The Denver Broncos have a new facility, and players are showing different sides of themselves.
The Denver Broncos have a unique locker room, and it’s not just about the chemistry between the players. The Broncos moved into a state-of-the-art facility this summer, and the building itself has a lot of stories to tell.
Sam Jane of the Denver Post did a fascinating piece about this, starting with the fact that the old one got a grade of “F” in one of those player survey pieces the league has been working hard to suppress.
The new building took care of that and then some. It cose $175 million, and it comes with a full-scale lounge to go with 100 lockers and an adjacent barber’s room for players to get a haircut. The players have room to spread out, with tackle Garett Bolles actually getting two lockers to accommodate his massive frame, and they’ve been able to display an array of items you won’t typically find in a pro locker room.
Take safety Talanoa Hufanga, for instance. His displayed item is a wooden bowl he got from a former assistant coach, per Jane, and it’s actually called a kumete, which is a traditional Polynesian bowl used for serving food or mixing kava.
Hufanga explained that the drink’s effect can be similar to alcohol, inducing muscle relaxation, sleepiness and feelings of well-being, according to the writer.
That’s probably not what coach Sean Payton had in mind when it comes to locker room displays, but thankfully Hufanga uses the bowl to store items like his blue hat, and it’s there to represent his Tongan heritage.
Cornerback Pat Surtain II features a figurine that was given to him by a young boy when he was signing autographs, so that represents the fan involvement Broncos players have.
Meanwhile, there’s receiver Pat Bryant, who’s the self-described “shoe junkie” in the group. Every NFL team probably has one player who does this sort of thing, with Bryant leading the Broncos with a total of 17 pairs, 13 of them cleats. He’s worn custom cleats before, so there’s no real surprise there.
Other items are born out of necessity. Linebacker Justin Strnad keeps a container for sunglasses that’s actually used to hold thumb braces because the training staff would accidentally throw them out while cleaning the room. Strnad is doing things a little differently because he has too, and his usage is just one example of how the Broncos are adapting to their new daily environment.
