The following story was written by Emma, a recent Children's Hospital Colorado Junior Reporter.
I got an amazing opportunity to meet and interview the one and only Garett Bolles, No. 72 on the Denver Broncos. He has eight years of experience playing for the Bronco as an offensive tackle. He is 6 feet 5 inches tall. He is one of the nicest people I've ever met.
As I got to Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit, I realized how hard it must be to be a Broncos player. The players train hard which is easy to say knowing that they train most of their days. The thrill of knowing that they work and train hard leads to success for Denver. They somewhat seem different from humans. So when it was time to meet the player, I assumed this wasn't going to be a normal interview.
The first question I asked Bolles was about how to deal with an aunt that is a Raiders fan. We talked about the rivalry, and how when the Broncos win, we need to brag for the entire week. Bolles is not going to try out for the Olympic flag football team. He wishes he could, but stated that they don't think linemen are fast enough. They like the other positions, like receivers and quarterbacks better. Bolles was inspired to become a football player because not only does he love the game, but he loves meeting kids and hearing their stories, where they come from, their struggles and how he can help and support them. It inspires him to be better. Bolles thinks that if he wasn't playing football, he would be working in the garage door business, like he was before becoming a football player.
I asked Bolles his thoughts on the new Guardian Caps and he thinks they make the players look like Oompa Loompas, but it is there to protect them. The game is changing and there is new technology to keep our many Broncos less prone to injuries. When I asked about wearing the retro jersey vs. their standard jerseys he stated "the retro one, by far," which is my opinion too.
Bolles' lucky numbers are 20, his lacrosse number, and 72, his Broncos number. Bolles has tons of rituals that he does before a game. He has a playlist he's been listening to forever, he shaves, he brushes his teeth differently and walks three laps around the stadium. He calls his mom, wife, dad and agent in that order, and if one doesn't pick up, he starts over.
Bolles' favorite football player that doesn't play for the Broncos (anymore) is Von Miller, a former teammate, along with several other players, even Maxx Crosby.
I asked, "If you were having a night out, which one of your teammates would you want to babysit?" Bolles said that he would not want anyone on this team to babysit, but if he had to choose, it would be Bo Nix, or actually Cody Barton.
Bolles' favorite mascot is Miles, because Miles is just the best. If Bolles was able to create his own NFL football team, it would be a new team in Hawaii and would either be named after a type of wave or Tsunamis.
Meeting Garrett Bolles was a fun experience that I will cherish forever. Talking about the game with him and how it is changing was truly a remarkable thing. Bolles is a funny guy and very easy to talk to. He is a very good role model and cares about his fans, especially us younger ones.
