Broncos Profile: David Bruton

Each month, I will showcase a current Denver Broncos player and inform you of their lives and accomplishments before coming to Denver. In doing so, I hope to shine a light on each players own unique journey on the road to Mile High. This month’s featured player is safety David Bruton.

David Lee Bruton Jr. was born on July 23, 1987 in Winchester, Kentucky to David Sr. and Constance Bruton. He played his high school football at Miamisburg High School in Miamisburg, Ohio where he played on both sides of the ball. As a junior in 2003, Bruton earned 58 tackles and eight interceptions on defense and had 270 receiving yards on offense. As a senior, Bruton earned 54 tackles and three interceptions on defense and caught 10 passes for 200 yards on offense. He won All-Division I-II All-Area honors and All-District honors on defense.

After attending the Notre Dame football camp in 2004, Bruton became a member of the historic Fighting Irish as a true freshman in 2005. He played in 11 games (mostly on special teams) and made 14 tackles. As a sophomore, Bruton played in 12 of 13 games on both special teams and as a reserve safety. He recorded 11 special teams tackles and earned 18 total tackles. As a junior in 2007, he made the move to starter at the free safety position and earned 85 tackles, three interceptions, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. In his senior season, Bruton was named as one of three team captains and was named to the Jim Thorpe Award and Nagurski Watch Lists in the preseason. That year, he earned a career best 97 tackles and a team high four interceptions. Bruton graduated from Notre Dame in 2009, earning a bachelors degree for majors in political science and sociology.

Bruton was selected in the fourth round (114th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He played in 14 games his rookie season on special teams and made his first career start at safety late in the year against the Oakland Raiders, where he recorded four tackles. He also earned a forced fumble and 14 total tackles in 2009. In his second season, Bruton played in all 16 games, starting in two of them, and recorded 12 tackles and two fumble recoveries on defense. So far in 2011, he has played in 14 games and recorded eight tackles on defense.

With the current injuries in the Broncos’ secondary, Bruton will most likely be used more often late in the season, although he has had injury issues himself. If he is able to play in the regular season finale game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he may be a key aspect in helping keep the Broncos’ playoff and division title hopes alive.

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