0:01

Hello, and thank you for joining us here on

0:03

the Broncos Podcast Network.

0:05

I'm from Allan, Joined us always by

0:08

Eric Delalla. We are back

0:10

with another episode of Broncos Country

0:13

Throwback, this time joining the

0:15

program a good friend

0:17

of ours and newly elected

0:20

Hall of Famer Steve Atwater.

0:23

Yeah. So, Steve is one of the greatest

0:25

players in Broncos history, and

0:27

it's appropriate that we're talking to him this

0:29

week on Broncos Country Throwback

0:32

because, as we're recording it this Steve

0:34

is supposed to be being enshrined in

0:36

the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend.

0:39

Of course, that was all moved down

0:41

the road to but

0:43

I thought this was an appropriate time to catch up

0:45

with Steve and hear about such

0:47

a memorable career. And so with

0:50

that, let's get to Jim Sakamano's conversation

0:52

with Hall of Famer Steve Atwater. We

1:08

are delighted to have with us today on

1:10

Broncos Country Throwback. Steve

1:12

Atwater, there are legends

1:15

within legends, and uh,

1:17

as john Ford famously

1:20

UH had a line in one of his great

1:22

movies, UH, when the legend is

1:24

bigger than the fact print the legend,

1:27

And we've got a few of those players. Steve

1:30

Atwater is one of them.

1:32

Ye know. The funny thing, Steve is

1:35

as great a player as you were, and

1:37

you were. I don't think anybody

1:40

would doubt or deny that you're

1:42

a better person than that. You're just a

1:44

wonderful human being. And nobody

1:46

would know that you were a player

1:49

if they didn't already know it. They would just say

1:51

what a great guy that Steve Atwater is.

1:54

That's not exactly a question, and I realized

1:57

it's a it's so positive. There's a set

1:59

up for you not to not to answer it

2:01

much. But if you, you know, if you want

2:03

to talk a little bit about the values you grew up

2:05

with, that might be good because that's

2:07

what makes us the man we become. Yeah.

2:11

Well, I appreciate those kind

2:13

of words, Jim. And I'm sure

2:15

there are a lot of people out there who don't feel the

2:17

same way that you do. Uh hope

2:20

there's not too many people out there like that though. Um,

2:24

but yeah, I just remember, you know,

2:26

growing up and my dad

2:29

he always just tell me just you

2:31

know, kind of treat people the way that you want to be treated,

2:33

and you know, trying not to uh,

2:36

trying to get too excited when things are going

2:38

well, super good, and then when

2:41

things are going really bad, don't you know, don't

2:43

get too low. Just try to stay right there in the

2:45

middle. And uh, that's kind of been

2:47

my my my method to

2:50

my madness for you know, trying to

2:52

you know, stay levelheaded and

2:55

um, you know, just try to do

2:57

the things that I think are the right thing to do

2:59

and treat people away that I want to be

3:01

treated. So worked

3:04

out pretty well. I've got some amazing relationships

3:07

from that, and uh,

3:09

you know, I'm a much happier person, Steve.

3:12

And if the situations in the United States

3:15

of America and the National Football League

3:17

we're a little different right now, you

3:20

would be in camp in Ohio right this minute

3:23

for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Uh,

3:26

that must give you an odd feeling.

3:28

But yet is it's good

3:30

for No, it will be done right down the road.

3:34

Yeah. Aren't

3:36

had a call from Bruce Smith earlier today just

3:39

kind of sharing those same sentiments, and

3:41

you know, we both just kind of really laughed

3:44

and we're appreciative of, you

3:46

know, having the careers that we had in

3:48

the NFL. And as NFL player,

3:51

you have so much adversity

3:53

that you have to overcome. You have to have a

3:56

mindset that's adaptable.

