Brandon Stokley is helping the Broncos young WR's

by jonmark93 on Apr 27, 2010 6:09 PM MDT

To most NFL fans, the name 'Brandon Stokley' brings to mind his great play against the Bengals in the season opener of the 2009 football season. While that probably comes to all of our minds, I also think of his great personality, 3rd down slot clutch skills, and genuine niceness.

Since he has arrived in Denver, he has helped all of the young WR's, and even kept Brandon Marshall from getting in trouble multiple times. On November 6th 2008, the Broncos had just scored a touchdown against the Browns, taking back the lead in a close game; Marshall had a statement he wanted to make, but would have probably gone for a 15-yard exsessive penaltiy, Stokley rushed over and stopped it from happening. Who knows what else Stokley stopped Marshall from doing while he was in Denver that we might have not heard about.

Not only has he been a role model - and goody-too-shoes - he's been a leader, and mentor. Thirty-three year-old Stokley came to Denver via Free Agceny in 2007, a year before Eddie Royal. When the Broncos drafted Eddie in 2008, he was already a class act, but learning under Stokley had an effect on him. As a Rookie, Royal hauled in over 90 catches for just shy of 1,000 yards, while scoring 5 touchdowns. Going as far as to say Stokley helped Royal improve his game might be stretching it, but he was a good role model. Eddie Royal has quickly become a fan favorite, he is great to fans, and has very good character.

Stokley has also already had an effect on Broncos' Rookie WR Eric Decker. In an interview for my blog, Decker had this to say of Stokley, "On my visit in Denver, I was introduced to a handful of players. Brandon Stokley, is a player (teammate now) I am most familiar with. I was introduced to him after I suffered my injury this past fall and gained a tremendous amount of respect for him. A great player but a better person!"

He went on to say he thinks very highly of him. I'm really excited to see Stokley taking young guys under his wings, and teach them good character, as well as physical skills.

Brandon Stokley's best statistical season was in 2004, when he surpassed 1,000 yards and scored 10 Touchdowns. He started his career with the Ravens, and went on to win a Super Bowl with them, before joining the Colts and winning another shorty thereafter. Last season Stokley led the Broncos in yards per catch, with a 17.2 yard-per catch average. This season he'll have the same role as last, the 3rd down slot guy.

In 11 years in the League, Stokley has had a positive effect on everyone he's worked with. He is headed toward the end of his career now, and a few years down the road, many will not remember him, but I'm sure all the Wide Recievers that have had the privilege of playing with him will remember.

This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR

Tweet Comment 28 comments | 21 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I'm going to miss him when he leaves. I regret getting #6's jersey before stokley, then

the old #15’s. I’m not so hot on the jersey selection. I suppose I can’t go wrong if I buy the new #15 though huh? wheres the duct tape??
sidetracked; Stokely rocks. Hopefully some route running skills rubs off on bay-bay before stoke gets cut, not sayin’ its this year, but it’s coming.

by bronco112 on Apr 27, 2010 6:42 PM MDT reply actions

I think Stokely will retire first

he would be an excellent WR coach for us!!! Good guys like that should stay with organiztion by all means.

by numeraluno on Apr 27, 2010 10:19 PM MDT up reply actions

Eddie actually said that Stokes was getting annoyed by the end of the season, because he was badgering him about everything.

And not all of it was football-related – when his washing broke down, Brandon was the guy he called, and he came over and fixed it for him. LOL. Rookies.

"All by their heads, he places crowns."

"God I'm excited for those two to fail miserably." - SBNation writer Andrew Sharp on Josh McDaniels and Tim Tebow.

by Tempestuous Binary on Apr 27, 2010 6:52 PM MDT reply actions

Good one, jonmark

I checked this out, expecting another of those Fanposts that are mostly blather. But this was well put together, and well worth a Fanpost. Thanks.

All that you behold, though it appears without, it is within, in your imagination, of which this world of mortality is but a shadow...and one day you’ll awake and find that you’ve never lived and never died, except in the dream.

William Blake

by bradley on Apr 27, 2010 7:35 PM MDT reply actions

Thank you very much!

I really appreciate that. jonmark is as in Jonathan Mark Heath, jonmark is just a username. Thank you again.

by jonmark93 on Apr 27, 2010 8:25 PM MDT up reply actions

Stokley was one of just a few of Shanny's great finds...

I think him and Decker will hit it off this year and I can’t wait to see Eric make some of thise catches…

by bfree2bronc on Apr 27, 2010 8:23 PM MDT reply actions

Rec'd btw...

by bfree2bronc on Apr 27, 2010 8:57 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs

Good post and nice blog too

Hey, jonmark, good writeup. Stick around, you got a good blog going too.

