Tec de Monterrey was painted orange with the visit of former players, cheerleaders, mascots and fans of Denver Broncos to the Santa Fe and Monterrey campuses to participate in different activities.
The entourage of the NFL team led the Fan Fest: on Saturday, April 29 at the facilities of the Santa Fe campus, doing the same a day later at the Banorte Stadium, on the Monterrey campus.
One of the highlights of the visit was when former players Jake Plummer and Terrell Davis, along with Diana Flores, Mexico’s flag football quarterback and Tec graduate, announced safety JL Skinner as one of the Broncos’ picks in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Plummer was Denver’s quarterback, while Terrell Davis was a 2-time Super Bowl-winning running back and Hall of Famer; They provided flag football clinics to girls and boys of various ages, among other activities.
Historic visit
Mexico’s Diana Flores, gold medal winner at The World Games 2022, said choosing Tec to announce an NFL draft pick is historic.
“The fact that they have decided and chosen our house to make their pick is something historic, to be able to share with all the fans in our country, it is something very special,” he said.
“The former players told me that they were impressed with the fans in Mexico and by the capabilities of our children and that fills me with enthusiasm and joy,” he added.
The Denver Broncos announced that they made a donation of 100 million dollars to the Tochito NFL Mexico initiative, which seeks to impact 3 million boys and girls who follow American football in a span of less than 10 years.
In Santa Fe campus more than 2 thousand people were part of the Fan Fest as part of the Mexico Tour 2023 of the Broncos.
Borregos Monterrey coexist with former players
For Sunday, April 30, Plummer, Davis, as well as former Borrego Manuel Padilla, offered a talk to the players of Borregos Monterrey where they shared experiences and advice.
“Learning to be a leader was also important, especially me as a quarterback,” Plummer said during the talk with the students.
“The former players told me that they were impressed with the fans in Mexico and the abilities of our children and that fills me with enthusiasm and joy.” – Diana Flores
At the event held in the State of Banorte, home of the Borregos Monterrey, both institutions exchanged jerseys and expressed that they will collaborate in the future.
In the framework of the 80th anniversary of the Tec, David Garza, rector and executive president of the institution, spoke about the visit of Broncos.
“Thank you Broncos for joining forces in the promotion of college sports. American football is a tradition at Tec: it began in 1945 and to date, Borregos has become a standard.
“To mention a few examples, Manuel Padilla, who is with us today, was part of the Broncos in 2008. And what about Diana Flores, who for more than 6 years has defended the colors of the Tec, is now Global Ambassador of flag football for NFL, “he said.
For his part, Damani Leech, president of the Denver Broncos, spoke about the intention to promote college sports.
“For us it is very important to promote university sports in Mexico and other latitudes. I have been traveling to this country for more than ten years and every time I return I am even more surprised by the passion that exists for both American football and the Broncos.
“Our visions are definitely aligned and I know that together we will be able to build a future where college sports is spearheaded. Thank you all for being part of this great effort,” he said.
“Mexico Must Be the Next Place to Have NFL Franchise”: Terrell Davis
For Denver Broncos champion Terrell Davis, Mexico is a place where you could have an NFL franchise given the number of fans out there.
“The fans are great, they’re incredible, the passion is lived and I’ve always said this is the next place to have a franchise for the NFL and you can see that they love football, it shows in the boys and girls we teach the clinics.
“The NFL is becoming an international sport, it’s global so hopefully soon we can see more Mexican players and I want to see the league expand to Mexico,” the Hall of Famer said.
During the 2 days, about 5 thousand followers of the Broncos and the NFL, attended the Fan Fest both in Santa Fe campus, and in Monterrey, where they participated in activities such as carne asada, scoring field goals, giving complete passes, as well as inflatables for the little ones.
