The event, which was attended by more than 30 Broncos players, benefited Food Bank of the Rockies and Denver Broncos Charities. (Photos: Gabe Christus)
DENVER — NFL games are no picnic.
They're long, tough, physical contests — and players often need to recover after a Sunday afternoon spent on the field.
Perhaps that what makes the Broncos' involvement in Monday's Taste of the Broncos event so impressive.
Just over 24 hours after their Week 2 game concluded, more than 30 players were at Sports Authority Field at Mile High to support the third annual event.
The evening — which itself did resemble a picnic — benefited the Food Bank of the Rockies and Denver Broncos charities.
That sort of commitment from players may not be commonplace in every NFL city, but it's what outside linebacker Von Miller has come to expect from his team and his teammates.
"That just shows what type of team we have," Miller said. "We've always been like that, whether it's [for] a player's foundation [or] anything. Anything we can do to give back to the community, we pretty much do."
Safety Will Parks, who spent most of the event talking and taking photos with fans, recognized the commitment the Broncos displayed Monday night as they helped raise money for local families in need. But to hear Parks tell it, the way he spent Monday night was far from a burden. Instead, it was a chance to interact with the same fans who screamed from the stands as the Broncos beat the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon.
"It's a testament to how hard we work," Parks said, "but at the same time how hard we know these fans come out to support us. It means so much to us to come out here and put a lot of smiles on people's faces, kind of meet the people behind the scenes and a lot of people who've been season ticket holders for so long. It's a blessing to be out here."
The Broncos will get a well-deserved off day on Tuesday, but on Monday, they did their part to help the 1-in-7 Coloradans who worry where and when they will get their next meal.
In long snapper Casey Kreiter's eyes, that's exactly how it should be.
"I think being an NFL player means you give back to the community and you get out and get to see the people that support you on Sunday, Monday and Thursday," Kreiter said. "So it's nice to get out and I think it's nice for us to take a step back from our jobs and just kind of enjoy an event like this and have fun, eat some great food, interact with everybody and just spend time away from football, but yet, with your football family still."
