Chapter 85

My first period class the morning after the first round draft was pure chaos. John Waters sat in the back, smiling and observing while I tried to get the kids to focus on our review of the Swiss republican system of government. Instead of a discussion about the cantons and how they were governed I got questions about Denver, the Broncos and what my future held.

"People! Stop!" I finally said in exasperation. "I know you're interested in my draft status. I will give you five minutes to get ALL your football questions asked. After that, it is back to Switzerland and the Alps. Is that a deal?" I got head nods from most of the class. I held my arm out and stared at my watch. "Your time starts NOW!"

The kids peppered me with questions about the Broncos, how much money I would be making and my new team's prospects for the season. I let them ask questions right up to my watch hit the five minute mark.

"OK, that's it!" I insisted. "No more football until 8:03." Derek, a sweet kid and sports fanatic, was still waving his hand for my attention. I gave him the cold stare I learned from Mom. "Is this question about Switzerland?" I stared hard. Derek wilted and put his hand down. "Ask me at 8:03, Derek."

"OK, Mr. Martin," Derek agreed. "Sorry." I proceeded to give my lecture on the Swiss system of government. The kids managed to behave through the rest of the class. Derek and the other sports fanatics hit me with more questions at the end of the period. I had to shoo them off to home room.

Home room was similarly chaotic, but shorter. I allowed no questions at all. I took roll and had the kids do the pledge and listen to the morning announcements, as usual. I had to shoo them out the door again when the next bell rang.

John came forward as the kids were leaving. I held my hands up and said, "You don't need to say it. You told me so. I don't know why I ever doubted you."

"You handled that about as well as is possible," John said. "The kids are not used to their teacher suddenly getting twenty million dollars and moving to Colorado. That is bound to be disruptive."

"I plan to handle the rest of the classes the same way I did this one," I replied. "I will take roll and then give them five minutes for football questions. After that it is strictly studying until the bell."

"That's a plan, Kyle," John agreed.

The strategy allowed me to keep a modicum of control over my classroom during the day. I had one student in fifth period that just would not take the hint. After four times of asking inappropriate questions after football time, I was out of patience. When his hand went up again I gave him a hard stare.

"Bill, if the words football, Colorado or Broncos appear anywhere in your next question, you will be visiting Mr. Jarvis," I declared. He put his hand down and kept quiet for the last fifteen minutes of economics.

The teachers in the lunch room were as bad as the kids with all their questions. I barely got to eat my Wawa hoagie during our break. I stopped by the office before sixth period. Pat Green handed me a big box from Denver. I took it back to the room before I unwrapped it.

"What is that?" John asked as he saw me pull the immense notebook out of the box.

"It's the Broncos playbook," I said as I stared at the volume. It had to be eight inches thick. I had to learn this thing by the end of July. I was going to be studying my ass off!

"You're joking," John said. I held the book up so he could see the cover. "Confidential – Playbook – Property of the Denver Broncos"

"I'm glad you have to learn that, and not me," John commented. "I think Dan's playbook is too big." He just shook his head. The kids were coming in so I left the tome on the desk up front. John retreated to the back to observe.

One of the first kids to arrive was Dean O'Connell, a linebacker for the Pioneers and one of the key guys in organizing the study sessions and drills. "Congrats, Mr. M," Dean said with a smile. "You're going to really help out the Broncos. I think they will be a good team with you there."

Dean spotted the playbook. "Holy shi ... Holy crap, is that a real playbook?"

"It is," I confirmed.

"That's like ... ten times bigger than ours," Dean exclaimed. "How do you learn all that? It took me a month to learn everything in ours."

"One page at a time, Dean," I answered. "I may be finishing college next Tuesday morning but I have a lot of studying to do between now and training camp."

"I guess so," Dean agreed. "Good luck with that, Mr. M." He headed back to his seat.

I followed the same strategy with the last three classes that I followed earlier in the day. I managed to keep the classes on track without wasting too much time talking football with the students. John wished me luck out in Denver over the weekend. I promised to get him some autographs while I was out there.

Traffic wasn't too brutal on the way to the airport. I checked into U. S. Airways a little after four o'clock. The ticket was ready for me. I was pleased when I saw the seat assignment, 3B. The Broncos were flying me first class. All right!

