CHRISTIAN McCAFFREY ROOTING FOR LINDSAY
Phillip Lindsay and Christian McCaffrey ascended to pro football stardom from the same Denver-area high school fields. The Pro Bowl running backs are now NFL opponents with the Broncos and Panthers — and both remain “Team Colorado.”
McCaffrey and his older brother, Max, a 49ers’ wide receiver, returned home this week to serve as assistant coaches at the youth football camp their father, Broncos legend Ed McCaffrey, started 18 years ago. When conversation with reporters turned to Lindsay, the Valor Christian alum gushed over the pride of Denver South.
“I root for him nonstop,” Christian McCaffrey said of Lindsay. “It’s cool seeing another guy from Colorado make it up the ranks and then continue to have such huge success. I’m definitely happy and I think it’s great for Colorado football as well. The more guys that do what Phil is doing is special for guys. You look at the high school talent now, and even younger than that, it gives the kids a sense of pride and somebody to look up to in that position; that can dream and have aspirations of being where he is. And obviously, Dalton Risner is a (Wiggins) Colorado guy as well, seeing the success that he had and hopefully will continue to have.”
Ed McCaffrey, who helped provide hands-on instruction to more
than 400 youth football players over the last four days at Valor Christian, first witnessed Lindsay play football in the seventh grade. He has been a believer ever since.
“People ask me if I was surprised by (Lindsay’s) success and I say: ‘Absolutely not.’ He had the look in his eye and the competitive spirit and the talent in seventh grade,” Ed said. “So it should have not been a surprise to anybody that he went to CU and tore it up there and had huge success with Denver. He’s had it since he was a little kid.”
Lindsay tallied 1,278 combined total yards rushing and receiving with 10 touchdowns as a Broncos rookie. He has sat out since Week 16 of last season with a fractured wrist but is expected to make a healthy return to training camp starting July 18.
McCaffrey, in his second season with the Panthers last year, finished 133 yards shy of becoming only the third player in NFL history with 1,000 yards receiving and 1,000 yards rushing. Carolina also added former Broncos’ center Matt Paradis via free agency.
“We made a lot of changes in the offseason but I’m loving where our team is at,” McCaffrey said. “We’ve got great energy going into camp here in a few weeks. I’m unbelievably excited. … We felt (Paradis’) presence the day he stepped foot in the locker room. He’s a guy who has been there and had success in the past.”