Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II said on Mar. 18 that he is excited about being reunited with his former college teammate and best friend, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, following the team’s acquisition of Waddle from the Miami Dolphins.
The move brings together two players who were roommates at Alabama and both selected in the top nine picks of the 2021 NFL Draft. Their reunion is seen as a significant development for the Broncos as they look to strengthen their roster ahead of the upcoming season.
“I’m pretty stoked,” Surtain said to DenverBroncos.com. “I’m very happy. I got the news while I was working out, and my workout guy, he just told me during the workout, and at first, I didn’t believe it. Then I looked at my phone and checked it out, so I immediately FaceTimed him. We chopped it up. It’s great energy, man. We’re both excited. I’m happy for him. This is exactly what we needed, and he fits the team very well. So, I’m looking forward to it.”
Waddle has recorded three 1,000-yard seasons in his first five years in the National Football League and ranks among the top ten AFC receivers in receiving yards, receptions, and touchdowns since entering the league. He described joining Surtain in Denver as special: “He was one of the first calls that I made. We talked about this earlier in our careers, we wanted to get together and play with each other. Just seeing it happen, it’s special.”
Surtain highlighted Waddle’s speed and playmaking ability as key assets for Denver’s offense: “He has explosiveness,” Surtain said. “He’s fast — I’m talking about electric fast… That’s what you want out of a guy like that… It’s going to be great for Broncos Country to see.” He also noted that quarterback Bo Nix would benefit from having another weapon on offense.
Looking ahead to training camp matchups against Waddle in practice, Surtain said: “It’s going to be a battle… He’s very competitive… That receiver room’s going to be scary, man.” As preparations begin for next season, Surtain expressed optimism about what lies ahead: “Adding Waddle to our team definitely increased our chances… There’s a lot to look forward to… The sky’s the limit for us.”