It was cool to get to board the plane first. I found a middle aged woman struggling to get a large carry-on in the overhead. She was nicely dressed in a conservative business suit.

"I can help you ma'am," I offered. I easily stuffed the big suitcase into the luggage rack.

"Thank you so much," the lady said as she sat down in seat 3A, the window seat beside mine. I grabbed my MP3 player from my backpack and threw the backpack into the overhead rack. I wanted to unwind and relax a little from a stressful day teaching before I dove into the playbook.

I sat down in my seat. It was great to have enough room for a person my size. Back in economy class my knees always hit the seat in front of me. Here I had plenty of space. The lady beside noticed.

"Do you fly often?" she asked.

"I have been flying a lot the last few months," I replied. "I rarely get into first class. I fit better here."

"I guess this is nice for someone your size," the lady said. "Are you treating yourself to first class?"

"Actually, it's my new employer that is treating me," I replied. "It is very generous of them."

"How long have your worked for your new company?" she asked.

"I got a call from my new boss last night," I began. I chuckled. "Actually he's my boss's boss's boss's boss."

"Ahh ... a new job," she said. "Will you be moving to Denver?"

"I will be," I agreed.

"You will love the city," she said. "I've lived there for seventeen years. I wouldn't live anywhere else."

"I'm looking forward to seeing Denver," I said. "I've heard so many good things about it. Were you in Philadelphia for business or pleasure?"

"Very definitely business," the lady said. "I had a three day tax seminar. I'm a tax attorney. What line of work are you in?"

"I'm still a college student, until next Tuesday," I said. "I have another day of student teaching on Monday and then a performance review Tuesday morning and then I'm done with college."

"A school is flying you first class to Denver?" she asked.

"No, I play football," I said. "My employer is the Denver Broncos."

"I don't know much about football myself," the lady said. "My husband is the football fan. He is crazy about the Broncos. What do you do for them?"

"I play wide receiver," I answered. She didn't quite seem to comprehend. "I catch the ball when the quarterback throws it downfield to me."

"That's nice," she said. "I'm Madelyn Hanford."

"Kyle Martin," I replied as we shook hands. Mrs. Handford took out a magazine and settled in to read while the other passengers boarded. I tried to relax and listen to a little music while we waited for takeoff. I didn't get the chance.

At least half a dozen men boarding the plane recognized me. I'd get the double take first then they would gush. "You're Kyle Martin!" "I'm so glad the Broncos took you." "Can you get us to the playoffs?"

I greeted each of the fans politely, shook hands and did autographs if asked. Mrs. Handford leaned over to me and asked, "Are you famous, Kyle?"

"Semi," I answered. "Frankly, it's all a little overblown."

"I was talking with my husband last night," Mrs. Hanford said. "He was going on about this man the Broncos drafted and how great a player he is. Is that you?"

"That would be me," I confirmed.

"Would you do my husband a favor?" she asked. "Would you be willing to do an autograph for him?"

"I'd be honored," I said. I took a piece of paper from my backpack. "What is your husband's name?"

"Bill," Mrs. Hanford.

I scribbled out this note: "Bill: I enjoyed chatting with your wife on the flight to Denver. You are a truly lucky man to have such a lovely spouse. Best of luck. Kyle D. Martin"

Mrs. Hanford looked it over before saying, "That is a very sweet thing to say, Kyle. You are truly a gentleman."

"Thank you," I answered. "I try to do my best."

Mrs. Hanford settled in to read. I zoned out with my music until the captain was ready to pull back from our gate. I waited until we were in the air before retrieving my playbook.

The Broncos used different terminology from my high school and college. Thankfully, what they taught us in Mobile at the Senior Bowl was standard Broncos terminology. I would have half a step head start in learning things over some of the other guys drafted this weekend. I barely put a dent in the big binder during the four hour flight out to Denver. I was going to be studying this thing for every free moment for the foreseeable future.

