ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Matt Paradis may be leaving the NCAA's blue and orange Broncos to join the NFL's blue and orange Broncos, but where he comes from couldn't be any more different from where he's headed.
Paradis grew up in Council, Idaho, a town with a total population of 839 people at the 2010 census. Years after earning a scholarship with the Boise State Broncos by walking on in 2008, Paradis is now headed to the Denver Broncos, a team that sits in one of the league's brightest spotlights.
"Just kind of a situation you never think can happen and it happened," Paradis said. "It's pretty amazing."
Paradis visited with Denver before the draft, so he had some hopes the Broncos would take him but still wasn't sure he would be drafted.
"I didn't know that they were going to take me but I watched film with the O-line coaches and it went really well. So I was excited about the visit."
The sixth-round pick converted from defensive line to center in 2010 and followed the career of Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady very closely. Denver chose Clady out of Boise State in the first round of the 2008 Draft.
"He's obviously one of the best to ever play at Boise State and you always wanted to be like him, trying to strive to be how good he is," Paradis said.
Come late May, the two former and current Broncos will be taking the practice field as teammates for the first time.
