ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — For Broncos tight end Jake Butt, the tough number is three.
After three NFL years, he’s played in just three games for the Broncos. In his football life he’s had three ACL surgeries.
Yet, Butt keeps playing. The obvious question is, Why? Why put yourself through all that pain and rehab agony, merely for a chance? And a longshot chance at that.
“It’s a really good question because there were a lot of days that I wanted to quit,’’ Butt said in a Zoom call with members of the Denver media Wednesday. “There were a lot of days that I was really down on myself, questioning myself, questioning why I’m even doing this kind of thing.
“For me, it’s my support group, my teammates, my friends and maybe just a little bit of craziness that I’ve had implanted in me from my parents and my family growing up. You can’t quit and just show up tomorrow.
“It might not be the best day and the path might not be linear. You’re going to have some down days, but eventually you’re going to go back up. I’m really happy I stuck with it because I do feel really, really good out there. I feel like I can still play in this league and contribute. I can even get much better than what I’m playing right now. That’s a lesson I definitely learned through this and everybody can learn. Bad days are going to come and tough days are going to come, but you can’t quit. You just have to keep showing up.’’
It’s not just Butt who has preserved. The Broncos have hung in there with him. A player with lesser character wouldn’t have received so many chances. And Broncos’ general manager John Elway and his top assistant Matt Russell remember Butt’s talent from his days at Michigan.
Butt has performed well in training camp, although he’s had a couple catchable balls that he never would let get away when he was in his playing groove.
“I still have to get used to running around and catching a ball with guys on my hip, catching a ball in traffic, running down field and getting used to that contact,’’ he said. “No matter what you do throughout the whole offseason, you can’t really replicate that in live 11-on-11 drills.’’
It won’t be easy for him to make the roster as tight end jobs are already secured for Noah Fant, Nick Vannett and rookie Albert Okwuegbunam.
But there is an expanded practice squad where a veteran like Butt can continue to build strength and confidence.
However, it turns out, there is no quit in Jake Butt. Frank Gore tore two ACLs in the same knee at the University of Miami. Fifteen years and more than 15,000 yards later, Gore is on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That is five years after whenever Gore decides to retire.
Butt’s real inspiration, though, was former Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis suffered his third ACL tear on the same knee in 2011. Davis started the next eight seasons, earning the first of three straight Pro Bowls and an All Pro in 2015. He’s still playing, this year with Washington.
“I spoke to Thomas Davis last time when I had my original ACL surgery and he breathed some life into me,’’ Butt said. “There are some examples, but they’re few and far between. It’s a really tough road to go down. You have a lot of mental battles to overcome, but there’s a proven formula. There’s guys out there that have done it, and I’m trying to follow in their footsteps.”