After being important players in their universities, rookies must once again earn their places in the pros. Who are they and what hopes do they raise? Today, Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos.
Bo Nix
Born February 25, 2000 in Arkadelphia, Arkansas
1m89 for 98 kilos
Quarterback, Denver Broncos
The sniper
As leader of an attack, a quarterback must be precise. During his last two university seasons, Bo Nix completed 72% then 77% of his passes! Out of 470 passes attempted in 2023 with Oregon, he is only intercepted 3 times! Certainly, two-thirds of his passes were thrown for a distance of 10 yards or less. But his precision is exceptional (eighth minute of our live).
His precision as a master watchmaker does not diminish in preseason matches with the Broncos: almost 77% of passes completed. But his debut in official matches is much more complicated!
During his first game in Seattle, he only completed 60% of his passes with a mediocre 3.3 yards per attempt! Worse, he gets intercepted twice! Twice more in the next game against Pittsburgh.
After these two defeats, Bo Nix straightened things out and Denver won against Tampa Bay with its 69% of passes finding takers. Plus a touchdown on the ground. Thanks to a good defense, the team then managed to win on the field of the New York Jets. Never two without three, it allows Denver to win a third victory in a row against the Raiders!
If Bo Nix shows that he still has a lot of work to do to shine in the NFL, he seems on the right track.
Faith, family and football
In the South of the United States, football is a religion. The Alabama stadium brings together 100,000 people at each mass, the Auburn stadium (80 kilometers away) has an average of 88,000 faithful! Coveted by both entities, Bo Nix joined the Auburn Tigers in 2019.
Many sons grow up wanting to do the same job as their father. Patrick Nix played quarterback for Auburn University from 1992 to 1995. Almost all of Bo Nix's family studied at this university in Alabama: his father, his grandfather, his mother and the one who has since became his wife.
Like many Americans, Bo Nix prioritizes the three Fs in his life: Faith, Family and Football. At the University of Oregon, he was even able to combine the latter two, throwing passes in the direction of his adopted brother.
Keyonteze Johnson was adopted in 2018 by Bo Nix's parents. After 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023, receiver Tez Johnson is at 5 touchdowns in 5 games in 2024. What if the Denver Broncos in need at the position chose him in the 2025 draft?
In addition to his affection for this sport and the love he has for his family, Bo Nix is also attached to religion. He told the Christian Broadcasting Network about his faith in Jesus.
“I believe in the words of Mathieu that we must be a light in the world. Our primary purpose on Earth is to influence others toward God. »
Denver fans noticed a terry wristband on his left wrist. On it, a cross is drawn. Bo Nix describes himself as a servant of God, which is described in his favorite Bible passage: Colossians 3:23-24.
“Whatever you do, do it with a good heart. As if you were doing it for the Lord and not for men. »
Expected as the Messiah
Bo Nix arrives in Denver eight seasons after their victory in Super Bowl 50. Seven years after their last positive season. Since the legendary Peyton Manning, the franchise has had six quarterbacks in eight seasons!
The jump from the college ranks to the NFL is significant. The majority of quarterbacks break their teeth during their rookie seasons.
If the level is disparate in the NCAA, the NFL rarely offers to play in a team clearly superior to the other. With Oregon, he was able to benefit from an overall advantage over his opponents. With Denver, his entourage seems far from the best!
Fortunately, Bo Nix has the advantage of being able to overcome another difficulty for beginner pitchers: he spent five seasons in the college ranks and all five times under the tutelage of a new offensive coordinator! Learning a new playbook, new verbiage: nothing unusual for him when he arrived in the NFL.
God willing because Allah is Al-Azeem (the greatest), Bo Nix will succeed in establishing himself in the NFL. At a minimum, he seems to have the qualities of a good NFL quarterback, such as Derek Carr (New Orleans) or Kirk Cousins (Atlanta). Secularists will especially focus on his seriousness in the hope of seeing him spread the “good word”.
