ENGLEWOOD, Colo. --"Hi, Coach Kubiak? I'm calling from President Obama's office ... I'm going to put you on hold, and the President's going to get on the line."
There are moments when what the Broncos accomplished hits its players and coaches like Von Miller from the right side. Getting sized for Super Bowl rings. Looking out into an endless sea of orange from the steps of the City and County Building.
And, for Head Coach Gary Kubiak and outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, being on the other end of the line when President Obama calls to invite you to visit the White House.
After a brief pause, a voice known throughout the world crackled through the line.
"Coach?"
"Mr. President, how are you?"
"Well, not as good as you," replied Obama, "but I want to let you know that that's about as good a defense as I've seen since the '85 Bears."
Of course, that's no small praise from the devoted Chicago Bears fan, who expressed more admiration for the defense, for Von Miller, Peyton Manning, Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips -- and of course, for Ware, who has visited the White House and the President before.
"It's good to see old men doing good," Obama told Ware.
A broad smile crossed Ware's face.
"You can't teach an old dog new tricks," the Pro Bowler replied, "but you can teach him to be consistent, right?"
Consistency and resilience are some of the reasons why the Broncos are world champions today, and why they will visit the White House at some point in the coming months.
"Hopefully you guys can get here before I leave office," said Obama, who is term-limited from re-election this year.
"Well, we can't wait," Kubiak replied. "We look forward to that. I know our whole organization will look forward to coming down there and getting an opportunity to meet you. It will be a special day for us. Thanks so much for inviting us."
After a few more words, the call ended, and a smile crossed Kubiak's face as the moment and what it meant settled in.
"Hey, we talked to the President," he said.
It's part of the nectar of victory, and the Broncos will savor every last drop of it.
