What the Broncos did Saturday matters more than anything they'll do on the field

DENVER — The last time before Saturday that Broncos players spoke to a crowd at Civic Center Park, it was to celebrate a Super Bowl win.

That triumph brought Denver together in a way only a championship by one of its local teams can. The Broncos rode on fire trucks through downtown Denver, its streets blocked for their players to get the ride of their lives.

Just four Broncos players are left on the team from that day. And one of them, the leader of the locker room, the pulsating force behind that title-snatching defense of a bygone age, was the best person to explain why so many members of the organization gathered downtown once again.

Von Miller spoke last, following Jeremiah Attaochu, Justin Simmons, Davontae Harris, Alexander Johnson and De’Vante Bausby.

His speech was the shortest. But his words were simple and powerful, and explained why the Broncos came together at the forefront of Saturday’s Black Lives Matter protest and march.

“The time is always right to do what’s right,” Miller said.

Denver, like every major city in the United States, has become an epicenter of protests of police brutality in the wake of the death of George Floyd.

But as the protests and movement continues to grow, the Broncos became a symbol of the community coming together. Wednesday, the team came together via Zoom conference in the wake of comments from coach Vic Fangio that spurred controversy and touched off a national-media firestorm. Fangio’s subsequent statement — in which he said, “I am sorry” without offering any kind of mealy-mouthed qualifier — was sincere and profound, representing his hope that the equality of the locker room and field can someday exist in the world at large.

Saturday, his players gathered from near and far.

Fangio and the entire coaching staff were with them, marching step for step.

With some other teams — most prominently the New Orleans Saints — this week created wedges in the team and even their fan base.

It was the opposite with the Broncos. Links strengthened. Bonds tightened. Arm in arm, they gathered, then walked together from Civic Center park downtown to the Denver Center for Performing Arts.

As Broncos players and thousands of protestors marched through downtown, horns honking from nearby cars in support. Black, white, Hispanic, Asian … it was a collection of people that represented the cross-section of cultures and backgrounds that makes Denver such a dynamic place to call home.

“I can’t say what this means as an African-American man to see so many people of different colors, different races, coming together in solidarity to put in motion how important it is for all lives to matter,”Simmons said. “And for that to happen, black lives must matter.”

Simmons and the Broncos leading the march reflected Denver just as much as the faces that marched peacefully through the streets with a powerful message.

“We play for the Denver Broncos, yes that’s no mystery. But we are not here today as the Denver Broncos. I’m here today as Justin Simmons, a member of the Denver community,” said Simmons, who flew back to Colorado from his home on Florida’s east coast.

“I want to make sure the people in this community understand that.

“It was important for us to show our support for our communities, because you show our support for us.”

It was a reminder of why the Broncos matter so much to so many. It’s not just about the wins on the field.

When the Broncos are at their best, they bring their community together. Not just Denver and Colorado, but fans from far and wide who collectively call themselves “Broncos Country.”

This will be the Broncos’ finest hour in 2020.

Marching for a cause. Marching with their fans and their community.

Marching together.

ICYMI, here are the full speeches from @JAttaochu45, @jsimms1119, @wichkid, @_BigBaus and @VonMiller from Saturday’s #BlackLivesMatter rally at Civic Center Park: https://t.co/pf5YXFEWVa

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) June 6, 2020