Windermere native, Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian talks NFL

Olympia High and Northwestern University alumnus Trevor Siemian recently finished his rookie season as a third-string quarterback for the Denver Broncos, having learned under Peyton Manning during the legendary quarterback’s final season and received his first Super Bowl ring. 

The Windermere native was drafted in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft and made his regular-season debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 20, 2015.  

Most recently, with the retirement of Manning and the departure of Brock Osweiler through free agency, Siemian is presented with a unique chance to show how far he has progressed and what he can do in the Mile-High City.

What was going through your mind as you were drafted by the Broncos?

I was coming out of an ACL injury and injured my knee in the second-to-last game of my senior year (at Northwestern University). Throughout the process, I was really focused on getting my knee healthy. Once I was on track there, getting drafted was obviously very exciting. The Broncos have a great coaching staff and great teammates. I was pretty ecstatic when I got drafted.

What has it been like acclimating to the NFL? Is it different from what you expected?

It’s a change for sure, as far as a quarterback learning a new offense system and terminology. Trying to acclimate myself to our scheme and terminology was challenging but exciting at the same time. It’s another step up and adjustment you’ve got to make. It was a challenge, but I definitely had a good time adjusting. 
 

How has the NFL experience been for you?

It’s been awesome; I was fortunate enough to be in with Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler, so it was a good opportunity for me to learn a lot. Every day, I learned something new. For me, I wanted to come in with an open mind and get to work and soak in as much as I could. It was an unbelievable ride, and I was happy to be a part of it.
 

Describe your Super Bowl experience and being on the roster for it.

It was awesome. You go to the playoffs, and everyone really reached for that. It’s a tournament-style play, so you’ve got to win each week. Seeing that unfold to the Super Bowl and playing the biggest game in North America was unreal, and we had a great, focused team. There are a lot of distractions and things outside the game going on, but it was really impressive overall.
 

How did it feel to receive a Super Bowl ring in your rookie season?

I try not to take it for granted, because a lot of guys have played a long time with awesome careers who don’t even get a chance to play in that game. I was soaking it all in, and it was something I was really lucky to be a part of, on such a great team, and it’s something I’ll never forget.
 

How has the support been from family, friends and the Windermere community back home?

It was great. Obviously I got my family out to the game, and a bunch of my friends from back home reached out to me. There’s plenty of text messages exchanged, and it’s really cool to see that kind of support from friends and family. 
 

How does it feel to have trained under and learned from Peyton Manning?

It was an awesome experience, and I’m very fortunate I got a year from him, to see how he prepares and leads and how he played the game. There was a lot of observing — how he went about his business and how he was professional the whole way through. There’s nobody better than him in my eyes. There’s not much Peyton hasn’t seen, so he’s pretty aware of everything. 
 

Now that Peyton has retired and Brock Osweiler has moved to the Texans, what does this mean for you?

You have to be ready for anything year in and year out. I’ll have new room to adjust to, but I’m lucky I’ll be in the same system another year. I’ll be building on what I started last year and working through it. I’m excited to get back to it.