Touchdown! Tec community spends weekend with Denver Broncos

Tec de Monterrey turned orange during the visit by former players, cheerleaders, mascots, and fans of the Denver Broncos to the Santa Fe and Monterrey campuses to participate in different activities.

The NFL team delegation headlined Fan Fest on Saturday, April 29, at Santa Fe campus and repeated the event at the Banorte Stadium on Monterrey campus a day later.

A highlight during 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 picks for the Broncos in the 2023 Draft.

Plummer was Denver’s quarterback, while Terrell Davis was a two-time Super Bowl-winning running back and Hall of Famer. Among other activities, they provided flag football clinics to girls and boys of different ages.

Historic visit

Mexico’s Diana Flores, winner of a gold medal at The World Games 2022, said that choosing the Tec to announce an NFL Draft pick is historic.

“The fact that they have chosen our home to announce their pick is historic; it’s very special to share it with all the fans in our country,” she said.

“The former players told me that they were impressed with the fans in Mexico and the skills of our boys and girls and that makes me feel very happy and hopeful,” she added.

The Denver Broncos announced that they have donated 100 million dollars to the Tochito NFL Mexico initiative, which aims to make an impact on three million children who play football in under 10 years.

More than two thousand people participated in Fan Fest at Santa Fe campus as part of the Broncos’ Mexico Tour 2023.

Borregos Monterrey meet with former players

On Sunday, April 30, Plummer, Davis, and former Borrego Manuel Padilla gave a talk to Borregos Monterrey players in which they shared experiences and advice.

“Learning how to be a leader was also important, especially for 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 skills of our boys and girls and that makes me feel very happy and hopeful.” - Diana Flores

At the event held at Estado Banorte, home of Borregos Monterrey, both institutions exchanged jerseys and talked about collaborating in the future.

As part of the Tec’s 80th anniversary, David Garza, Rector and Executive President of the institution, spoke about the Broncos’ visit.

“Thank you, Broncos, for joining forces to promote college sport. Football is a tradition at the Tec, going back to 1945. To this day, the Borregos represent us.

“To mention a few examples, Manuel Padilla, who is with us today, was part of the Broncos in 2008. Diana Flores, who for more than six years has defended the Tec’s colors, is now Global Ambassador of flag football for the NFL,” he said.

Damani Leech, President of the Denver Broncos, spoke about their intention to promote college sport.

“For us, it’s very important to promote college sport in Mexico and other regions. I’ve been traveling to this country for more than ten years, and every time I return, I’m amazed by the passion that exists for both football and the Broncos.

“Our visions are definitely aligned, and I know that together we will succeed in building a future where college sport leads the way. Thank you to everyone for being part of this great effort,” he said.

“Mexico should be the next place to run an NFL franchise.” Terrell Davis

According to Denver Broncos champion Terrell Davis, Mexico could run an NFL franchise, considering the number of fans there are.

“The fans are incredible; you can see the passion and I’ve always said that this is the next place to run an NFL franchise. You can see that they love football, it’s clear in the kids that take part in the flag football clinics.

“The NFL is becoming an international sport and I hope that we will soon be able to see more Mexican players. I would love to see the league expand to Mexico,” said the Hall of Famer.

During the two days, close to five thousand Broncos and NFL fans attended Fan Fest at both the Santa Fe and Monterrey campuses, where they participated in activities such as barbecues, scoring field goals, passing touchdowns, and inflatable play equipment for the little ones.

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