3:58

And you know, I'm

4:01

just happy that, uh, I've been

4:03

able to find af throughout the situation. And

4:06

I'm not I'm not worried that, uh,

4:09

the ceremony didn't happen this year because

4:12

a lot of the Hall of Famers probably

4:14

wouldn't have been able to make it anyway. You know, some

4:16

some the Hall of Famers up there in age

4:18

a bit and would have been as many

4:20

fans there, and uh, you

4:22

know, I think it's just gonna be much better

4:25

when everybody can go out and enjoy it and have a

4:27

have a great time. So yeah,

4:29

I don't I don't have any problem with waiting. I

4:31

know it's gonna be much better next

4:33

year. Year. Now we would have tried to be smell

4:36

it together this year, Yeah,

4:38

this would have been so tough, and next

4:40

year is gonna be so perfect. It's gonna be great.

4:43

Steve, you know, when you look at the great

4:45

dist of your career, it just points

4:47

out once again how hard it

4:49

is to get into the Pro Football

4:52

Hall of Fame. You know, like everybody's

4:54

everybody who's in, it seems like they should be a first

4:56

ballot guy. But it doesn't

4:59

work out that way, No,

5:02

it doesn't. And uh,

5:05

I remember when I retired from the NFL.

5:08

You know, the question popped in my mind, like, man,

5:10

was that career good enough for to be in a pro football

5:12

Hall of Fame? And Uh,

5:15

to be honest, I really didn't know. I wasn't sure.

5:18

I know, I think that team success

5:20

also has something to do with it. Uh,

5:23

you know, being on a good team, having good coaches.

5:25

Uh, but you

5:27

know you also got to play well in those

5:29

environments, and um, I just

5:32

I wasn't sure if it was enough.

5:34

And uh, you know, I became a finalist

5:36

a few times, and you know that's when

5:38

it started to become a little bit more real that

5:41

it could possibly happen. And uh,

5:43

I'd say, you know, there are some guys who were like shooting

5:46

guys, the you know, the Troy Polamalo's,

5:49

the Ed Reid's, the uh

5:52

you know, Champ Bailey's John

5:54

Always, But I mean I wasn't one of those

5:56

guys. And uh, you know there

5:58

are some guys who are like

6:02

on the whole another and a whole other stratosphere

6:04

and a bunch of guys

6:06

who are really, really good, but not

6:09

necessarily in that super league

6:11

group. And uh, you know,

6:13

I think I was one of those players who was really

6:15

good, but I would I wouldn't say I

6:17

was in the class of like the Ronney

6:20

Lott and Ed Reid in terms

6:22

of the safety, you know, with all the interceptions and

6:24

big hits and big plays. But

6:27

still it was, you know, a

6:29

good, good career. I thought, Well,

6:31

I would disagree with one thing you just said,

6:35

with the fact that there may be other players who

6:37

were more elite. However, when

6:40

you called yourself real good, that

6:43

is incorrect because really

6:45

good you never You

6:48

were never real good, Steve. You

6:50

were always tremendous. And uh,

6:53

I gotta I'm thinking of two great hits

6:55

you had, and I wonder if you could comment on them.

6:57

The first, of course, chaking him kind

6:59

of logically was Monday Night

7:02

Football Christian a Ko the

7:04

hit. What do you recall of that?

7:09

Well, every time I think about that hit,

7:11

uh, you know, I can't help it. About

7:15

the week leading up to the game and you

7:17

coming to me asking me if I'd be miked

7:19

up for the game, and I

7:22

got that away right, No,

7:26

you didn't know. You were very nice, but you

7:28

were a little reluctant, but you know, you always

7:30

put the team ahead of yourself, and

7:33

you were a humble guy, so it wasn't like your

7:35

way to say, oh cool, I'll just do that.

7:37

So we had several conversations. I'm

7:40

glad you went along with her, of course. Yeah.