Step aside, my friend, I been doin' it for years.
Said sit on down, open ya eyes, say open up ya ears....

by pubkeeper on Apr 27, 2010 8:51 PM MDT reply actions

Thanks so much.

by jonmark93 on Apr 27, 2010 8:59 PM MDT up reply actions

Very nice piece

i like your site too, hadn’t seen it before

I gave up a life of crime, I gave it to a friend of mine

by plainview88 on Apr 27, 2010 9:19 PM MDT reply actions

Brandon and Eric's relationship

Brandon suffered the same injury in 2002 that Eric suffered. So last November Brandon took the initiative to call Eric and comfort him\offer advise. To my knowledge I don’t think Brandon had ever talked to or met Eric before that.

Now that’s a class act.

by trumanj on Apr 27, 2010 9:25 PM MDT reply actions

he should be WR coach as soon as he retires. which I hope is couple of years away.

by Orange and Blue on Apr 27, 2010 9:58 PM MDT reply actions

rec’d BTW. stories like these make us proud of our team. and it matters.

by Orange and Blue on Apr 27, 2010 9:59 PM MDT up reply actions

I just can't comprehend how teams could rarely stop Stokely.

I remember in 2008 watching the games with my friend Matt. Every 3rd an 5-ish if Stokely was on the field, it was thrown to him 90% of the time seems like. He is the king of seperation and body-positioning. I don’t know how he does it, but he’s always between the defender on the ball, so much that they can hardly even try to reach in on him. It’s crazy. I hope he teaches that skill to somebody.

"I have no right, by anything I do or say, to demean a human being in his own eyes. What matters is not what I think of him; it is what he thinks of himself." - Antoine de Exupery

Weatherspoon for 2010! And at #11 if need be!

by Alexander Wall on Apr 28, 2010 4:24 AM MDT reply actions

That's why in 2009 we saw so many defenders grabbing the back of his jersey. ;-p

We live in an age when instant gratification isn't fast enough

by Brian Shrout on Apr 29, 2010 3:22 PM MDT up reply actions

I could easily see him being a receivers coach down the line....

I wouldn’t complain if he split the duties with Rod Smith :P

"Brandon Marshall will be a happy BRONCO WR in 2010"
Broncotodd - 2009...Boy, was I wrong or what?

"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
John Adams

by Broncotodd on Apr 28, 2010 5:03 AM MDT reply actions 1 recs

+1

- Whatever "it" was that got you to where you are today, "it" will certainly not be enough to enable you to stay there going forward! -

by BroncoSense72 on Apr 29, 2010 9:04 AM MDT up reply actions

Nice pic

Does he pull in that pass?

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."
Philip K. Dick

by azdenfan on Apr 28, 2010 8:04 AM MDT reply actions

Sadly no

by jonmark93 on Apr 28, 2010 8:14 AM MDT up reply actions

Can't say he didn't try

Thanks for the write up! Looking forward to seeing our young receivers in action this season. Kudos to Mr Stokely for all his efforts.

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."
Philip K. Dick

by azdenfan on Apr 28, 2010 8:26 AM MDT up reply actions 1 recs

Thanks for the kind words and recommendations everybody! Stokley truly is a great player and even better person.

by jonmark93 on Apr 28, 2010 8:14 AM MDT reply actions

Thanks for the post jonmark93

Also enjoyed the interview on you blog, nicely done.

"A great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do" Walter Gagenot
"Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible."

by bchiper on Apr 28, 2010 9:09 AM MDT reply actions 1 recs

Thrilled with the selection of Decker! He is going to wear #87.

Will he be the next Ed McCaffrey? I hope so.

by Adam Manter on Apr 28, 2010 10:43 AM MDT reply actions

So far

Decker is the one guy I cant wait to see play. I think he may be the most NFL ready of all our draft picks right now. He may end up being one of two or trhee impact players from this draft.

"My team's on the floor"
Gene Hackman - Hoosiers

by AlanC11 on Apr 28, 2010 1:24 PM MDT reply actions

And yes, of course

I would love to see Stokely as a recievers coach for the Broncos some day. His heads up play in Cincinatti was one of the most intelligent plays under pressure at a critical point in the game that I ever saw.

To make that catch, secure the touchdown and then still have the presence of mind to even think about taking additional time off the clock was absolutelyone of the most amazing things I ever seen a player do.

Right up there with Elay’s uncanny ability to never lose a feel for where the line of scrimage was..

"My team's on the floor"
Gene Hackman - Hoosiers

by AlanC11 on Apr 28, 2010 1:28 PM MDT up reply actions

Great Teammate

Stokely has always been like that, which is why he is still in the NFL, most guys that age and size don’t usually last long. Funny how as good as T.O is, he is still looking for a job, goes to show that putting up big numbers isn’t the only thing a Pro Football player needs to do to be considered great.

by DenverBro89 on Apr 28, 2010 2:01 PM MDT reply actions