Colorado vs. The World: Centennial State products drafted in first round of every major sport

DENVER — History.

For the first time ever, a Colorado product has been selected in the first round of all four major-sport drafts.

The quadfecta was completed on Thursday night when the Tampa Bay Lightning selected Cal Foote—son of legendary Avalanche defenseman, Adam, and native of Englewood—with the 14th overall pick in the NHL Draft.

Foote’s selection comes just one night after Derrick White, product of Legend High School and the University of Colorado, was selected No. 29 overall by the San Antonio Spurs. At that time, 2017 became the first ever year that a Colorado prep had been selected in the first round of the NBA, MLB and NFL draft.

A weeks ago, Regis High School’s David Peterson was selected No. 20 overall in the MLB Draft and before him Christian McCaffrey from Valor Christian was taken eighth overall by the Carolina Panthers of the NFL.

READ – From Denver to Punch: The David Peterson Story

The boom of talent comes 20 years after arguably Denver’s greatest five-year sports stretch began in 1997, starting with a couple Broncos Super Bowls and ending in 2001 with an Avalanche Stanley Cup. Of course, the fathers of two of the young men listed above—McCaffrey and Foote—were a part of that magical run.

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The incredible stretch for Colorado preps goes beyond America’s major sports and into the most popular sport in the world. In January, Evergreen High School’s Sam Hamilton was selected No. 15 overall by the Colorado Rapids in the MLS SuperDraft. Additionally, in the last 18 months, Ethan Horvath of Arapahoe High School and Mallory Pugh of Mountain Vista High School each made their debuts for the irrespective Men’s and Women’s United States National Soccer Teams.