He thought he would be a basketball player and never considered football until high school where he learned the game on his 1A high school team. First on offense, then moving to defense. His team was good, regularly beating larger schools and garnering large home crowds. The college scouts didn’t stop by often, however Nate was still offered a few scholarships.
He chose North Carolina State where he would become an All-American his senior year. An honorable feat by itself, but even more impressive considering he missed the year before recovering from multiple injuries sustained in a single car crash. Nate overcame a collapsed lung, separated shoulder, broken rib and a compound leg fracture.
He was a 3rd round draft pick of the Broncos in 2011 and played in nearly every game his first three seasons. He started several games in 2014, until he was bit by the injury bug with a torn ACL. The Broncos went on to win the Super Bowl that year and did not sign Nate to a new contract in the off season.
He signed a new deal with the Colts, but again found himself in the training room and after one year of his three-year deal, Nate was cut on the final day of training camp in 2016. Soon after, Nate decided he was at peace with his NFL career and walked away.
Today, Nate is a director and manages 300 people at Anschutz Medical Center, is the Defensive Coordinator at Ponderosa High School and a proud girl dad to three little ladies.
Listen to Nate’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast.
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