We . . . really didn’t care [who scored]. How could I care if D.T. got a touchdown, it’s D.T., or Knowshon, or Julius. We were all like let’s just score touchdowns, let’s just run people over.
– Eric Decker, former Denver Broncos wide receiver
Jeff Legwold recently profiled the 2013 Denver Broncos team that set the NFL record for most points scored in a single season (606). The theme I found most significant in the interview excerpts was the unselfishness of everyone in the organization. “Unselfish talent, unbelievable . . . the coaches, the whole building was unselfish, everybody,” said Eric Studesville, who was the Broncos running backs coach at the time.
Peyton Manning was the quarterback of that team and was 37 years old. He pushed everyone to work harder than they ever had in practice–and they did so willingly. Coaches and players, including Manning, said the offense revolved around wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. And Thomas said he was “[g]rateful Peyton saw something in me. He helped me believe, for sure, and I wanted to do everything right for all those guys . . . I didn’t want to miss a step, miss a route, drop a ball, nothing. . . . I wish everybody could be in something like that just once.”
Manning echoed that sentiment as he reflected on finishing that season: “all of our guys really did pay the price, they all did sacrifice. Just everybody, our line, tight ends, backs, receivers, coaches, staff, just everybody. They all were so invested in it, they sacrificed for each other.”
So, what are you doing to set a standard for excellence, instill trust across your team, and do the work necessary for continuous improvement? What’s one thing you can do, today, to inspire your team to, as receiver Eric Decker said, “put in the work every single day?”