Alex Singleton came up in the NFL the hard way.
A three-year starter at FCS Montana State, the linebacker spent his first year in the league on the practice squads of the Patriots, Seahawks and Vikings. Then he paid his dues for three years with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders before signing with the Eagles as a special teamer in 2019. He spent the last two seasons asserting himself on defense as Philadelphia’s leading tackler.
But the long road to becoming a starter seemingly benefited Singleton, who signed a one-year deal with the Broncos this past week and will compete against second-year pro Baron Browning to start at inside linebacker alongside Josey Jewell.
“Some people are drafted in the first round and everything is very easy; some guys are rookie free agents and make their way and some guys are in and out of the league (like Singleton) and they have to find their way,” Broncos defensive coordinator Ejero Evero said. “What you find from a guy like Alex, what he has is grit and determination. Those factors have allowed him to get better and to deal with adversity when things haven’t necessarily worked out for him. And now he’s in this position.”
Singleton said spending the 2015 season bouncing around Seattle, New England and Minnesota was “a really big eye-opener.” He finally found professional stability in Calgary, where he recorded 311 tackles, four sacks and six forced fumbles in 54 games. Singleton won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award in 2017 and was also a key member of Calgary’s Grey Cup championship team in 2018.
“Having to go up to Canada and play, I was able to become a professional there,” Singleton said. “I learned how to incorporate every single part of my life to being the best player I can be…I was able to bring that when I went to Philadelphia the last three years and I want to continue to grow in that and continue to do that in Denver.”
After playing zero defensive snaps in 2019, Singleton played 68% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps over the past two years while accumulating 120 and 137 tackles, respectively. In 42 career games (19 starts), the 28-year-old also has nine tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, five pass breakups, three fumble recoveries, two interceptions, two sacks, two defensive TDs, three fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble.
Singleton’s tape backs up his stat line: He’s a guy who is constantly around the football.
“He is a very instinctual player and you can just tell he has a natural feel and he reads and diagnoses and does it all pretty fast and more often than not, he ends up exactly where he needs to be,” Evero said. “Last year, he did a good job of not only getting to the right spot but finishing a lot of those plays.”
No matter what happens at inside linebacker, Singleton will likely be a boost as a core contributor on Broncos special teams, which have been a noticeable team weakness over the past six seasons.
It’s an aspect of the job Singleton takes pride in, even as he’s climbed the ladder to becoming an impact player on defense.
“There’s a third phase to this game for a reason, because itap important,” Singleton said. “You always want to be on a competitive team and that starts with how your special teams play, because that fuels your offense and fuels your defense.
“As a leader in Philly last year for that specific unit, I tried to bring a culture. I’ve learned how I like the game to be played in that phase, I want to bring that here to contribute and be part of that. (General manager George Paton) emphasized (that role for me), and I’m excited to be part of it.”
Denver Post reporter Ryan O’Halloran contributed to this report.