7:44

Yeah, And and uh also

7:46

just been a meeting rooms the dentist and

7:48

uh, Dennis Smith just you know, we're

7:50

watching failm and he said to me. I

7:52

just remember him saying, we gotta we gotta

7:54

stay up high. But we hit him. We don't want to go for his

7:57

knees or you know, we don't want

7:59

to want his back, We want to hit him right

8:01

in the chest or in the chin. And uh,

8:04

and I just said okay, and uh, you

8:06

know, the opportunity opened

8:09

up. Unfortunately, I was able

8:11

to get the best up on that play. And

8:13

you know, we know we've played againt them several

8:15

times and that that wasn't always the outcome,

8:17

but uh, all it took

8:19

was that one. And I'm surely happy

8:22

that I came out on the on the on the better

8:24

side of that one. Yeah, that was

8:26

a legendary hit boy.

8:28

Speaking of Dennis Smith, I

8:30

don't know if there's ever been a safety

8:32

tandem as hard hitting

8:36

as you and Dennis Smith. That that it's

8:38

possible, But I don't know that's

8:41

a those hits

8:43

were those hits would

8:45

not be allowed. Yeah, I mean

8:47

people they tell me like, man, you hit so hard, And

8:49

I was like, did you watch Dennis

8:51

Smith? I mean I

8:54

watched theydn't been on the field with him,

8:56

you know, I learned so much just

8:59

about how to go to accelerate people.

9:01

And but that hurts, though, you know,

9:03

and it takes it takes curas to do that. You know, everybody

9:06

can't do it. So some people try it and

9:08

it doesn't work out too well. But you know, you gotta

9:10

your body, you gotta be in great shape, and you gotta

9:13

have the right mindset to you know,

9:15

just kind of throw your body in front

9:17

of a kind of a train, so to

9:19

speak. And uh, you know, Dennis

9:21

did that fearlessly time after

9:24

time after time. And uh, I'll

9:26

just be in games just amazed by

9:29

by all the different plays that he made and

9:31

all, you know, everything that he could do. Uh.

9:34

Just an amazing, amazing player and a great

9:36

leader as well well. He

9:38

was. And that's kind of you to say. Now,

9:41

the other hit that I can think of is

9:44

the time. I wouldn't say you irritated

9:46

Mike Shanahan in but we're

9:48

about to win Super Bowl thirty two

9:51

and you knocked out our defensive backfield.

9:54

Oh man, yes, And

9:58

it was the game was getting down to where it was kind

10:01

of a close part

10:03

of the game, and it

10:05

was third down, I remember, and I

10:07

had I was responded for the middle of the field and

10:09

uh, Brett Farve, he threw

10:12

the ball to the trip side of the field and

10:14

I just remember breaking saying, oh man, I can't

10:16

let anybody kiss this ball. And

10:19

uh, so I just ran full speed and

10:21

I just ran into the crowd. And unfortunately

10:23

I had Randy Hilly, our quarterback,

10:26

and uh and also Robert Brooks,

10:28

and you know, obviously wasn't trying to hurt

10:30

him, but I just didn't want anybody to kiss that ball.

10:33

And uh, you know, fortunately nobody caught the

10:35

ball, but the three of us had to come out of the

10:37

game, uh for that final defensive

10:40

play. And then I was on the sidelines

10:42

kind of days and uh

10:44

and uh and then John

10:46

Mobley broke up the past between

10:49

Brett Farve and Mark Mura, and

10:52

uh, I looked back at the clock and then it just

10:54

hit me right then that man, we're

10:56

gonna win this game. We're gonna be some Bowl

10:58

champs. And the emotions just

11:01

uh imagine, just was overcome with emotions

11:03

at that point. And um,

11:05

you know, and if if I hadn't gotten

11:07

ding on that play, I probably would have known that

11:10

if we got off the I got off the field and the fourth

11:12

down play and we would win. But I

11:14

was a little a little, a little delayed. But it

11:17

still was very a very emotional moment

11:19

um for us. Now, of

11:21

course, Terrell Davis was the Super Bowl

11:24

m v P just a storybook

11:26

thing in his hometown of San Diego. However,

11:29

I've always thought that if they

11:31

did an offensive m v P at a defensive

11:33

m v P and the Super Bowl, there

11:35

is no question that you

11:38

would have been the defensive m v P. You

11:41

had a great game, that that might have been one

11:43

of the great games of your career. Uh,

11:45

Steve, Yeah, it

11:47

was. It was a good game. I dropped

11:49

the interception. That's the only thing that I can recall. I know it was

11:52

a lot of good stuff happened, But you know, a

11:54

lot of people, I'm one of those guys I remember

11:56

that that one play there. Uh that

11:59

could have made it where it wasn't so dramatic

12:01

there at the end. I would have caught that interception. Uh.

