How important was character in the Broncos’ draft of 2008? Let’s put it this way: They had better have a lot of milk at their training table.
After signing or drafting some questionable characters through the years, the Broncos ran a reverse Saturday and Sunday. None of their nine draftees is known to have a speck of dust on his record, much less a scrape with the law or a confrontation with a coach.
The list starts with first-rounder Ryan Clady, whose family values were apparent Sunday when he showed up at Dove Valley with his father, Ross, at his side. By Sunday night, several other team captains, born leaders and solid citizens had followed Clady off the Broncos’ draft board.
One of the nine picks, fifth-rounder Carlton Powell, missed the early stages of Saturday’s first round because he was with family members at a Bible study.
“Faith is my whole life,” Powell said. “It’s definitely going to play a big part in my career because I know I wouldn’t get to do anything in this world if it wasn’t for my Lord and savior. I just want to give it up to my family and everybody who prayed with me and had faith in me.”
Another Broncos draftee, sixth-rounder Spencer Lar-sen, spent two years in Chile on a Mormon mission. Another, fourth-rounder Jack Wil-liams, monitored teammates at Kent State to make sure they were attending class. And another, seventh-rounder Josh Barrett, won an award at Arizona State for his hard work in the team’s offseason conditioning program.
Many NFL teams downgraded Larsen because he’s 24, but he fit right in with this Broncos draft class. He not only is married with a son and is devoutly religious, he earned academic all-conference honors at Arizona with a 3.65 grade-point average.
Said Larsen: “I’m probably the happiest kid today to ever get drafted. I feel like I bring a little maturity and a passion for the game. I just love to play.”
Larsen isn’t the only father among the Broncos’ draft class. Fourth-round pick Kory Lichtensteiger is married with a son. Lichtensteiger was such a leader at Bowling Green, he was named a team captain and 2006 co-MVP — as an offensive lineman.
Then there’s second-rounder Eddie Royal, who emerged as an inspirational figure in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shooting tragedy, helping the players be, as he put it, “strong for the university.”
“I’m a family guy,” Royal said. “I have six brothers and sisters, and it’s just my mom, so I’m real close to my family. I feel like I’ve had to grow up a lot faster. I feel I act older than my age. Hopefully that will help me as a professional, coming in and learning the playbook and doing all the right things on and off the field.”
Bringing in players with character and a positive attitude is important to the Broncos these days. Various team insiders, most notably Rod Smith and owner Pat Bowlen, have acknowledged that attitude problems have been an issue in recent years. And the issue has the potential to grow, with the Broncos facing a crossroads season after back-to-back years without a playoff appearance.
“I’m very happy with our draft class, with the type of character we did draft,” Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. “We’ve got some quality individuals. Most of those (type of) guys, we have on our football team. There are always a few exceptions to any football team, but that’s been a big emphasis for us since we’ve been here. . . . If they don’t stand up and do the right things, they won’t be with us very long.”
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
