The trait that made Case Keenum the top target for the Broncos

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Growing up, Case Keenum ate, breathed and slept all things football, all the time.

Born in 1988, Keenum had no choice but to be around the game for two simple reasons. First, his father, Steve, was a former offensive lineman who later became a football coach. Second, he lived in the football capital of the world: Texas.

But Casey, as he was called before changing it to Case in third grade, quickly developed a component that’s been key to carrying him to the place where he’s at today—becoming the Denver Broncos’ starting quarterback, and oh, by the way, making $36 million in the process.

That specific characteristic was the love for the game.

Now, all grown up at 30 years old, nothing has changed in that department.

“My wife and I, we were down in Houston, and our hearts both jumped,” he said, recalling the moment early Tuesday morning he received the call informing him he was going to be a Bronco. “It was exciting. It was an exciting evening. We were laying in bed at 12:30 and we didn’t get much sleep after that. We stayed up all night just talking and excited about the opportunity moving forward. It was incredible.”

To be frank, millions of players around the country have fallen in love with the same game Case has, yet only a handful have fulfilled their dream of making it to the NFL. What Keenum has that’s taken him over the top, and that’s common with some of the greats is his off-the-charts intangibles.

“At that position, obviously, there is a certain talent level that you need to be able to play with and have to be able to play,” John Elway said on Friday as he introduced his new quarterback. “But I think as important as that is the guy that’s inside, the heart that he has, the mentality that he plays with, the leadership that he has. We feel like we’ve got that guy.”

When it comes to intangibles—which are always spoken about when talking about the all-time great quarterbacks—it becomes clear just moments after meeting him he checks all of the boxes. For Elway, he didn’t even need to bring him in for a meeting to understand that, he just listened to the people who have been around him.

“When Gary [Kubiak] thought of him, and really as a man and what he can do in that locker room for us. That locker room is something we’ve got to continue to work on, and as you can see, the maturity that Case is going to bring is going to be tremendous for us,” Elway expounded. “After talking to our whole coaching staff and the personnel department, we were all in agreement that Case was going to be the target. He was the best fit for us with his leadership quality.”

Even more than his football skills, which he touted, head coach Vance Joseph kept pushing how great of a person Keenum was and how he was just the right fit for not just the offense, but for the team as well.

Since Peyton Manning retired nearly two years ago to the day, the Broncos have admittedly lacked an offensive identity. For all of the doubters that Keenum has, an identity is certainly something he’ll bring from day one.

“I’m ready to step in that locker room and earn that right to be the leader… [To be] the leader that this team needs me to be,” Keenum said with determination. “I prepare every day with the mindset that I’m going to do everything I can to be the best quarterback for this team, to be the best leader.”

Keenum is already putting that leadership into action. Although many believe the lack of an offseason passing camp last year was blown out of proportion, Case doesn’t want to let any opportunity to lead or work with his teammates slide.

So, just as Manning did during his time in Denver, Keenum wants to organize some sort of offseason workout. He’s willing to take charge, too.

“I’ll travel anywhere, and I’ll fly those guys anywhere to make that happen.”

Along with leadership, which is crucial for any starting quarterback to be successful, Keenum has an unusual trait that most starting quarterbacks in the NFL don’t have that both Elway and Joseph went out of their ways to mentioned about him: He’s battle tested.

Coming out of high school, the 6-foot-1 quarterback lacking elite arm strength and speed was offered a single scholarship to play college ball. After setting career NCAA passing records in yards, completions and touchdowns at the University of Houston, Keenum went undrafted in the NFL, but that was just the start of his wild journey.

“He’s a guy who has been through a lot of ups and downs in his football career, and he’s hardened to it,” Joseph said. “It won’t be too big for him to be a Denver Broncos quarterback, which is a big task. It won’t be too big for him to lead [WR Demaryius Thomas] and [WR] Emmanuel [Sanders] and those names that we have here. He’s excited about that. He’s a man’s man, and that’s one of the traits I love about him.”

During his six-year journey through the NFL, Case has been cut numerous times only to fight his way to prove that not only he deserves to be in the NFL, but he deserves to play the most important position in all of sports.

“To me, I’ve earned everything I’ve got. Nothing has been handed to me, and I want to continue to earn everything from this point out,” he said proudly, when asked why he took a shorter two-year contract. “It’s a craft. I’ve really worked every day my entire career on being the best quarterback that I can be.”

When Case pegged Denver as his No. 1 destination this offseason, he knew the massive shoes he was stepping into being the quarterback of this historic franchise. Instead of melting under that pressure, his new head coach had no doubt Keenum would thrive under the hot spotlight.

“It won’t be too big for him,” Joseph said. “He likes to play. He’s a winner.”

After putting a lot of thought and admiration into what that meant, Keenum simply said it “is an honor” to be added to that list alongside Manning and Elway.

Speaking of Manning, without warning or given a moment to look back through his notes—or more likely the internet—Keenum was asked about a trip he made to Colorado in college and what happened.

In Manning like fashion, Keenum called up the play to a tee.

“It was Klint Kubiak who came over from his safety position. I remember the play vividly,” Keenum said, reflecting on a 2008 game against Colorado State when he threw a game-ending interception to Gary Kubiak’s son in the end zone. “We had a field goal in our pocket, and I tried to be a little greedy on a touchdown pass. He came down with it. I’m glad we’re on the same team [now].”

Things such as leadership, work ethic, surviving through multiple battles and having an incredible memory just simply can’t be taught. Yet in order to be a great quarterback in the NFL, many of those intangibles are required. But just as his press conference was about to wrap up, he proved to the media he had one other intangible.

In a press conference where most reporters were only allowed one question, veteran journalist Woody Paige tried to sneak two in. Case caught it.

“That was a great two-part question there,” Keenum said with a smirk, giving the entire room a good laugh.

At 30 years old, Case even knows how to work the media.

While he may be under-sized, Elway, Joseph, Kubiak and the rest of the Broncos’ organization would recommend looking beyond a single number to judge their new signal caller. Instead, they’d have you take a look at Keenum’s accomplishments on the field, and maybe even more importantly, what he brings to this football team off the field.