12:04

But yeah, Terrell Davis and the offense,

12:06

they were so amazing that game. Um,

12:09

and for me and the Starell would

12:12

have been the same way. It didn't matter who the player of the

12:14

game was. The thing was we we got the championship

12:16

and um, you know, just

12:19

a great feeling for Broncos country, all the fans

12:21

who have been cheering with us right

12:23

from nineteen sixty. Uh. Man,

12:25

it's just so much, so

12:27

much weight off of their shoulders and right off their

12:29

backs. They're so proud of us. And you

12:32

know the teams that have uh got

12:34

to the playoffs, the Broncos teams

12:37

and going to the Super Bowl before that, Man,

12:40

we were everybody was on our

12:42

backs and terms we were all in this, in there

12:44

together, so that when it just for our team,

12:46

it was for all of us. And that

12:48

was That's a good thing. That felt the most special about

12:50

that, just knowing that you know, we

12:53

had been there before when they would get it done, and

12:55

you know we did it now and uh, for

12:57

all those bad times, we gotta

13:00

with the hunt. Steve,

13:02

what are your memories of You

13:04

know, you're a senior in Arkansas, you

13:07

know you're gonna get drafted, then you know you're gonna

13:09

get drafted number one. Then you do,

13:12

and it's by Denver. What were your thoughts

13:14

about that whole situation. Well,

13:17

first off, I wasn't one of them. I didn't know I was

13:19

going to get drafted in the first round. I

13:21

was just hoping that I would go on the first day.

13:24

And uh, and I

13:27

remember Denver had I think

13:30

it was the third team pick, and then they

13:32

traded with the Cleveland Browns traded

13:34

down to twenty, and you

13:36

know, I really didn't know what that was all about.

13:38

But um, you know I remember

13:41

talking to a couple of the scouts at the

13:44

when I had my my workouts at the University

13:46

of Arkansas. Uh,

13:48

and that ever went really well. And

13:51

then again at the East West Shrine

13:53

game we were playing at Stanford,

13:55

and uh, you know, I always had great interactions

13:58

Ron Hill uh and

14:01

Mike Hagan masked. I never forget those guys

14:03

man. Uh. And yeah, we had

14:05

great conversations. And

14:08

when once once the pick came up, h

14:11

I got the phone call and I

14:13

don't even know who all I talked to on the phone. I know

14:15

I talked to coach Reeves, but I forget, forget who else

14:17

I talked to on the phone. And uh,

14:20

I just really changed my life. It was

14:24

a life changing experience. Um.

14:27

I was so grateful. I didn't know anything

14:29

about Denver, Colorado. I've never been

14:31

to Denver um

14:34

and uh, it was a

14:36

great situation to come into the uh

14:39

you know iverage. Remember one of the first person I saw

14:41

when I came into the building was called Mecklenburg

14:43

and also impressed with just how chiseled

14:46

he was, how big he was, and um,

14:49

you know, we we called I. We've had a great

14:51

relationship right from the start, and we still did as

14:53

day have a have a great relationship. So

14:55

you know, Steve, I remember what I was the

14:58

draft room when they were discussing,

15:01

we really want to take a safety and Wade

15:03

Phillips, who I think was our defensive coordinator

15:06

and Charlie Waters our defensive Yeah,

15:10

and they were discussing you and another

15:12

player and nothing wrong with the player

15:14

here. It was Yeah,

15:18

I had I had him at the Pro Bowl

15:20

at eight nine. Boy he was big too,

15:22

But um, but they were talking about

15:24

you, and Wait said, you know, either

15:27

one is fine with me. And then

15:29

Charlie Water said, well, if it's all the same,

15:32

I'd like Steve Atwater and then

15:34

waits to Steve Atwater is great with me.

