The Time Dwayne Haskins Wore a John Elway Jersey to His Job Interview With John Elway
Albert Breer contributed reporting.
Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins had a pre-draft visit with the Denver Broncos Wednesday. These top-30 visits can’t include a physical workout, which can lead to a stressful decision for the prospects: What do they wear?
Most prospects go the business casual route—it’s a job interview after all. A smaller number err on the formal side and wear a suit and tie or blazer and slacks. (I’m told that, when Temple CB Rock Ya-Sin showed up in a suit for his visit in Pittsburgh, the only one to do so among the team’s visits, the Steelers noticed.) Others dress extremely casual, with a trendy tracksuit and sneakers.
Haskins took a different tack in Denver. The 21-year-old decided to have some fun with his outfit and, according to multiple sources, wore a throwback No. 7 John Elway jersey to his interview.
Ever since Haskins visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a reward for getting good grades in seventh grade, he’s been interested in the history of the game and, specifically, its greatest quarterbacks. He wore No. 7 at Ohio State, partly because of his admiration for Elway, who, of course, is searching for the Broncos’ next franchise quarterback.
Wearing a jersey on a team visit is definitely out of the ordinary, and a bit of a fashion risk. I spoke to one longtime NFL agent who says his rules for dress on team visits: No jerseys (not formal enough and tacky) and no suits (too formal).
But Haskins’s boldness seems to have paid off, as multiple sources said Broncos personnel—and, according to a source who was there, Elway himself—saw the humor in it and appreciated the gesture.
As for the actual visit, a source said the quarterback made a good impression and that the Broncos staff noted his presence, intensity and focus.
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