Denver Broncos

Pat Surtain II has made a name quickly for himself in the NFL.

The Broncos cornerback quickly gained respect from not only his teammates but opposing players and coaches during a standout rookie season. That recognition escalated to a new level Wednesday evening when Surtain was named to his first Pro Bowl.

“He’s an unbelievable football player, unbelievable person, and his work ethic (is great),” head coach Nathaniel Hackett said earlier this season. “He’s playing at a very high level.”

The NFL changed the format of the event this year, introducing for the first time the Pro Bowl Games.

Quarterback Russell Wilson, a nine-time selection himself, said Wednesday regardless of whether it’s a game or just a week of events, it’s worth enjoying for a young player like Surtain.

“What a gift and what an honor to be around the world’s best,” he said. “Every day we get to come into this locker room and we’re around the world’s best. There are only roughly 2,000 guys who get to play in the National Football League every year, and the reality is there are 8 billion in the world. What an honor when you think about that. You think about the numbers, the odds, the difficulty of it all, and how hard it is. What a gift it is. We have so many special players on our football team.

“Hopefully some guys get on there and get to go and celebrate and have a good time.”

Surtain, the lone Bronco selected, now gets that chance.

Denver did not have a Pro Bowler in 2021, making Surtain the first since Bradley Chubb and Justin Simmons made the 2020 game. Surtain is the first corner to be selected for the Broncos since Chris Harris Jr. in 2018.

Parker joined The Denver Post in September 2022 after covering the Broncos for USA Today. Before that, he spent five years covering Nebraska football and athletics for the Lincoln Journal Star. He’s a New Glarus, Wisconsin, native and University of Wisconsin graduate.

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