15:36

And you know, it always comes

15:38

down to somebody saying the name, and uh, well,

15:41

it's amazing the path, you know, the

15:43

path that it set somebody on by

15:46

somebody just choosing you. Yeah,

15:48

just like that. Uh. And I always

15:51

say, um, when

15:54

a person goes into an environment, you

15:56

never know what it's gonna be like, and noe never

15:58

know if it's gonna be a good fit. But I think

16:00

that it was just the perfect fit for me, and

16:03

you know, the perfect system, perfect with the coaching

16:05

and all of our you

16:08

know, relationships were amazing and got

16:10

along really well. And I could have gone

16:12

somewhere else and it could have been just the opposite.

16:15

And I know a lot of players getting in that situation

16:17

where you know, they may be a good player,

16:19

but the situation just isn't

16:21

a fit for them and they aren't

16:23

able to have a productive career. And I

16:26

feel definitely blessed in that regard

16:28

that And I was thinking about the right team

16:30

and the right coaches and you

16:32

know, everything just it was it

16:34

was like a layoup for them. All I had to do was come in

16:36

and work hard, and uh, you know, the

16:38

good things happened. Good

16:41

things really happened. I remember at

16:43

the end of that first training camp, uh,

16:46

Dan Reeves spade some devastating cuts

16:49

and sometimes it just has to happen. But

16:51

I remember that he cut a team captain,

16:54

Mike Harden so that you could

16:56

start at safety. And Mike,

16:58

of course a wonderful player and everything

17:01

too. But what a comment that is

17:03

that you cut a guy who has been

17:05

a captain for you to

17:08

start a rookie at the at

17:10

safety. And you know, that was like

17:12

one of those wow moments. And I remember the

17:14

press there were several of them

17:16

that yeah, but it was like, wow, um,

17:20

this guy is really good, I guess, you

17:22

know, yeah, I was surprised

17:24

by that as well. And uh,

17:26

you know, just say, you know, man, Mike Hardened. I

17:29

remember doing some workouts, you know, after

17:31

the draft, we would come up and work out and

17:33

learned defense and that in Mike hard and he was

17:36

just a super professional about

17:39

you know, just sharing all kinds of

17:41

uh things with me about you know, how to play

17:44

the safety position alignment and

17:46

and everything. So it wasn't Mike because

17:48

we were going to be competing that he

17:51

was anything back. Yeah, and

17:53

you know there's another guy who

17:56

you know, we we still have have a wonderful relationship.

17:58

Man, And I was should it's just

18:01

the environment that I came into. It was, it was,

18:03

it was amazing. Now

18:06

I recall when you came. It

18:08

seems to me, I don't know if Letha was

18:10

already your fiance, but

18:12

it seems like that's

18:14

it. That's really something. I mean, I mean

18:17

because we know that well, there's a lot

18:19

of a lot of stuff in society, and lots

18:21

of arguments and lots of stuff, and

18:23

you guys have had she's wonderful and

18:25

you've been married Gee with

18:28

Steve. What does that be thirty years? It will be

18:30

thirty years? Uh December thirty

18:32

first, it will be thirty years. Yes, well, you

18:34

know, not to date myself, but Joanne, I are at

18:36

fifty why man,

18:40

Uh, we're never gonna catch you. Well,

18:44

congratulations, but thank you.

18:46

Then congratulations to you. But what

18:49

I was gonna lead to is, you know,

18:51

the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and

18:54

when you've got values, and your wife

18:56

has values. You have got four

18:58

kids. Wow, I

19:01

mean, if I'm not mistaken, Princeton,

19:04

Georgetown, one

19:07

of those giants fancy schools, the smaller

19:09

school in California, get Sunway. Yeah,

19:13

and then your daughter is maybe

19:16

a freshman or a sophomore. She's

19:19

a sophomore already at Stanford.

19:21

Yes, yes, there's gonna be

19:23

a sophomore in the fall when the

19:26

classes start back. Yeah.

