Surtain: HC Nathaniel Hackett Gives Broncos 'The Energy We Need'
Patrick Surtain II will tell you himself he's not much for trash-talk. The ascending star Denver Broncos cornerback would rather let his Pro Bowl-caliber play do the talking. Speak softly. Big stick.
Be that as it may, however, Surtain cannot deny there's a certain satisfaction to jawing with offensive-minded head coach Nathaniel Hackett on the practice field, whether or not he's the one chirping.
“That’s great," Surtain told reporters Thursday. "It brings all of our competitive spirits out knowing that the head coach will chip in with ‘K-Jack’ (safety Kareem Jackson). That’s the energy that we need for us to have a great team. When your coach is that energic and so much about the team, it only leaves a positive thing, so that’s great.”
A former longtime assistant, Hackett is attempting to succeed where predecessor Vic Fangio failed: galvanizing the entire squad instead of a single side of the ball. This requires complete objectivity, treating his unit the same as defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero's, and not some proverbial step-child.
So far, so fair.
“He’ll celebrate [after the defense makes a big play], but not as much as the offense, of course," Surtain said. "He’ll still give us kudos and he’ll still run up to us and dap us up. He loves big plays. He’s mentioned that earlier. Sometimes in practice, he gets bored when big plays don’t happen, so he’s all about the big plays.”
Hackett's child-like exuberance — an endearing quality, make no mistake — was never more evident than during Monday's Organized Team Activity session, when wide receiver Tim Patrick burned cornerback Michael Ojemudia for a long "touchdown" grab.
It's these moments, with Hackett literally jumping for joy, which test the mettle of his impartialness.
"I looked up and the ball was going and Tim ran a beautiful route. That was awesome," he said.
With Russell Wilson as his quarterback, Hackett is going to experience many similar moments over the course of the 2022 season. But, to his deserved credit, the rookie head man has transformed the Broncos' culture in less than six months on the job, applicable to any player who walks through the building.
What once had all the excitement of a deserted moratorium — sterile, lacking life — is now a bastion of vitality, replete with loud music, good vibes, and better attitudes.
“It’s extremely different. Like night and day," defensive end Dre'Mont Jones admitted Tuesday. "And I will say — not a shot — but Coach Hackett’s more day; Vic a little more night.”
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