Broncos ST Coordinator Dwayne Stukes' Unapologetic Approach: ‘We want Violent Guys’
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Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett hired Dwayne Stukes last February with an expectation of turning around the NFL’s worst special team unit. The 45-year-old former defensive back was undrafted out of Virginia in 2000 before playing with the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Stukes also played two seasons with NFL Europe’s Berlin Thunder, in addition to the Arena Football League’s (and John Elway’s) Colorado Crush.
Stukes replaces Denver's former special teams coordinator Tom McMahon, who struggled mightily to maintain any resemblance of competent execution during his tenure.
“I’m not going to disrespect anybody’s scheme and what they did,” Stukes said when asked to review last season’s abysmal special teams performance. “Is there room for improvement? We all know there’s room for improvement. We were ranked 32nd in a couple categories. We’re trying to address that. But to talk about what they did last year is not really going to help us moving forward. I want to cultivate and build a standard around here with guys who want to be a part of special teams.”
The fiery, candid, and seriousness of Denver’s new third-phase coach reflects his blue-collar mentality as a former professional player and experienced coach. Prior to winning a championship in 2021 as the Los Angeles Rams assistant to special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis, Stukes held many coaching positions in Jacksonville, New York, Chicago, and Tampa Bay.
There’s a stereotype for special teams units that I can’t stand, suggesting this unit’s players are untalented, and not up to snuff to play on their respective side of the ball. But that couldn’t be more inaccurate as many Hall of Fame inductees including former Broncos running back Terrell Davis got their first opportunity for a job, let alone reps, on special teams.
The third phase of football games — after offense and defense — can win and lose football games.
“I was a special teams player. I never started in the league, so I relate more to the guys that have to grind to earn a position,” Stukes explained on Wednesday. “I’m not going to be chasing guys around the building, ‘Oh please, please, special teams! Oh please, please special teams!’ That’s not my mentality, not my mindset.”
As voluntary minicamp is well underway this week, Broncos Country is still getting to know the new faces of the coaching staff at UCHealth Training Center. Positivity and energy are repeatedly regurgitated to describe the new mentality under Hackett.
So, what does a grizzled no-nonsense veteran coach like Dukes look for in his players?
“We want physical guys. We want violent guys. That’s just my mindset; that’s just my mentality,” Stukes unapologetically remarked. “You have to have some type of physicality, some type of violent nature about yourself to perform at a high level on the football field in my opinion. There’s no need—or no room—for guys to be soft and passive on the field... We want to have an attack mentality.”
With a low bar set by the previous regime, and Stukes is already leaving it behind.
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