19:28

Boy, that's uh what a tribute.

19:31

I mean, that's a tribute to mom and

19:33

dad as well. Get

19:36

mom more credit for that. I mean, you know, I

19:40

have a few smarts, but she's

19:42

she's definitely, uh the

19:44

one who put a ton of time

19:46

in with them, teaching him how to how

19:49

to study and how

19:51

to think about different things. Uh. Yeah,

19:54

I played a small part, but you

19:56

know, uh when whenever we talk about

19:58

the academics, uh, you know that

20:01

that fell from her side of the tree. Well

20:04

you're you'd being modest, But you know what, when

20:06

you do talk about learning how to study, how to

20:08

prepare, people often don't

20:10

realize how much of life,

20:12

and of course you work for Mike, how

20:15

much of life has to do with taking the skills

20:17

you have and Max it's

20:19

very hard maximizing all

20:21

the skills all the time

20:24

toward a set goal. That's very difficult.

20:28

Yeah, no, I agree. And you know,

20:30

the people who find that

20:32

love, find that passion and and something

20:35

that they are they're

20:37

really good at those tend to be

20:39

the people who are not only successful,

20:42

but the most happiest, uh, you

20:44

know, the people who are enjoying their lives

20:47

versus you know, being forced into doing something that,

20:50

um, you're doing just for the

20:52

money. Now, Steve

20:55

you you of course worked for the Broncos now

20:57

and we you know, couldn't have a better

20:59

guy. And so fortunate the team is

21:01

again, but the team, the team in

21:03

the city. You're fortunate because you

21:06

had a great career and you

21:08

could have lived anywhere in retirement.

21:10

How come you're in Denver still, which

21:13

you know, I'm not saying you shouldn't be here. I'm

21:15

just saying we really because

21:17

uh, you know, you could be anywhere if you chose

21:19

to be. You know what, Like

21:22

when I finished playing, I played my last year

21:24

with the Jets, and then I moved to Atlanta.

21:26

I lived there for like twelve

21:28

years, and then we moved to the DC area for

21:30

about five years. And uh,

21:33

in both of those places I got a chance to Like

21:35

when I lived in the Atlanta I went to a few

21:37

of the Falcons games, and

21:39

um, you know, I kind of felt like an

21:41

outsider. Uh. I know, I played

21:44

in the NFL with Office, I didn't play for the Falcons,

21:46

and uh. And then when I went to

21:48

the DC area, kind of the same thing. I went to

21:51

a couple of the Red Skins games and just,

21:54

uh, it didn't didn't feel right.

21:56

And uh and once my

21:58

kids got done with college, then the reason we moved

22:01

up to the northeast was because two of my sons were

22:03

playing football up there, the one at Georgetown

22:05

and one at Princeton. And once they graduated,

22:08

we really didn't have a reason to be up there. And

22:10

uh, you know, everyone wanted to move back to Denver

22:13

too, So it was unanimous, the whole

22:15

family wanted to move back here. And

22:17

um, you know, so we we started

22:19

looking for a house. We found the house, and then

22:22

uh, you know, Mike Freeman, he had

22:24

mentioned something about possible opportunity

22:27

to come and work with the team, and you know,

22:29

once I found the house, um, you

22:31

know, I called him up and asked him if he was serious and

22:33

he said yeah, and uh, you

22:35

know, we went and talked and uh sat

22:38

down and we we got it worked out man,

22:40

by maybe fIF team minutes, and uh it was a

22:42

gun deal. And it's just been been

22:44

amazing ever since. I'm definitely

22:48

blessed to be not only back in Colorado

22:50

too, but to to be with the organization.

