Broncos DE Derek Wolfe speaks candidly, and it’s fantastic
Denver Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe has never been a man to mince words. He spoke candidly to Denver media at Broncos OTAs on Wednesday…
Denver Broncos star defensive lineman Derek Wolfe has a message for new guys coming in to play for the World Champions:
If you didn’t love Derek Wolfe already, that ought to send you over the top. This guy is phenomenal. Wolfe talked about the newcomers as well as his reason for passing on the open free agent market, and he didn’t leave anything to the imagination. Do you think the Wolfe-man regrets not hitting the open market?
“Absolutely not. I did what I felt what was right. I’m happy for [Jaguars DT] Malik [Jackson]. He deserves it. I’m where I wanted to be. You can’t put a price on happiness. I’m happy and that’s all that really matters.”
Not only is Wolfe happy financially, he’s happy with his surroundings. And how could you not be? You’re playing for the best fans in the world. Wolfe spoke on what it is about the Broncos that he loves…
“I love the city, the fans. The people here are great. I couldn’t imagine playing in another city. I don’t really want to ever have to play in another city. I’ll probably just play here until I decided to just be done. That’s my plan.”
Earlier this offseason, it was clear that John Elway wasn’t going to be putting together a team full of guys who were on the fence about being part of this team. His statement was that the Broncos want players who want to be Denver Broncos, and I think that’s a reasonable requirement. Obviously, Wolfe is one of those people, and he has an even stronger message than Elway to those who are new and need to buy in to the culture of the organization:
“We have a standard here, and they either buy in or they don’t. They’re either going to buy into that standard or they’re going to get the hell out.”
Part of setting that example for Wolfe is going to be earning the money he’s been given. One of the most famous lines in pro football is Peyton Manning’s old line about what he’s going to do with his big contract, and he responded with, “Earn it.”
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You get the sense that Wolfe has that type of work ethic as well, and that’s reflected in his habits on and off the field.
“To me, I have to prove my worth, prove that I was worth that much money. I have to go out there and prove to the fans, to the team, to the organization, to my teammates and to everybody that I’m worth that much money. To me, it puts a little bit more pressure on me actually.”
It’s great to hear Wolfe speaking so candidly to the media about things we fans are passionate about as well. You always say that as a fan, you don’t buy in to the name on the back of the jersey, but the one on the front. It’s pretty cool to have so many guys wearing the uniforms on Sundays who have the same mindset.