The Broncos included a copy of the mini-camp and off-season training activity (OTA) schedule. I would have a rookie mini-camp from Friday, April 26th to Sunday, April 29th. The next OTA was Monday, May 20th to Wednesday, May 22nd. The OTA after that was Monday, May 27th through Thursday, May 30th. The following OTA was Wednesday, Jun 5th through Wednesday, June 12th. Friday, Saturday and Sunday of that OTA were considered a mini-camp and we would be on the field in helmets and pads. The NFL Rookie Symposium was scheduled for Sunday, June 23rd to Wednesday June 26th. Attendance to the Rookie Symposium was mandatory.

My schedule for the week and a half was going to be tight. I was required to be at the rookie mini-camp until 5:00 pm on Sunday. I'd need to catch a red eye flight back to meet my parents and Penny on Monday in State College. The College of Education's commencement was at 9:00 am on Tuesday morning. Thankfully Penny's commencement wasn't until May 13th.

The captain came on the intercom immediately after he throttled the engines down. "We are beginning our descent into Denver now. Please buckle up and return your seats to their upright position. The weather in Denver is 36 degrees and snowing."

'Snowing?' I thought. It had been eighty-two degrees when I got to the airport in Philly.

"We would like to extend a big U. S. Airways welcome to one of our passengers to Denver. You football fans will recognize him. The newest Bronco, wide receiver Kyle Martin is flying with us today. Welcome to your new home, Kyle. Go Broncos!" the captain said. The rear of the plane greeted me with cheers.

Mrs. Hanford leaned over and whispered, "Semi-famous?" and laughed. All I could do is shrug my shoulders.

More passengers welcomed me to Denver as we debarked from the plane. As we were walking down towards the trams, I saw a TV tuned to the ESPN. It listed some of the second round draft picks from that evening. Two of my former teammates were listed. The Texans took Josh Bruno. The Chiefs selected Christian Hunsecker.

Christian and I were back to being rivals again. Division rivals, no less. Hopefully it would be a long and friendly rivalry. I followed the crowd to the trams and then on to baggage claim. A twenty-something guy in a Broncos jacket was holding a sign "Kyle Martin."

I walked up to him and said, "I'm Kyle."

"I should know that," the gentleman said. "Welcome to Denver, Kyle. I'm Mark Taylor, an assistant to Head Coach Jeff Baldwin. Let's get your bags and get you down to your hotel."

"Is it really snowing outside?" I asked as we waited for my bags to come off the baggage conveyor.

"A little bit," Mark confirmed.

"That's a complete change for me from Philly," I said. "It was eighty-two degrees when I left tonight."

"Oh? Really?" Mark said. "Did you bring a coat?"

"The last twenty-four hours have been a whirl," I answered. "I never thought about it."

"We can stop somewhere and get you a coat on the way to your hotel," Mark said. "Colorado weather can be cold in late April. The snow tonight is not that unusual."

"I guess I'm learning that," I replied.

"We'll stop somewhere on the way to the hotel and get you a sweatshirt," Mark said. We waited until my bags appeared. Mark helped me hustle my things out to his car. It was damn cold for the end of April!

We headed south from the airport. I took a look back. I had seen pictures of DIA before but real life was much cooler. The multiple peaks of the tent roof of the terminal were striking. Penny and I were going to be seeing quite a bit of that airport in the next four or five years.

Mark drove fifteen or twenty minutes through bare prairie land before we hit the outskirts of Denver. He stopped off at a Target store. I bought a cheap Broncos sweatshirt. It would be enough until I had time to get a decent coat for out here.

"You a big Broncos fan?" the clerk asked as I present my new sweatshirt at checkout. "What do you think of this new receiver they picked up last night? Cool, isn't it?"

"I'm excited," I agreed amiably. He had no idea who I was. What would his reaction be if he saw me on TV tomorrow when I did the press conference? Would he realize it was me?

The drive from the airport to my hotel took about forty minutes, almost entirely on a couple interstates. I had no idea where I was since it was dark. I would figure that out in the morning when I could see the mountains.

Mark filled me in on the team's plans for me for the weekend. "We're putting you up in the Staybridge Suites. It's about a mile from the Bowlen Centre."

"The Bowlen Centre?" I asked. I did know Pat Bowlen owned the Broncos and was my new boss.

"The Paul Bowlen Football Centre," Mark answered. "It's named after Pat's father. Pat Bowlen is the team owner."

"I did know that," I said.

