INDIANAPOLIS — When Damani Leech arrived in Denver as the Broncos' new team president in the weeks ahead of the 2022 season, he had a set of beliefs about the organization.
About the tradition of success. About the importance of winning. About the team's dedicated fan base.
And over the course of his first season in the role, he was proven correct.
"All the things that I thought coming into the role about this tradition of success and winning and a rabid fan base is true," Leech said. "I've told people a couple times now, I've been in a grocery store, early on when I first got [to Denver], and somebody would walk up to you and say, 'Hey, good luck this season, and go Broncos.' I'm not wearing any [Broncos gear], but people, they really, really care about the Broncos.
"There is generational fandom and it's something that also is a good reminder for me. I take that as a point of responsibility that people really care about this franchise."
Leech said the first few months on the role have been the "proverbial drinking-from-a-fire-hose year" and that he's still in the process of learning the cadence of an entire year.
"Every day's a journey," Leech said. "It's a learning experience."
Leech said the Broncos are in the midst of strategic planning for the upcoming season, and he's excited to have a full offseason with which to work.
As he enters his first offseason with the Broncos, Leech will work alongside General Manager George Paton and new Head Coach Sean Payton. While the team is still months away from its first game, Leech can already sense the excitement that Payton has brought to Denver.
"I think there's a tremendous amount of excitement certainly in the building," Leech said. "A lot of excitement in the building. Someone that's coming in [and] is a proven winner who's won a Super Bowl, who wants to win another, I think is really, really exciting. I think we're seeing it with our fans — [there's] a tremendous amount of excitement in Broncos Country."
Excitement alone is not enough, and Leech echoed Payton's sentiment about how to turn that excitement into wins.
"His message has been, now it's about the work — and really sort of everybody putting their heads down," Leech said. "The wins and the Super Bowls don't come easy and we have tremendous confidence in him and George Paton, our general manager, in getting us on a path to success."
