Taurean Nixon Makes Effective Use of Down Time

While the Denver Broncos’ pass defense is #1 in the NFL, giving up only 181 yards per game, there are contributors to the defense that most fans and media will never give a second thought to, or even realize exist half the time.

Nevertheless, those in gridiron obscurity not only make significant contributions at practice but in the community as well and such is the case for Broncos practice-squad player, cornerback Taurean Nixon.

Thanks to Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today Sports, a former Broncos writer who is still stationed in Denver and the solid journalists of NFL Female (whom you can follow on Twitter @NFLFemale and I highly recommend you do so), word has surfaced that Nixon, a 7th round draft pick by the Broncos in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Tulane, is cheering up hospitalized children in his downtime.

Nixon, who will often play the roles of receivers of the Broncos’ opponent for the upcoming week during practice in going against cornerbacks Chris Harris Jr. and Aqib Talib, was informed in September that he would not be traveling to Broncos’ road games.

With the Broncos having only three home games in their first eight of the season, he has had plenty of time to make himself useful otherwise and has spent his time doing so at Rocky Mountain Children’s Hospital.

He has befriended many children and showered them with gifts and while he goes to the hospital often on Tuesday, the day of the week NFL players get off during the season, he has stricken up great relationships with the kids based on previous family experiences.

Nixon’s younger brother, T.J., was born with hydrocelaphus, or fluid on his brain, resulting in four surgeries within his first five months of life, with doctors reminding the family survival was not really plausible.

Nevertheless, T.J. is still alive and is called the “super fighter” by his family. The fact that Nixon shows up to watch Broncos games with patients has proven to be invaluable for them as some have said upon his arrival that they haven’t been “this happy in months.”

What the future holds for Nixon in terms of his prospects for being a vital contributor on the field for the Broncos is anyone’s guess but he has already put forth a Hall of Fame contributor in the community and to me, that warrants a well-deserved Mile High Salute.