"You can get breakfast at the hotel," Mark said. "That is part of the package with them. I'll pick you up around 9:00 am and take you over to the Bowlen Centre to meet everyone."

"Actually, Brady Rasmussen said he would take me out for breakfast tomorrow," I said. "He gave me a call last night after you guys drafted me."

"You know Brady already?" Mark asked. "I didn't know that."

"Brady was my guide when USC was recruiting me to go to college there," I explained. "We've stayed in touch over the years. He's a pretty nice guy."

"He is," Mark agreed, " ... especially for a franchise QB. Why don't you give Brady a call and arrange your breakfast. He'll probably bring you over to the Bowlen Centre. That will save me a trip over for you."

"That's cool," I agreed. I gave Brady a call and made arrangements for breakfast. My friend was happy to drive me over to the Bowlen Centre. He was planning to go over there anyway after breakfast.

The Staybridge Suites was a fairly nice looking, newer hotel. Mark dropped me off and made sure everything went through properly at check-in. Mark helped me carry my things up to my room. It was a very nice suite with a king sized bed, a full kitchen, a flat screen TV and DVD player.

"You realize that you're an honored guest this weekend, Kyle?" Mark commented. "Next weekend for mini-camp you will be an employee. You'll have to take care of your own accommodations, meals and transportation."

"I didn't figure that the Broncos would include that in my contract," I replied. "Will I have time this weekend to do some touring so I can figure those things out?"

"You are scheduled to tour the area with Brian tomorrow," Mark answered. He quickly added, "Brian Dawkins. He's our Director of Player Relations."

"That's cool," I commented. "I loved watching him play when he was in Philly. He was a hell of a football player. What exactly does the Director of Player Relations do?"

"He's like our good will ambassador to the players," Mark explained. "He helps new players get settled in Denver. He helps players when they have problems. His job is to make sure the details of life don't get you down, so that you can focus your attention on football."

"I like that idea," I said. "Thanks for everything, Mark."

"I'll see you over at the Bowlen Centre tomorrow morning," Mark said. We exchanged cell phone numbers so we could get in touch if anything came up. He took off, leaving me alone in my room. It was almost 11:00 pm. I decided to give Penny a good night call. She usually is up this time of night.

"Heelllloooo?" was the groggy response from my honey when she finally answered the phone.

"This is Kyle," I said. "I'm sorry. I forgot about the time change. I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's OK," I drawled. "What's up?"

"I just called to let you know I arrived safely in Denver," I said. "I love you."

"I love you too..." Penny answered, " ... but in the morning."

I was tired from a full day on my feet teaching and all the time I spent traveling that day. I cleaned up and went straight to bed.

The alarm woke me Saturday morning at 7:00 am. I showered and dressed. I wasn't sure what the appropriate attire would be for the press conference. I decided a suit would look fine, in case the rest of the Broncos brass were dressed up. I checked on-line before heading downstairs. I was curious if any more of my Penn State teammates were taken in the third round. I found Greg Nowicki was now an Atlanta Falcon.

I was down in the lobby a few minutes before 7:45, so I wouldn't make Brady wait.

"Wow! Look at you," Brady teased when we met. "All duded up. It looks like you're trying to impress the new bosses."

"I'd normally wear a Penn State polo for a press conference rather than this," I countered. "A Penn State polo wouldn't do and the only decent thing I had was this." I chuckled. "I've been a little busy in the last couple days."

"I'm sure we can outfit you properly today, if John and Mr. Bowlen don't want you in a suit for the press conference," Brady said. "Let's get some grub. I know of a nice breakfast place on the other side of I-25."

"You're the boss," I said. We headed outside. I finally got to see the mountains. It was on the other side of the interstate. I looked to the northwest and saw the high rises that undoubtedly marked downtown Denver.

"North is that way," I said pointing. "That's downtown and we are southeast of Denver."

"You got it, buddy," Brady agreed.

"I arrived in the dark and had no idea where I was last night," I explained as we hopped in Brady's car. My quarterback had a sweet ride. It was a Lexus LX570 SUV.

"I know of a good breakfast place that's nearby," Brady said as he pulled onto the street. We pulled into a strip mall on the other side of I-25 a couple minutes later. The place was a chain restaurant that specialized in breakfasts and lunches. We headed inside.

