Renck: In Talanoa Hufanga, Steve Atwater sees Broncos’ latest big hitter
The collision makes it impossible not to recoil when watching It was Dec a soggy afternoon at Levi s Stadium when Tampa Bay s Tom Brady tried to squeeze a pass over the middle to Chris Godwin Talanoa Hufanga read his eyes and became a radio athlete heard before seen He slammed into Godwin with his left shoulder so hard it whiplashed the receiver and demanded the exchange of insurance papers Watching Hufanga s highlights Broncos Country can be forgiven if they drift off to images of punishing safeties Dennis Smith Steve Atwater Brian Dawkins and John Lynch Heck Atwater does I see it and I love it Atwater reported The Denver Post You can t worry about what might happen when you are trying to make the tackle You just have to do it Hufanga absolutely brings it Thursday s practice was unique because among the former Broncos in attendance no one talked about the quarterback Bo Nix in year two has got this He is settled in his own skin embraces expectations and is an unquestioned leader But when looking for reasons why the Broncos will improve in say winning the division and a playoff event for the first time in a decade let s not forget a strong safety who brings thunder Hufanga plays with passion sharp instincts and a willingness to inflict jolts of pain He separates receivers from the football and ballcarriers from gratification It s free violence Hufanga noted You don t get in trouble for it The Broncos defense was tremendous last season and added Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw the franchise s first sideline-to-sideline linebacker since Danny Trevathan Denver is the right fit for their skill set as defensive coordinator Vance Joseph put it What that means is they play downhill The Broncos led the NFL with sacks a year ago But pairing Hufanga with the physical Brandon Jones and versatile P J Locke should translate to more takeaways The Broncos ranked eighth with Hufanga posted seven interceptions and forced two fumbles over the past three seasons He operates like he is holding a grudge It s quite the juxtaposition to the humble polite person who spoke to squad sponsors at an event this offseason All of this is why the Broncos craved him He brings an edge high football IQ and character He also blends confidence with humility a necessary trait for a association trying to take a step forward while taking nothing for granted It just gives me pleasure when I step on the field Hufanga announced And I like to endure stuff that is not easy The hard part for Hufanga is counting on a body that has betrayed him He missed half of the ers games over the past two seasons because of wrist and knee injuries At -foot pounds his style of play increases peril He not only grew up admiring Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu someone who has helped him since high school but he modeled his battle after him It leaves him buzzing him around the ball he has a knack for the tip pick but also at the bottom of the pile Going in you have to understand what comes with it So every injury that I ve had I think it s just a testament to who I am to battle through adversity in those moments the -year-old Hufanga declared It is something that I ve taken in and wear on my sleeve when I go out on the field Hufanga is not the kind of performer who tells people to Google him He is determined to earn his teammates respect These are championship qualities In Denver he s joined former ers Mike McGlinchey D J Jones and Greenlaw his good friend who lockers next to him That group reached a Super Bowl and won countless big games in San Francisco You know what the Broncos are trying to do in Payton s third season It s a clean slate regardless if you ve been there or not Hufanga mentioned I have to go out there and show them that I am willing to work show them things that I have seen in the playoffs that is different than the regular season But at the end of the day we have to go through that journey together Talanoa Hufanga of the Denver Broncos speaks during OTAs at Broncos Park in Centennial on Thursday May Photo by AAron Ontiveroz The Denver Post Related Articles Broncos OTA observations Sean Payton sees Bo Nix starting Year in full control It s entirely different John Franklin-Myers not present for Broncos OTAs but agent says no contract issues Broncos great Von Miller committed to playing in but Denver reunion really doesn t make sense Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto enters OTAs with a new moniker Bloodhound Broncos podcast Developing down the most of absorbing OTA storylines for Sean Payton s organization Football has changed over the past decade becoming safer But it remains impossible to legislate violence out of the competition At its core the sport is defined by crashes Selected of the Broncos best teams created fear in the middle of the field leaving a trail of bug eyes and gator arms from reluctant receivers Atwater won two Super Bowls with the Broncos His voice rises when talking about this season this defense the possibilities And that includes his mind wandering back to the highlights of the new safety What got me interested in football was that I could tackle people and not get into trouble Atwater noted With Hufanga you have a guy who can play man coverage He can play zone And he is going to hit you You know how much I like guys with that mentality Want more Broncos news Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis
