We got the chance to explore Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station on Tuesday, and it's just a whole different world that people aren't aware of. They do a lot to protect the whole United States, not just Denver. You would think something like that would be fake, but it's actually real. I'd kind of heard about it. They always said Denver has the underground security. It was awesome to tour. That was my favorite part: learning about all the Secret Service-type stuff that's going on.
If I was down in the underground base, I think I would make it. I've been through it a little bit. I'm a pretty mentally tough guy. If I wasn't playing football, I'd probably have something to do with the military.
We got to have lunch with the Air Force troops later, and that was interesting. We were able to pick these guys' brains and learn about their daily lives. Of course, we know how our lives are, but it was cool to talk to them and see what they go through on a daily basis.
They're a lot like us as far as having to be away from their family. But they're there for longer periods of time. We get offseason breaks where we can go home and relax. They don't really get to relax. When they're here, they're here. They do so much for this country. It's great.
Last year I ran out of the tunnel with one of those guys, and it was fun. It was big-time for those guys. They barely get their faces on TV, so I had to bring a little joy to them and tell him we had to take a selfie and that I was going to post it on my page. It ended up being a pretty good picture.
We get to honor them again this weekend, and that's dope. I feel like the reason we're free is because of them. When I hear that national anthem, it's just a thank you to the military for letting us be a free country and letting us be able to play this game.
We're honoring them with helmet stickers, and I picked a U.S. Marines one. I feel like the Marines are the grimiest. They do all the real dirty work. When it's time to go to war, the Marines are the guys who are the front-line guys getting their hands dirty. I respect those guys the most.
