Super Bowl: Broncos CB Taurean Nixon impersonating Cam?

Super Bowl: For Denver Broncos rookie CB Taurean Nixon, it’s been an incredibly interesting couple of weeks, which included impersonating…Cam Newton?

Rookie cornerback Taurean Nixon is probably one of the most interesting players on the Denver Broncos, we just didn’t take the time to notice it. The life of a practice squad player in the NFL isn’t glamorous, but how many times have you said, “Shoot, I’d get paid $250,000 to be on the practice squad…”?

It’s a privilege, but it’s also incredibly difficult. Unlike being a player or coach who is with the team every single week, helping control the outcome of the game, a practice squad player’s role is restricted to the preparation stages. During the week, he and the others play whatever role they have to, whether it’s giving the first-team offense a look as a cornerback, flipping over to the offensive side and playing the role of an opposing receiver for that week, or simply being a presence with the team in the locker room, weight room, and meeting rooms.

It’s sad that this is all the NFL has, but it’s the closest thing they have to a developmental ‘league’ right now.

For Nixon, the season was progressing as normal. He was going through his weekly routine, using his Tuesday off days to go be with his teammates in the Denver community, making a difference in any way he could. In a heart-warming piece by Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today, we learned that Nixon spent his Sundays at the children’s hospital when the team was on road trips.

When Omar Bolden hurt his knee a couple of weeks ago, the Broncos opted to replace him on the roster with the ultra-athletic Nixon, who had spent the entire season on the practice squad. He was promoted to the 53-man roster just in time for a chance to possibly suit up for the Super Bowl, but in addition to Brock Osweiler and Trevor Siemian, he played a little quarterback at practices to help get ready for Cam Newton.

Von Miller filled the media in that Nixon was one among a number of players with speed on the team that simulated what it would be like to deal with Newton, but this unique role is something that has made Nixon’s presence on the 53-man roster even more interesting than it was before.

You always hear about how every single player matters, how every man — 1 through 53 — contributes to a team’s Super Bowl aspirations. That couldn’t be more true for the Denver Broncos, but it extends past that. It goes to the 10 additional players on the practice squad, the players who are on injured reserve playing a part.

That’s why it’s so cool that the Broncos flew every team employee to Santa Clara for the Super Bowl. That’s why this is a first-class organization with great people from the top to the bottom who know what it takes to win a title.

I’m not saying Nixon is going to be the Super Bowl MVP, but he played the role of the MVP this week so the Broncos could try and find a way to stop him, to limit him…

…to be Superman’s ‘kryptonite’.