At 3:30 a.m., Patrick Vigil nabbed his spot in front of the Denver City and County Building where he waited for the next 10 hours for a glimpse of his beloved Broncos.
He traded spots with family members to hold the space along the crowd dividers during bathroom breaks, fighting off the masses who tried to sneak into his domain despite showing up late.
Vigil stayed awake the entire time, running on the excitement of seeing his favorite team.
“It was worth it,” said Vigil, of Denver. “Look where I’m at. I’m in the front row. This is once in a lifetime.”
Vigil said he has been to every single Broncos’ Super Bowl parade since the team’s first trip in 1977 when they lost.
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“I knew if I wanted to be first I would have to leave early,” he said. “They said a million people were going to be here and I wanted to have the first spot.”
By 6 a.m., there were several groups lining the crowd dividers before the stage where the Broncos would later stand before their fans in a victory celebration.
Jose Navarro,13, arrived at 5 a.m.with his family. The Denver 7th grader — who skipped school — said he never tired.
“I’d do it all again,” said Leroy Garcia, of Thornton, who stood his ground along the dividers from 6 a.m. to the rally’s end.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or @JesseAPaul
