As​ ​an​ ​ambassador​ ​for​ ​Children's​ ​Hospital​, ​I​ ​was​ ​thrilled​ ​to​ ​be​ ​invited​ ​to​ ​interview​ ​Garett Bolles,​ ​the​ ​Denver​ ​Broncos​ ​first​ ​round​ ​pick​ ​of​ ​the​ ​2017​ ​NFL​ ​Draft.​ ​

I​ ​was​ ​not​ ​sure​ ​what​ ​to​ ​expect and​ ​was​ ​very​ ​excited​ ​when​ ​I​ ​walked​ ​into​ ​the​ ​Denver​ ​Broncos​ ​headquarters.​

​I​ ​was​ ​even​ ​more blown​ ​away​ ​when​ ​Garett​ ​came​ ​up​ ​and​ ​shook​ ​my​ ​hand.​ ​He​ ​was​ ​so​ ​big​ ​that​ ​I​ ​couldn't​ ​stop laughing.​ ​He​ ​was​ ​absolutely​ ​enormous​ ​and​ ​I​ ​kept​ ​thinking,​ ​"Oh​ ​my​ ​gosh,​ ​you​ ​are​ ​so​ ​huge!"​ ​He is​ ​6'​ ​5"​ ​and​ ​weighs​ ​297​ ​pounds!​

​In​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​being​ ​enormous,​ ​Garett​ ​Bolles​ ​was​ ​also​ ​really nice​ ​and​ ​very​ ​interesting​ ​to​ ​talk​ ​to.​ ​He​ ​asked​ ​me​ ​if​ ​I wanted​ ​to​ ​throw​ ​the​ ​football​ ​and​ ​I​ ​happily​ ​said​ ​"Yes!"

We​ ​played​ ​catch​ ​for​ ​a​ ​while​ ​which​ ​was​ ​a​ ​blast!​ ​Then​ ​we sat​ ​down​ ​on​ ​a​ ​bench,​ ​he​ ​signed​ ​a​ ​football​ ​for​ ​me​ ​and​ ​we started​ ​the​ ​interview.​ ​​ ​I​ ​was​ ​surprised​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​that​ ​even somebody​ ​as​ ​famous​ ​and​ ​successful​ ​as​ ​an​ ​NFL​ ​player ​had​ ​to​ ​struggle​ ​and​ ​go​ ​through​ ​tough times​ ​in​ ​life.

Garett​ ​told​ ​me​ ​that​ ​as​ ​a​ ​child,​ ​he​ ​had​ ​it​ ​rough.​ ​His​ ​mom struggled​ ​with​ ​drug​ ​addiction​ ​and​ ​his​ ​dad​ ​was​ ​in​ ​the military​ ​and​ ​showed​ ​him​ ​"hard,​ ​tough​ ​love."​ ​He​ ​talked about​ ​the​ ​trials​ ​that​ ​people​ ​have​ ​to​ ​face​ ​and​ ​compared my​ ​trial​ ​with​ ​cancer​ ​and​ ​how​ ​I​ ​had​ ​to​ ​fight​ ​that​ ​and​ ​that one​ ​of​ ​his​ ​trials​ ​was​ ​with​ ​drugs​ ​and​ ​alcohol​ ​and​ ​how​ ​he​ ​had​ ​to​ ​fight​ ​that​ ​by​ ​finding​ ​a​ ​higher power.​ ​

He​ ​shared​ ​that​ ​he​ ​served​ ​a​ ​mission​ ​for​ ​his​ ​church​ ​which​ ​completely​ ​turned​ ​his​ ​life around​ ​and​ ​how​ ​another​ ​family​ ​picked​ ​him​ ​up​ ​off​ ​the​ ​streets​ ​and​ ​showed​ ​him​ ​a​ ​better​ ​way.

Garett​ ​said​ ​he​ ​liked​ ​Colorado​ ​because​ ​the​ ​people​ ​here​ ​are​ ​so​ ​friendly​ ​and​ ​make​ ​him and​ ​his​ ​wife​ ​feel​ ​welcome.​ ​

He​ ​told​ ​me​ ​that​ ​playing​ ​football​ ​is​ ​like​ ​being​ ​in​ ​a​ ​family,​ ​"You're​ ​going to​ ​argue,​ ​but​ ​you​ ​have​ ​to​ ​work​ ​together​ ​to​ ​play​ ​the​ ​game​ ​and​ ​win."​ ​

He​ ​said​ ​that​ ​football​ ​has taught​ ​him​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​about​ ​being​ ​a​ ​man​ ​and​ ​that​ ​it​ ​can​ ​help​ ​you​ ​become​ ​a​ ​better​ ​person.​

I​ ​found​ ​out that​ ​Garett​ ​has​ ​a​ ​degree​ ​in​ ​communications​ ​and​ ​would​ ​have​ ​been​ ​a​ ​media​ ​person​ ​if​ ​he​ ​hadn't been​ ​able​ ​to​ ​play​ ​football​ ​because​ ​he​ ​loves​ ​talking​ ​to​ ​people​ ​and​ ​talking​ ​about​ ​sports.

