ENGLEWOOD, Colo. --With the lights on and the cameras rolling at the Broncos' conditioning center in Dove Valley, several dozen members of the Denver Broncos Quarterback Club had a special start to their Wednesday evening as they sat in as audience members for 9News' taping of its weekly *Broncos Huddle *TV show.
Members of the club – which was incorporated in 1964, making it the Broncos' original booster club – traveled to Broncos headquarters for the taping and for a special address and Q&A session with Broncos President Joe Ellis, who spoke to the audience after the show.
"For us, it's always an honor to be able to come out here," Quarterback Club President Paula Faulkner said. "We're so appreciative of the opportunity and the privilege that the Broncos give us to come and visit Dove Valley – to be around the ambience and for Mr. Ellis to address us and let us ask him questions."
Ellis noted that he was excited by the turnout and the enthusiasm demonstrated by Quarterback Club members.
"A terrific turnout from our longest-standing fan club," Ellis said. "It's nice to see them here and for them to be able to participate in the Broncos Huddle show. And to be able to stay after and chat with them for a bit, it's fun for me and fun for the organization."
For Broncos diehards like Faulkner and other Quarterback Club members in attendance, having such close proximity to the Broncos organization made for an engaging experience.
"It's a great honor and a great privilege because the NFL today is a little more closed than it used to be," she said. "This is a privilege and we appreciate it very much."
Faulkner noted that having the opportunity to interact with Ellis firsthand and ask questions was particularly enjoyable.
"You watch interviews on TV, or you hear interviews on the radio and you go, 'Yeah, but what about this?'" Faulker said. "Now you actually get to ask the question and get an answer from the people in charge, firsthand, without somebody else trying to analyze, decipher and translate it. It's really great."
Ellis said that he appreciates the opportunities to interact with fans on a personal basis and share their passion for Broncos football.
"It's great because these people are the lifeblood of the team," Ellis said. "They're the ones that garner all the support, that pay for the tickets, that buy the merchandise, that watch the games on TV when we're on the road. It's really fun to be in touch with them on a personal basis and to interact with them."
And the club's enduring devotion to the Broncos is ultimately, as Ellis noted, what makes sitting down with them so enjoyable.
"These people have been with us through thick and a lot of thin, you know?" he said. "It's just fun to see their support and their enthusiasm in person – it makes doing these kinds of events so enjoyable."
"We're not fans – we're fanatics. We're Bronco fanatics," Faulkner added. "The Quarterback Club is a great place for people to get together and be able to share that enthusiasm."
