ENGLEWOOD, Colo. —As the praise for the recently retired DeMarcus Ware rolled in Monday afternoon, former Head Coach Gary Kubiak made sure to express his gratitude for one of the key players in his locker room.
Ware, who joined the Broncos in 2014, served as a captain in Denver for each of Kubiak's two seasons as head coach. When the Broncos won Super Bowl 50 in February 2015, it was Ware — along with Von Miller — who poured Gatorade over Kubiak's head.
After that accomplishment in 2015, the pair spent a final year together in Denver in 2016.
"DeMarcus was one of the great players in this league for many years and one of the finest human beings you'll ever come across," Kubiak said. "He was a once-in-a-generation player who will go down as one of the all-time great pass rushers in NFL history. Just as important, he showed so much class and leadership with everything he did on and off the field.
"The way he battled through injury in 2015 and played at such a high level in the playoffs was remarkable. I'll always remember his talks to our team the night before the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl 50, telling us what it meant to be part of our team and have the chance to win a Super Bowl. It was very powerful.
"It was a privilege to coach DeMarcus, and I congratulate him on his Hall of Fame career."
