Third-year cornerback Bradley Roby is firmly entrenched in the Broncos' "No Fly Zone" and looks to take another step forward in 2016 as a shutdown corner. He took a few minutes before the Broncos' game against the Falcons to talk opposing receivers, his favorite games and dealing with receivers he sees more than once a year.
How did the championship culture at Ohio State prepare you for coming into Denver, where they have the same type of atmosphere?
It really prepared me a lot. I think that's why you see so many Ohio State guys getting picked up now. Coach [Urban] Meyer – even before Coach Meyer, Coach [Jim] Tressel had a winning tradition. That school's always had a winning tradition. That's one reason why I wanted to go there. I'm a winner. I hate losing.
When's the last time you were on a losing team?
It was at Ohio State, actually. The year the Coach Tressel got fired we lost our quarterback, we lost DeVier [Posey]. DeVier was one of our top receivers. We lost our running back. So we lost everybody. We didn't have any leadership, so that was bad. We were like 6-7. And before that, the last time I had a losing season was like little league. Everywhere else, I won.
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What's it like to run out through the tunnel with the first team?**
At this point [it's] not [new], but it's always good to have them say 'Bradley Roby, Ohio State' and just hear the fans go crazy. There's nothing like it.
Are there certain games that you get up for more than others?
I like the biggest games. I'm the type of player that loves the night games. I love when everybody's watching. I like when it's a night game and we're the only game on. You know, Monday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, Thursday Night Football – those are my favorite games. I love the pressure. I really like the big games. I feel like that's when I make the best plays. … That's kind of how I've always been in football. It's not something I can really explain. It's just, I'm so focused and into it and so ready to make a play and hear the crowd go wild and get everybody up. There's nothing like it. That's why I play football. Those are the games I like the best.
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For the receivers that you see more than once a year, do you have a relationship with them? Is there continuing banter that goes on, and do you have to make sure that after the first game you're not saying too much?**
I got a tip from Deion Sanders about that, actually, that I'm not gonna discuss. But it's something I haven't really implemented just yet. I've been the young guy, kind of. But now this year I think I'll increase my activity, because the next part of the game is getting in guys' heads. So if I'm gonna play a guy two times a year, then I definitely want to get in his head for sure. I'll definitely have some words here and there for certain guys.
The NFL changed the rule regarding horse-collar tackles, and there's the potential that could affect how tackling by the hair is penalized. Are you worried about that at all?
For real? Nah, I cut my dreads a little bit, just because it was during the summer and it was hot. It kind of gets on your neck. I'm not worried about that. If I get a pick, I don't see anybody catching me if I just run. The Patriots game, where I got that pick on the two-point conversion, I was kind of like 'who's coming?' I should've just outran them, because I'm faster than those guys that were on the field. I've just gotta trust my speed, and I'm not worried about anybody catching me from behind.
