Broncos fans excited for new era
2,057 came out for opening day of training camp with QB Russell Wilson, coach Nathaniel Hackett
Jordan Sonogini came prepared for his overnight stay before opening day of Broncos training camp — even packing a tent that turned out to be a life saver once the skies opened up late Tuesday night.
Sonogini arrived at UCHealth Training Center at 5 p.m. Tuesday in an effort to be the first fan in line when the gates opened Wednesday morning at the Broncos’ practice facility. He achieved that goal — albeit with a little rain and lightning.
The 30-year-old was one of 2,057 who filled up roughly half the berm on the sunny side of the team’s practice field for start of Russell Wilson’s first training camp in Dove Valley. That number was more than double the turnout for opening day last year (874), with many swarming to get an autograph or picture with the Broncos’ new quarterback at the conclusion of practice.
Sonogini, who has been a lifelong Broncos fan, believes Wilson will be a game-changer for the franchise.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the new camaraderie on the team and how Russell Wilson leads the team,” Sonogini said. “It’s exciting, the quarterback search has been going on for a while so this is a stepping stone in making it back to the Super Bowl.”
Another early bird fan, Tom Zeman, has attended every Broncos training camp since 1988 that wasn’t impacted by COVID-19, and he believes Wilson has already changed the trajectory of the team without stepping foot on the field.
“He’s all about relationships, all about connection and that’s really important,” Zeman said. “It’s all about how you stay connected as a team on the field and he’s making sure that happens.”
While Zeman is thrilled about having a seasoned quarterback, he was most excited to see new head coach Nathaniel Hackett and how he interacted with the players.
“has a lot of energy,” Zeman said. “I’ve been talking about his enthusiasm and what he brings to the team. The team is optimistic, it’s all the way through the building, and it starts with the coach.”
This year was also the first year players could interact with fans since the start of the pandemic.
After the training session, multiple players, including Wilson, met with fans bunched at the sidelines eager for autographs and selfies. Attendee Maverick Villones, 29, thought Wilson really added to the fan experience and felt more liveliness from the crowd than past years.
“He’s energetic, interacts with the fans, and just has a great personality.” Villones said. “There’s a new energy now that we have a new quarterback…it kind of reminds me of when we had Payton Manning.”
After what he thought was a good first day of training camp, Hackett noted the crowd’s support for the team and Wilson, saying he appreciated them being there.
With a new coach and quarterback, a new era has arrived for the Broncos. While the team has a few more weeks before starting competitions, fans are hopeful about the future after what they saw on Day 1 with Wilson and Hackett.
“A coach and quarterback are two big things to fix but I think we have done that,” said Sonogini. “Now it’s time to put it all together as a team and get to the playoffs.”