Mitch Unrein won’t let his daydream become a nightmare. He loves football, loves playing in the NFL for the Broncos. The kid from Eaton who starred at Wyoming has been active for only three games this season. But by his count, that’s three more than if he weren’t playing in the NFL.
Humble, well-spoken and determined, Unrein continues to approach each day in the present tense.
“I feel like we have so much depth on this team, I can’t be angry about anything,” he said. “I am just very pleased to be on this team. It came down to final cuts. I know they think highly of me to keep me on this team. It’s such a talented group. I will keep on working and be ready when my number gets called.”
Unrein, who raises awareness for various causes on his website, , is no stranger to overcoming long odds. Colleges overlooked him, not seeing the potential of a 205-pound linebacker and standout wrestler turning into a defensive end or tackle. He walked on at Wyoming, leaving school as the defensive MVP of the Cowboys’ 2009 New Mexico Bowl victory over Fresno State.
Unrein, whose brothers played football at Northern Colorado, signed with the Houston Texans in May 2010 as an undrafted rookie but was cut in training camp. His NFL dreams died for six weeks, leaving him working on residential sewer lines. The Broncos called, and he made their practice squad. He has played in 49 games, including three starts. Each time the rush is the same.
Unrein talked about his path to the team he rooted for as a kid during an interview with The Denver Post:
Q: What is it like heading onto the field for your favorite team growing up?
A: I still do pinch myself. I remember running out of the tunnel at Mile High the first time. It’s a moment you have to kind of take a deep breath and realize, “Wow, I am really blessed to be where I am at.” As they say, hard work does pay off. I am a prime example of that. I am going to keep doing what I have been doing and try to stay in this uniform a lot longer.
Q: Did you ever attend a game at Mile High before playing for the Broncos?
A: The only game I went to was during my senior year of high school. It was crazy looking down on the field at how big those guys were. At that time, I was 205 pounds. So I never really thought that someday I’d actually be playing on that field. Just the size and speed of those guys was amazing. It made me think that it was a real longshot. I just kept on working. I am just in a really good spot right now.
Q: Did you have a favorite Broncos player or players?
A: At that time it was probably Al Wilson and Terrell Davis. John Elway is the one player everyone liked. I did too. But Terrell Davis and Al Wilson were my favorites.
Q: Was there a point during your college career at Wyoming (162 total tackles, 20.5 for losses and 10.5 sacks) that you realized the NFL might be in your future?
A: At the beginning of my senior year, I knew I would have an opportunity to go on and play. I played behind some guys at Wyoming who had minicamp offers. I knew I would get a chance as long as I stayed healthy and kept making plays. Everything happens for a reason. I went down to Houston, got released by them and got picked up by the Broncos. It’s a blessing to be here.
Q: What would you be doing now if you weren’t playing in the NFL?
A: I would be working for an oil- field company, probably Patterson Drilling. That’s who my brothers and dad work for. So probably that.
Q: The Broncos opened their new field house last week. Does it remind you of the one Wyoming has?
A: It’s very similar to the one we have at Wyoming. Obviously, this one is bigger because they have the locker rooms. There’s no reason to practice in the elements if you don’t have a game coming up in them.
Q: Do you recall your coldest game in college and the pros? Did you play the tough guy and go sleeveless?
A: It’s just a windier cold in Wyoming. I remember a BYU game at night, one of the only night games, a mist rain, the field was freezing. It was miserable. At that time in college we just had the metal benches. Yeah, I was trying to be the tough guy with no sleeves. Even in high school we would do it. Try to be the tough guy. I still do it sometimes. The playoff game against Baltimore a couple of years ago I did. When you have that energy from the fans, you really don’t feel the cold as much as you think you would.
Q: What do you like doing when you aren’t playing football?
A: Going out hunting, shooting guns. My wife (Corey Cog- dell) is an Olympic trap shooter. So we like to shoot guns together in the Greeley area. It’s perfect. A lot of ducks and geese up there.
Mitch Unrein file
- Star wrestler/football player at Eaton High School outside of Greeley.
- Turned down scholarship from Northern Colorado, where his brothers played, and walked on at Wyoming.
- Finished college career with 162 tackles, 20.5 for a loss and 10.5 sacks.
- Garnered honorable mention All-Mountain West final three years at Wyoming.
- Signed with Broncos in Oct. 2010 after failing to make Texans in training camp.
- Caught TD pass from Peyton Manning on Dec. 2, 2012, in the “Cowboy Package”
- Has played in 49 games with Broncos, including three starts.
