Tyler Badie shares how to properly pronounce his last name

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — Tyler Badie cleared up the pronunciation of his surname after the Denver Broncos finished their practice at The Greenbrier on Wednesday.

Yes, it’s like what you find in a fancy bathroom. And no, he has not always pronounced his last name like that.

“No, actually not. I actually changed it myself,” he said. “But there’s some other things going on, some family things that I’ll talk about later on, but right now I’m just trying to focus on football right now.”

The football is going better for him than it ever has in his pro career. The Broncos elevated him to the 53-player roster on Wednesday, giving him the spot vacated by inside linebacker Alex Singleton when a torn anterior cruciate ligament ended his season after just three games.

Badie earned the shot by averaging a whopping 8.6 yards a carry. He leads all Broncos running backs in rushing yards with 86, even though he has 14 fewer carries than Javonte Williams and 8 fewer attempts than Jaleel McLaughlin.

Williams and McLaughlin have combined for just 6 more yards than Badie has on is own — and their 92 yards came on 42 attempts. Both have an average of just 2.2 yards per carry.

“He’s been real decisive. He’s had some big runs for us. He’s smart,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “He knows the system. He’s good in the passing game. He brings a lot.”

Yet, it took a while for the Broncos to really figure it out — even though he scored a touchdown the first time he touched the football for them in a game, on a catch from Russell Wilson during the 2022 season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Tyler Badie didn’t touch the ball again in a game that counted until Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers — some 616 days later. In between, he spent the entire 2023 season on the practice squad. That led to an odd moment in May when he took part in the team’s rookie minicamp — in spite of being two years removed from the draft process, which resulted in Baltimore selecting him in Round 6 of the 2022 draft.

One would understand if Badie found himself frustrated during that lengthy weight — especially given that whenever he had opportunities in practice and the preseason, he had a knack for delivering.

“I feel like I had a great camp,” he said. “I mean, I was doing everything I could do. But at the end of the day, when things don’t go your way, you gotta prepare and always be prepared.”

And the result of that preparation was a burst and effectiveness unseen from their other running backs. Now, he’s poised for greater opportunities.

The Broncos believe that Tyler Badie can be productive — no matter how you say his name.

Once and for all, Broncos RB Tyler Badie clears up the pronunciation of his surname:

"'Buh-DAY," he said.

It hasn't always been that way.

"I actually changed it myself," he said. "But there's some other things going on, some family things that I'll talk about later on." pic.twitter.com/IGLqlKYZuS

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) September 25, 2024