Denver Native (Carol)
07-05-2010, 10:09 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_15437152
Rather than fade away, old football players have the option of re-entering the world as relatively young men.
So it is with John Lynch, the former Broncos safety and nine-time Pro Bowler who is coming off his rookie season as an NFL game analyst for Fox.
Like most rookies, Lynch spoke from the bottom of the depth chart. He and play-by-play announcer Ron Pitts did their share of Detroit Lions-Tampa Bay Bucs games a year ago.
"It's like being a player all over again in that you just focus on getting yourself better," Lynch said. "There was a time when I was a little down because I think I was doing the Detroit game for the fourth straight week.
"But somebody high up who has been doing this a long time made me realize that there are about 12 of these jobs in the world. Fox has their five. CBS has their five. Then there's the Monday night crew and Sunday night crew and that's about it. It's a coveted job and I was fortunate enough to walk into one."
After his 15 NFL seasons as a player, Lynch and his family have settled in Denver, where he played his final four seasons. He remains close to the Broncos thanks in part to coach Josh McDaniels' operative of inviting back some of the franchise's more prestigious players.
"I respect that he's making an effort," Lynch said. "There was a golf tournament one day and he had me, (Ed) McCaffrey, Rod (Smith), and I know John Elway was invited. He's really reaching out to guys who he respected the way they went about things, and he respects the tradition. Because there is a lot of good tradition here."
One former Bronco whom Lynch does not want forgotten is the late Darrent Williams. A secondary mate of Lynch's and current Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey's, Williams was murdered Jan. 1, 2007, in a drive-by shooting. This year, Willie Clark was convicted of killing Williams and sentenced to life in prison, plus 1,152 years.
The trial reawakened the desire for Lynch and Bailey to raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs' Darrent Williams Memorial Teen Center in Montbello.
A charity event, which Lynch and Bailey will co-chair, is scheduled for Sept. 20 at Morton's The Steakhouse in the Denver Tech Center.
"Champ and I spent every day for four years in that locker room, and this was a special young kid," Lynch said. "This year, with the trial, it brought some closure. Not that it brought Darrent back, but Champ and I vowed at that time that we would never let his legacy be forgotten."
The Boys & Girls Clubs have personal meaning to Lynch. Although he grew up in a well-to-do household, his father believed no kid should be raised on a silver spoon alone.
"He always wanted us to stay grounded," Lynch said. "So the way to do that was to drop us off at the Boys & Girls club, hang out, and do your homework, and play ball. So I grew up there, and I'm a huge believer in what they do. And I know Darrent was a huge believer in the Boys & Girls Clubs too."
From kid, to kid player, to veteran player, to essentially a kid again in a second career, Lynch carries on. Any chance he will move up to, say, covering Raiders or Chiefs games this year?
"I feel like a player all over again, because they don't tell you much," Lynch said, laughing. "We have our seminar coming up in August, and I think I'll find out more then.
"But it really was a great rookie year for me. Ed Goren of Fox — who's been in this business a long time — he told me coming in that the job of an NFL analyst is the toughest of all the sports. Because you have essentially 15 seconds to talk about the last play, do a little foreshadowing and then get out of the way for the next play.
"I respect the work that all these guys do. I've done all aspects now — studio analyst, correspondent, game analyst — and game analyst is a challenge. Which is why I enjoyed it so much."
Rather than fade away, old football players have the option of re-entering the world as relatively young men.
So it is with John Lynch, the former Broncos safety and nine-time Pro Bowler who is coming off his rookie season as an NFL game analyst for Fox.
Like most rookies, Lynch spoke from the bottom of the depth chart. He and play-by-play announcer Ron Pitts did their share of Detroit Lions-Tampa Bay Bucs games a year ago.
"It's like being a player all over again in that you just focus on getting yourself better," Lynch said. "There was a time when I was a little down because I think I was doing the Detroit game for the fourth straight week.
"But somebody high up who has been doing this a long time made me realize that there are about 12 of these jobs in the world. Fox has their five. CBS has their five. Then there's the Monday night crew and Sunday night crew and that's about it. It's a coveted job and I was fortunate enough to walk into one."
After his 15 NFL seasons as a player, Lynch and his family have settled in Denver, where he played his final four seasons. He remains close to the Broncos thanks in part to coach Josh McDaniels' operative of inviting back some of the franchise's more prestigious players.
"I respect that he's making an effort," Lynch said. "There was a golf tournament one day and he had me, (Ed) McCaffrey, Rod (Smith), and I know John Elway was invited. He's really reaching out to guys who he respected the way they went about things, and he respects the tradition. Because there is a lot of good tradition here."
One former Bronco whom Lynch does not want forgotten is the late Darrent Williams. A secondary mate of Lynch's and current Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey's, Williams was murdered Jan. 1, 2007, in a drive-by shooting. This year, Willie Clark was convicted of killing Williams and sentenced to life in prison, plus 1,152 years.
The trial reawakened the desire for Lynch and Bailey to raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs' Darrent Williams Memorial Teen Center in Montbello.
A charity event, which Lynch and Bailey will co-chair, is scheduled for Sept. 20 at Morton's The Steakhouse in the Denver Tech Center.
"Champ and I spent every day for four years in that locker room, and this was a special young kid," Lynch said. "This year, with the trial, it brought some closure. Not that it brought Darrent back, but Champ and I vowed at that time that we would never let his legacy be forgotten."
The Boys & Girls Clubs have personal meaning to Lynch. Although he grew up in a well-to-do household, his father believed no kid should be raised on a silver spoon alone.
"He always wanted us to stay grounded," Lynch said. "So the way to do that was to drop us off at the Boys & Girls club, hang out, and do your homework, and play ball. So I grew up there, and I'm a huge believer in what they do. And I know Darrent was a huge believer in the Boys & Girls Clubs too."
From kid, to kid player, to veteran player, to essentially a kid again in a second career, Lynch carries on. Any chance he will move up to, say, covering Raiders or Chiefs games this year?
"I feel like a player all over again, because they don't tell you much," Lynch said, laughing. "We have our seminar coming up in August, and I think I'll find out more then.
"But it really was a great rookie year for me. Ed Goren of Fox — who's been in this business a long time — he told me coming in that the job of an NFL analyst is the toughest of all the sports. Because you have essentially 15 seconds to talk about the last play, do a little foreshadowing and then get out of the way for the next play.
"I respect the work that all these guys do. I've done all aspects now — studio analyst, correspondent, game analyst — and game analyst is a challenge. Which is why I enjoyed it so much."