Those big lugs are getting bigger than ever in the Sunday football league.
The Broncos have, count ’em, 16 players on their training camp roster who tip the scales at 300-plus pounds. Nothing unusual there, not in today’s NFL, where bigger is better, not to mention mandatory for survival in the trenches.
How have NFL players evolved through the years? Consider this: The 1977 Broncos, who played in the first Super Bowl in franchise history, had one player heavier than 270 pounds — Claudie Minor, who went 280.
The 1987 Broncos weren’t much bigger than those Orange Crush Broncos. They had two players heavier than 270 — Freddie Gilbert and Dan Remsberg, who went 275.
Then there were the 1997 Broncos, Mike Shanahan’s third team as head coach. They had 24 players bigger than 270, including six 300-pounders.
Now come the Broncos of 2007. When they do calisthenics, it registers on the Richter scale.
These Broncos have 27 players who weigh in at 270-plus, including the 16 300-pounders, topped off by 350-pound defensive tackle Sam Adams.
It isn’t just the linemen who have grown exponentially through the years. To wit: Broncos punter Todd Sauerbrun checks in at 215 pounds. That’s a couple of double cheeseburgers — five pounds — lighter than three of the Orange Crush’s starting linebackers. Tom Jackson, Joe Rizzo and Bob Swenson were 220 apiece.
Jim Armstrong issues regular reports from training camp throughout the day along with video takes from the sidelines and snippets where fans get to do the talking. Visit Dateline Dove Valley With Jim Armstrong.
