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Correll Buckhalter: Ready for Some Football

When Correll Buckhalter relocated from Philadelphia to Denver, the Broncos running back got an unexpected surprise: the people here were nice. “In Philly, the people were rude,” says Buckhalter, who played for the Eagles from 2001 to 2008. “I’m country, from Mississippi, so I’m used to that slow pace and everyone being nice. That’s why I like Denver. It’s a clean, healthy, friendly city.” 

On September 19th, Buckhalter, 31, will stand in front of the Mile High’s happy people at the Broncos first 2010 home game. (The team’s season debut comes a week earlier in Jacksonville, Florida.) In the meantime, he’s prepping for the field with training camp, which begins August 1. We caught up with him during his last days of freedom.

What’s training camp like?
Training camp is training camp [laughs]. It’s a time to get your body in football shape. The soreness you go through on a daily basis is tough. Your whole day is booked, from 8 in the morning to 9 at night: you wake up, practice for a couple hours, eat lunch, practice again and then have meetings. You have to obey the grind, day in, day out.

So how are you going about getting in ‘football shape?’ Are you on a diet?
I diet pretty much year-round – it’s kind of a habit. I don’t like having to worry about my weight. I’m not a fast-food guy, though I do like Chipotle and Chick-fil-A every now and then.

Last season, the Broncos started strong and then kind of fizzled. How do you guys plan to avoid that this year?
The main objective is for everybody to do his job. Don’t try to do someone else’s. When all 11 guys on the field are doing their own jobs, it makes the game go a lot easier.

Do you have any expectations for the upcoming season?
The number one thing is to win our division, then win the playoffs. We have to sustain our playing in order to get to the ultimate goal, which is the Superbowl.

Do you think the Broncos have a shot?
I can’t think any other way. We have a great group of guys who know what it takes to get to the playoffs, be competitive and win. I’m not accepting anything less.

And now you have Tim Tebow to help you get there. There’s been a ton of hype surrounding him in the past few months. Do you think that’s a good thing?
He’s brought a lot of exposure to our team, which is good. Tebow had a lot of success in Florida. He was a great leader for the Gators, and I think eventually he will be for us. Being a quarterback in this league is not easy, and it’s a learning process. The way Kyle [Orton] ran offense for us in the spring was very accurate. Tebow is just another added weapon to our offense.

The Broncos coach, Josh McDaniels, is one of the youngest in the NFL – he’s only 34. Has that presented any challenges for the team?
Josh has had a lot of success coaching in the NFL, so why does his age matter? In this world, people are going to say everything bad that they can, but Josh is one of the smartest coaches I’ve been around. I love playing for the guy. He’s knowledgeable about the game, offensively and defensively. He’s a fiery guy – he accepts nothing less than everyone doing his job, and he brings a lot to our team. His age means nothing, because he has the resume and success.

What are the crowds like in Denver versus Philly?
Denver crowds are good, especially when they do the chant, “IN-COM-PLETE!” when the opposing team throws an incomplete pass. The difference between Denver and Philly is night and day. Philly fans are fighters – they’re a little more rowdy, more in your face. I don’t want to say that Denver doesn’t take it seriously, but Philly fans take it to the extreme.

Who’s your favorite football player of all time?
I have to pick two: Jerry Rice and Walter Payton. I looked up to them while growing up because they both came Mississippi, like I do. They’re both just amazing players, and they always had a great work ethic. Being from Mississippi, that’s instilled in you. When I watched those guys and how hard they worked, it just confirmed how important work ethic is.

With all the craziness of football season, how do you decompress?
I’m so busy that it’s tough. I’ve always loved horses, and I find riding really relaxing. I really enjoy the trail rides, but since I’ve been in Colorado, I’ve only ridden once – last year.

You even own a horse!
Yeah, I’ve had a Quarter Horse stallion named Absolutely No Doubt for about five years. My partner [Dan McWhirter, a Nebraska breeder whom Buckhalter met while in college at the University of Nebraska] has been breeding Quarter Horses for over 35 years, and he came up with the name. I’ve never had the passion to show horses, but I’m proud to say that Absolutely No Doubt has won a few awards. I like to call him the Superior Champion.

Have you ever saddled him up and taken him for a spin?
Nah, he’s worth too much money for me to ride.