​Garett said​ ​his​ ​favorite​ ​thing​ ​about​ ​playing​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Denver​ ​Broncos​ ​is​ ​that​ ​it​ ​is​ ​like​ ​a​ ​family.

"We​ ​love each​ ​other​ ​and​ ​work​ ​to​ ​pick​ ​each​ ​other​ ​up​ ​every day​ ​to​ ​accomplish​ ​our​ ​one​ ​purpose​ ​and​ ​that​ ​is to​ ​win​ ​the​ ​Super Bowl," he said. ​"We​ ​win​ ​as​ ​a​ ​family​ ​and​ ​not​ ​as​ ​individuals.​ ​We​ ​forget​ ​our​ ​pride and​ ​we​ ​come​ ​to​ ​work​ ​knowing​ ​that​ ​we​ ​love​ ​each​ ​other​ ​and​ ​we​ ​have​ ​to​ ​fight​ ​in​ ​the​ ​biggest​ ​battle on​ ​Sunday​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​win."

Garett's​ ​favorite​ ​memory​ ​was​ ​getting​ ​drafted​ ​into​ ​the​ ​NFL.​ ​He​ ​loved​ ​getting​ ​to​ ​bring​ ​his son​ ​on​ ​stage​ ​and​ ​have​ ​his​ ​family​ ​there.​ ​He​ ​said​ ​he​ ​has​ ​wanted​ ​this​ ​since​ ​he​ ​was​ ​a​ ​little​ ​boy. Garett​ ​has​ ​strong​ ​faith​ ​and​ ​gives​ ​God​ ​credit​ ​for​ ​getting​ ​him​ ​through​ ​the​ ​toughest​ ​times.​ ​He​ ​said that​ ​he​ ​would​ ​never​ ​change​ ​his​ ​upbringing​ ​and​ ​that​ ​he​ ​was​ ​grateful​ ​for​ ​those​ ​experiences because​ ​it​ ​prepared​ ​him​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​better​ ​father​ ​and​ ​a​ ​better​ ​husband,​ ​and​ ​now​ ​he​ ​can​ ​raise​ ​his family​ ​so​ ​that​ ​his​ ​kids​ ​don't​ ​have​ ​to​ ​go​ ​through​ ​what​ ​he​ ​had​ ​to​ ​go​ ​through.

When​ ​I​ ​asked​ ​Garett​ ​about​ ​the​ ​meaning​ ​of​ ​sports,​ ​he​ ​said​ ​that​ ​sports​ ​are​ ​great​ ​for​ ​kids because​ ​the​ ​world​ ​is​ ​so​ ​crazy​ ​and​ ​so​ ​there​ ​are​ ​so​ ​many​ ​things​ ​going​ ​on​ ​but​ ​through​ ​sports,​ ​you can​ ​learn​ ​to​ ​make​ ​friends,​ ​become​ ​a​ ​leader,​ ​speak​ ​up,​ ​be​ ​vocal​ ​and​ ​work​ ​together​ ​as​ ​a​ ​team​ ​to accomplish​ ​a​ ​common​ ​purpose.

In​ ​the​ ​press​ ​room​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Broncos headquarters​ ​there​ ​is​ ​a​ ​motto​ ​that​ ​says​ ​"Be​ ​the Master​ ​of​ ​Your​ ​Attitude."​ ​After​ ​meeting​ ​Garett Bolles,​ ​I​ ​can​ ​see​ ​that​ ​he​ ​is​ ​a​ ​perfect​ ​guy​ ​for​ ​our team​ ​because​ ​he​ ​is​ ​big,​ ​strong,​ ​humble,​ ​generous and​ ​he​ ​has​ ​lived​ ​up​ ​to​ ​this​ ​motto​ ​his​ ​entire​ ​life.​ ​I​ ​feel lucky​ ​to​ ​have​ ​met​ ​Garett​ ​Bolles​ ​and​ ​can't​ ​wait​ ​to watch​ ​him​ ​play​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Denver​ ​Broncos!