The waitress seated us and handed us menus. It was immense. I counted over sixty options for breakfast. "Any suggestions, Brady?" I asked as I pondered the choices.

"Have the Huevos Rancheros," he responded immediately.

"Tortilla, refried beans and eggs with salsa, sour cream and green onions," I read. "I don't know. I like spicy things but I don't think I'm ready for salsa for breakfast."

"Suit yourself," Brady said. "I have plenty of time to turn you into a westerner."

I decided the Cordon Bleu Skillet sounded nice. It was diced ham, Swiss cheese, hollandaise sauce and eggs over ranch seasoned potatoes. Brady talked about the Broncos' last season. My impressions from afar weren't far off from the story Brady told.

Brady ascribed their offensive problems to the receivers not being a deep threat. Nearly every opponent kept their defense in short zones. Brady tried deep routes but the receivers rarely got open. The plan was to use my speed to loosen up the opposing defenses.

Brady praised Simeon Thomas, the starting tailback who did exceptionally well as a rookie last season. He was a shifty runner who also was very good catching passes out of the backfield. Hopefully I would be able to help free Simeon up and force defenses to cover the whole field.

"Who did our team draft last night?" I asked. "I forgot to look after I got to my room."

"Christian Powell from Stanford," Brady answered. "Do you know him?"

"I played with him at the Senior Bowl," I replied. "He's pretty good."

"That's good," Brady said. "We can use more safeties."

My breakfast skillet was tasty. I didn't understand how Brady could eat salsa over eggs for breakfast, but he seemed to enjoy them. I guess it's a western thing. Brady graciously paid for my breakfast, teasing I could pick up the tab next time.

Brady headed out of the shopping mall and went east on East Arapahoe Boulevard and under the interstate. We continued east through a few intersections to South Peoria Road. Brady turned south. The road turned into East Broncos Boulevard as we passed the regional airport. He turned left into a long parking lot and drove to the other end.

"The practice fields are on the other side of these trees," Brady commented as he pointed to his left. He pulled in near the building. About eighteen or twenty cars were in the parking lot. A big sign out front showed a Broncos helmet. I followed Brady up to the front of the two story, glass and steel building. The Broncos' logo and name were above the front door.

"Look what I found," Brady teased as we walked inside. "Chrissie, I found a first round draft pick wandering around outside. Any idea what we should do with him?"

"I'll let Mr. Elway and Mr. Bowlen know he's here," the receptionist said. She paged them.

"Chrissie, this is my friend Kyle Martin," Brady said in introduction. "This is Christina Hudak, the team's very pretty face out front."

"It's very nice to meet you, Christina," I said as I shook her hand.

"You've made quite an impact already, Kyle," Christina said as she let go of my hand. "The ticket office was booming yesterday. The fans like us picking you in the draft. We sold a couple dozen season tickets in the day."

"I'll do my best to live up to the fans' hopes," I said.

"I'm sure you will, Kyle," Chrissie said. "Brady, could you take Kyle up to John's office? Mr. Bowlen is with him."

"No problem, Chrissie" Brady agreed. I followed him to the second floor, where the team had offices for the front office personnel. He knocked at the closed door marked, "John A. Elway, Jr., Executive Vice President for Football Operations."

"I'm going to work out," Brady said. "I'm sure we'll bump into each other again today."

"Thanks for taking me out to breakfast," I said.

"Come on in, Kyle," John Elway called from inside. I stepped into the office. Two older gentlemen stood from the conference table where they had been sitting. Both men looked to be in their late fifties or early sixties. "It's a pleasure to have you here."

"I'm looking forward to playing for this team," I replied as we shook hands. "Kyle, this is Joe Ellis, the team president." I shook hands with the tall man with graying hair.

"It is a pleasure Kyle," Joe said. "Welcome to the Broncos family."

"I'm glad to be here," I replied. John motioned towards the other gentlemen.

"Kyle this is the team owner, Pat Bowlen," John said.

"Mr. Bowlen, it is very nice to meet you," I said politely. I noticed as we shook hands that Mr. Bowlen was older than I initially estimated. His hair had very little gray in it. The wrinkles on his hands told the story. He was pushing seventy.