22:53

Uh, you know, I just uh,

22:55

I just can't tell you how how

22:57

thankful I am, you know, to you know, have the

22:59

real relationships, um and you

23:01

know a lot of new relationships too, and a lot

23:04

of a lot of old relationships. But uh,

23:06

it's just really amazing that, you

23:09

know, the team would open up its arms and welcome me back

23:11

in after being gone, especially being off for

23:13

so long. But I did come back quite a bit when I

23:15

was away. Oh,

23:17

the team that goes

23:20

both ways, Steve. I mean, the team is

23:23

very fortunate to have you. Also. You

23:25

know, one of the things that I think is really cool is

23:28

if you tell somebody you love them, you

23:31

can do that, but it's up to

23:33

them to tell you they love your back, because

23:36

they always do it. And the same

23:38

thing with the team. And I feel this way

23:40

myself, you know, like I gave

23:42

the team my whole career. But

23:45

it doesn't then have to be nice to me in

23:48

return. But it's

23:50

really cool with the team loves you, Steve,

23:53

and the city loves you as much

23:55

as as you put out for the city and the

23:57

team. You know, that's really cool. Yeah,

24:00

And you know, I think that really

24:04

uh came

24:07

from Mr. Bowl. You know, that's

24:09

those were the values that he

24:11

had. And

24:14

you know a lot of the people who are in the

24:17

higher positions in the organization,

24:20

you know, they they have that same

24:22

mentality and it is

24:24

abutive beautiful thing I

24:28

always getting mostly when I talked about Mr

24:30

Boban too. But yeah, he was a great

24:33

leader, a great man. Yeah,

24:36

he he was. He was And I'm missing yeah,

24:40

we all do. Boy um.

24:43

Yeah, there's there's not much you can say about

24:45

that. We we really miss him every day

24:48

every single day. Steve,

24:50

I thank you so much. You're truly

24:53

one of the all time great guys as

24:55

well as one of the all time great Broncos.

24:58

You're so deserving to be in the all of fame

25:00

and I'm glad it happened. And uh,

25:03

and I'll certainly look forward to the next

25:05

July or August when when you're formally

25:07

inducted, and I can't thank you

25:09

enough for joining us on Broncos Country

25:11

throwback. Steve Well, Jim,

25:14

hey, thank you for having me on. And um,

25:16

you know, we we met back in nineteen

25:18

eighty nine as well man, and we've had a long

25:21

friendship over the years, and I always appreciate

25:24

you, know, your friendship, your your

25:26

loyalty to the team, and you

25:28

know just your your your honesty. Always,

25:30

I really appreciate you. And uh, I hope

25:33

you and the wife or family all

25:35

doing well and look forward to seeing you so Phil.

25:39

That was Jim Sakamano's conversation with

25:41

Hall of Famer Steve Atwater and

25:43

man one of impressive career Steve

25:46

had, uh you know, obviously known

25:48

for its big hit on Christian a Koreate,

25:50

but so much more than that and

25:52

a really key piece to those two Super

25:54

Bowl teams for the Broncos. Excited

25:57

to celebrate him next year in Campton. Uh,

26:00

but he's already a Hall of Famer in our books.

26:03

So most definitely Eric and

26:05

uh, you know, he has

26:07

been a part of our lives the last couple of years

26:10

as he started working for the Broncos, and we've

26:12

gotten to know him and his family very well,

26:15

and just, uh, you can't say enough

26:17

good things about Steve Atwater. We

26:19

know the type of player he was on the field,

26:21

but he's an even better guy off the

26:23

field, and it's really just been a

26:26

pleasure getting to know him the last

26:28

couple of years. Here, Hopefully

26:30

listeners enjoin this podcast. You

26:33

can find Broncos Country Throwback

26:35

wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

26:38

That's on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,

26:41

tune In, Stitcher, and now

26:44

on iHeart Radio Bronchos

26:46

podcast Network featuring a several

26:49

different shows, including one that

26:51

Eric and I host called The Neutral Zone.

26:54

But you could also find Entre Amigos

26:56

there for our Spanish speaking

26:58

fans, so make sure to look

27:01

out for the entire slew

27:04

of shows on the Broncos podcast

27:06

Network. We'll be back with another member

27:08

of the Broncos alumni next week. Until

27:11

then, for Jim Sacramento and Eric Dla,

27:14

I'm Filmli.