‘Nothing but mad love’: Why players embrace Von Miller

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Two teams removed from his salad days in Denver, Von Miller still refers to the Broncos as “we.”

“That makes sense,” inside linebacker Josey Jewell said Thursday. “I mean, he was here for a long time. So, I’m sure anybody would say it in that case. Everybody loves him here, so that’s good.”

Indeed, just because Miller doesn’t have a locker-room nameplate doesn’t mean he’s not still around. No. 58 has remained unissued by the team’s equipment staff.

The spirt of Miller remains strong, even as he practices his craft in Buffalo, where he will face the Broncos for the first time on Monday Night Football.

“I love him. I truly do,” left tackle Garett Bolles said. “I miss him. We text very now and then. But I think that friendship that me and him are going to have is for a long time. It’s never going to go away.”

“Von’s just a genuine dude,” added Jerry Jeudy. If you just be ardomound him, [there is] just a lot o great energy being around him. I can’t really say nothing else. He’s just a great dude, for real.”

And Centura Health Training Center hasn’t been quite the same without him.

“It’s been tough,” Bolles said. “… His presence is still here. We feel it. You have Baron (Browning) that has learned a lot from him, and (Nik) Bonitto and those guys.”

Courtland Sutton, on Von Miller: “Yeah, I think everybody knows that he's definitely going to, deep down, always be a Bronco … I think that no matter how many more years he plays, I think that the Broncos will still be his home in his core.” pic.twitter.com/Z08EApJ1FX

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) November 9, 2023

VON MILLER, LOCKER-ROOM WELCOMING-COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON

Something was lost when the Broncos traded miller to the Los Angeles Rams eight games into the 2021 season. And it wasn’t just the pass-rush production, which the team has only been able to replicate in fits and starts.

No, it was his presence beyond the field, specifically in using his prominence within the team to make newcomers welcome.

Whether you credit it to Yeats or The Simpsons, there is the notion that a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met. Miller lived that maxim every year when a new class of rookies walked into the locker room.

“Von’s a cool dude. That’s one of the guys who, when I first came in, he showed me a lot of love, showed me the ropes around here,” wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.

Ask a former Broncos draft pick of the last few years and you’ll get a similar response. Miller made many a nervous young Bronco feel like a part of the team. And to earn Miller’s respect was to earn a distinction that mattered.

Courtland Sutton, on Von Miller: “Yeah, I think everybody knows that he's definitely going to, deep down, always be a Bronco … I think that no matter how many more years he plays, I think that the Broncos will still be his home in his core.” pic.twitter.com/Z08EApJ1FX

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) November 9, 2023

YOU CAN’T EXPECT TO REPLACE HIM

Over two years have passed, and the Broncos are still searching for moon with the presence of Von Miller. That’s not to say that they can’t eventually find a similar blend of personality, prominence, on-field success and social warmth.

But Miller was as special off the field as he was on it.

“Oh, yeah. Replacing Von, that’s somebody big, somebody different,” Jeudy said.

Part of the equation for Miller was his willingness to help offensive linemen — including Garett Bolles. Bolles said he called Miller “Big Brother,” while Miller called him “Little Brother.”

“I love Von, man. I have mad respect for him,” Miller said. “He’s probably one of my greatest mentors when it comes to learning the left-tackle position. Just so many memories and so many hours of just talking with him.”

Miller freely shared pointers with Bolles, some of which were gleaned from their one-on-one work together in pass-rush drills.

“Just helping me understand the game of football when it comes to what a D-end looks at, keeping my shoulders square, using my hands and moving my feet,” Bolles said.

“I have nothing but mad love for him.”

So does the entire Broncos team that remains from his last season in orange and blue.