"I'm happy you are joining our team," Mr. Bowlen said. "The coaches have told me many good things about you."

"I hope I can live up to everyone's expectations," I said. "I am looking forward to this opportunity."

The four of us sat down. John briefed me on the general outlines of the Broncos organization. He was in charge of all football operations. The general manager, Brian Xanders, reported to him. Mr. Xanders handled player personnel and scouting. Coach Baldwin also reported to John. Mr. Ellis took charge of the business aspects of the team.

"I hope you didn't feel I was blowing you off back at the Maxwell Dinner, Kyle," John said as he finished his overview of the team organization. "After we decided to go after you in the draft, our team had a strict hands-off policy for all contacts with you."

"I didn't have that feeling, John," I replied. "You didn't talk to me any more or less than many of the established NFL stars did that night."

"We needed to keep the rest of the NFL from realizing how much we wanted a receiver of your caliber on our team," John added, " ... especially by our rivals out on the bay in Oakland. Your running disagreement with Al Davis this winter and spring has been great. That fact alone will bring you fans here in Denver. There is no love lost between the Broncos and the Raiders ... not ever."

"I understand," I said. "I can't say I disagree with your fans."

"How did you manage to convince Al Davis not to draft you?" John asked. "What did you say in that 'frank and honest' discussion to dissuade a man who covets the fastest wide receivers around to skip you in the draft?"

"Frank and honest?" I asked laughingly. "You caught that interview?" John, Mr. Ellis and Mr. Bowlen smiled and admitted they had. I was surprised and a bit humbled to find that the team had watched me that carefully. "I was very straight forward with Mr. Davis. I told him I would be a poor fit with his team's needs and that I wouldn't play for him. I want to be a football coach eventually. I told him I had an offer to start coaching immediately after I graduate from school. Which, I do."

"Was your appearance coaching on the sideline last weekend at your college team's spring scrimmage part of a strategy to reinforce that threat to the Raiders?" John asked.

"No, my agent and I didn't plan that," I replied. "Coach Burton called me the week before last. He was shorthanded. His offensive grad assistant had to leave suddenly. The grad assistant is studying for his masters in geology. He was offered an opportunity to go out in the field to help observe and monitor a new volcano off of Alaska this spring. Coach Burton had me help out coaching last year's Blue and White game too. Then it was to keep me from getting injured. Last week I was really coaching."

"What words of wisdom did you give the punt returner who ran in the TD?" John asked.

"Nothing before the return," I answered. "I didn't have anything special going on that return. I pulled him aside after the punt and warned him that he was going to get chewed out by the regular special teams coach on Monday. Did you see him drop back a couple steps when he caught the punt?"

"I did," John confirmed.

"He had orders to let the ball go if he had to retreat from the 5 yard line," I explained. "I also told him Coach Ferguson probably would change his standing return orders the way he did for me. The Nittany Lions gave me a little extra freedom on returns."

"Your stats indicate that it was an excellent idea," John said. He glanced at his watch. "We are scheduled for a 10:00 am press conference. Are you ready, Kyle?"

"I've been doing this for a few years," I answered. "I'm ready. Let's do this."

I followed John, Mr. Bowlen and Mr. Ellis down the hall to a conference room. John introduced me to Erich Schubert, the team's media relations coordinator.

"We got a full house, boss," Erich commented. "All the Denver print media, SI, the local TV stations and the networks. It's standing room only."

"Excellent," John said with a smile. "It's show time." John led the way into the front of the conference room. John and Mr. Ellis walked to the podium. Mr. Bowlen stayed along the side of the room. Erich had me wait there too.

"Welcome to the press conference everyone," John said as he stepped up to the podium. "Today is a great day for the Broncos organization. We are excited to welcome the newest Bronco to the team. We had the opportunity to trade up in the draft and get the top collegiate wide receiver and return man today.

"This young man set an amazing number of records in college – most career receiving yards in the FBS, most receiving touchdowns, most 100 yard games receiving, both career and in a season, most points scored by a non-kicker, most all-purpose yards, most yards returning kickoffs and highest career and season average for kickoff returns. Without further fuss, I want to introduce the Broncos' 2013 first round draft pick, Kyle Martin."