lot of talent that
maybe it just didn't have them form wherever they were
in college, but you felt like, hey, if I can
get to this kid and get him going in the
right direction, you know, maybe we had some success with him.
So I think those things were always very intriguing and
challenging for us as coaches to find.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
I love it.
Speaker 7 (31:28):
Gary.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
Thank you for sharing your draft story, both as a
player and as a coach, and it's great to hear
from you.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Thanks Suzie.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
He's a Broncos Ring of Famer and in nineteen seventy
five was drafted in the eighth round. He was barely
twenty one years old at the time out of Too Lane,
and he is Steve Foley. Steve how are you hey,
Nice to talk to you. Good to talk to you too.
So that seventy five draft was on a Tuesday and
Wednesday at the end of January. There were seventeen rounds.
(31:58):
Were you in the first day or second day?
Speaker 5 (32:02):
I don't recall.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
I wasn't.
Speaker 5 (32:05):
You're not going to believe this, okay, With the story
behind that, John Ralston had sent some guys to Tulane
for kind of like measure guys, run some guys into
forty and whatever else they were going to do. And
they asked me if I would, you know, run a
forty and wage get weighed and measured and all that stuff.
(32:28):
And I told him I wasn't interested in playing pro football,
and so I never did get anything.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
You didn't do any kind of test for them.
Speaker 5 (32:36):
I didn't do one test. Wow, And honestly, nobody contacted
you back then. And I was working out in a
friend of mine's garage right behind Tulane University with my
best friend, Mark Olivari, was a noseguard for Tulane, and
we started listening to the draft and stuff and Mark goes, hey,
(33:01):
they just said your name, I think you got drafted.
I said, did they really? Nobody had called me.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Nobody said anything.
Speaker 5 (33:09):
And law and behold. Later on that day, I got
a phone call from somebody and they said, yeah, the
Bocos drafted you in the eighth round. And I was like, well,
I told him I wasn't really interested, but you know,
maybe if I make it, maybe I'll play a couple
of years and then go do something else.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
How that work out for you? Yeah, it worked out
pretty well.
Speaker 5 (33:34):
Go figure all right.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
Steve Poley, thank you for sharing your draft story.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
Thank you, Susie.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
He's a two time Super Bowl champion, a pro bowler
and went to North Dakota State in nineteen eighty seven.
He was the second to last pick in the draft.
He is Tyrone Braxton. Hey, chicken, what's up?
Speaker 9 (33:53):
Hey?
Speaker 12 (33:54):
How you doing?
Speaker 15 (33:54):
Great to see You're wonderful to be here.
Speaker 1 (33:56):
It's good to have you here. Tell me your draft
day story. Draft. At the end of April and eighty seven,
Vinnie Testaverdi was the number one overall pick, and you
are second to last of the other and around that
doesn't exist anymore twelve exactly.
Speaker 16 (34:10):
And that was crazy because, yeah, my agent was saying, oh,
you're going to middle rounds, this and that and so yeah,
and I was at North Dakota State, so we had
the media and far Go was at my house wday
and waiting for that call, and you know, people started
leaving right and it was, you know, dinner time, six seven.
Speaker 15 (34:30):
No one called, so then everybody leaves. My roommates went
to bed, and my phone rings like at twelve thirty
one in the morning.
Speaker 16 (34:38):
And actually it was the Green Bay Packers, you know
from Wisconsin.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
I'm like cool.
Speaker 16 (34:42):
They're like, yeah, we're just waiting for this next team
to pick.
Speaker 15 (34:45):
And then we're gonna pick you.
Speaker 16 (34:47):
And a couple of seconds later they're like, oh no,
they just picked you and hung up before I could ask, well,
who was it?
Speaker 3 (34:53):
Right?
Speaker 16 (34:53):
It was then the phone rings again as the Broncos.
And the funny part is was Ginny Anne I remember,
you know from Broncos. She called me up and said, well,
we drafted you. You got to be on the flight
at seven in the morning.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
So I flew up.
Speaker 15 (35:06):
We flew out of Firego the next morning. Oh so
it's me and you know then that's when I met
Ricky de Till, Michael Brooks, Mark Mumford, all these guys
in my drafty class.
Speaker 9 (35:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 15 (35:19):
Wow, Bruce Plummer was another DV. We all met that
day the.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Next day, so it was like up, lady, what a whirlwind, right,
and then boom, let's go chicken. Thanks for telling your
draft story.
Speaker 15 (35:31):
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
He's a two time Super Bowl champ and in nineteen
eighty six out of Northeast Louisiana, he was a third
round pick by the Steelers. We would get him later
in his career with the Denver Broncos. He is the
one and only Bubby Brister. Bubby, how are you?
Speaker 2 (35:48):
I'm doing great, dogd how are you doing?
Speaker 3 (35:49):
On?
Speaker 1 (35:50):
And just fine? Thank you. What do you remember about
your draft day in nineteen eighty six when you got
taken by the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
Well, in the second round, the Los Angeles were trading
Jeff Kemp to the forty nine Ers and Georgia Frontier.
The owner of the Rams called me and said they're
getting ready to draft me. And so I was really
excited to go in the second round. I thought I
might be a middle round pick. And so they couldn't
trade Jeff Kemp in time, and they passed their pick,
and they couldn't trade a quarterback to get a quarterback.
Speaker 8 (36:18):
So before the.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
Rams picked in the third round. The Steelers scowed me up,
so in the long run, I was glad I got
drafted by the Steelers. You know, great organization, the whole
nine yards.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
Absolutely, And you are one of few athletes that get
drafted by different leagues, because in nineteen eighty one you
were actually drafted for baseball by the Detroit Tigers.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
I was drafted by the Tigers, and I decided to
go and give up my scholarship at Alabama Bear Bryant
Simon to play quarterback there, and he wouldn't let me
play baseball and football. So I got drafted by the Tigers.
Believe it or not. Jim Leland was my coach. No,
and that's like and they wouldn't let me pitch, and
I was a thrower, so they put me in center field,
which I felt like I was in outer space. And
(37:00):
I told Jim, I said, if you don't let me pitch,
I'm gonna quit, go back to college and play football.
And he, oh, you ariscuate, you're not gonna quit. Well,
I quit. And four years later he was a Pirates
manager and I was a Steelers quarterback. There was the
wall between the locker rooms and three river stadium.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
Oh, you actually played in the same stadium.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Yeah, so the playing and weird in spring practice in
eighty six and I walked in. I said, Jim, I
could play quarterback for Chuck Nole, but I couldn't freak
and pitch for you. He likes Bobby Damn Brister, probably with.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
A cigarette in his mouth, right.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Yeah, we smoked cigarette the dugout. I probably shouldn't say that.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
I think that's common knowledge back then. Bobby. It's so
good to hear from you. Appreciate your sharing your draft
story stories.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
Yep, yeah, go Broncos I'll see you and I'll see
you in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 1 (37:46):
That sounds good. All right, Thanks Bobby, Thank you, Bubby
Brister and all the rest. How fun were those stories?
New regular episodes of Cut, Traded, Fired, Retired are released
on Tuesdays. Please follow and download this podcast wherever you
listen to podcasts, and keep up on new releases by
following on Twitter and Instagram at CTFR podcast and also
(38:07):
on the website ctfrpodcast dot com. I'm your host, Susie Wargen.
To learn more about me, visit susiewargin dot com. Thanks
so much for listening, and until next time, please be careful,
be safe and be kind. Take care,
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