Denver Broncos team up with USAFA for teamwork, leadership building Published May 19, 2014 By Tech. Sgt. Heather Stanton U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Members of the Denver Broncos teamed up with the Air Force Academy May 16 to take on the ropes course here for some teamwork and leadership building. Nine team members took on the Low-V, the Mohawk, the Climbing Wall and the Leap of Faith, with players including: Omar Bolden, safety, David Bruton, safety, Sione Fua, defensive tackle, Eric Hagg, safety, Malik Jackson, defensive end, Steven Johnson, linebacker, Lerentee McCray, linebacker, DeMarcus Ware, defensive end, and Ryan Miller, offensive lineman. "The thing I get excited about is that it absolutely helps this team really understand what it takes to not just be a team but to be a brotherhood," said Travis Anderson, president of Strategic Leadership Consulting. "These young men have not only shared their own life experiences, they are here challenging themselves, and the neat thing is that they will walk away from here feeling like a different culture, from a team to a brotherhood, and it is really neat to be a part of that." During the Low-V exercise, two players had to climb onto two separate cables that stretched from one tree to two others, widening as they got further from the starting point. The players had to cross the cables, using only each other for stability. In the Mohawk course, a favorite among the players, cables link between trees, and the team had to get from one end of the course to the other without falling off the cables. The Broncos completed the course on the first try, using their bigger builds and teamwork abilities to get them through. Johnson said communication and trust are key. "I think when you are doing the ropes course, if you want to be alone and try to do it yourself, it's going to be a lot harder than with your teammates," Ware said. "When we did the Mohawk as a group, we knew that you can't just walk across it by yourself, we are bigger guys and we had enough length to hold each other up going all the way through so it made it easier." Players scaled the Climbing Wall attached only by a harness and pulley system. Hagg even climbed the wall blindfolded while guided by his teammates. For the Leap of Faith challenge, each player climbed a 65-foot telephone pole, stood at the top and then jumped off, trusting his teammates at the bottom of the pulley system to catch him. In addition to the ropes course, the players also spent time with Falcon football players and had lunch at Mitchell Hall with cadets, leaving time for autographs and fan photos. "I found out that the rookies happen to go through the same kind of process that freshmen (here) have to go through up 'til recognition," said Cadet 4th Class Rhianna Hill, Cadet Squadron 14. "It was really cool to compare the training that the Broncos and USAFA (cadets) were doing and it was kind of funny that there was almost no talk about football. I learned that the players are pretty chill people and they rely on teamwork just as much as we do." The Denver Broncos organization hopes the players will bring back what they learned here to their fellow Broncos to strengthen the team and brotherhood necessary to get them to, and win, Super Bowl 49. "As many players as you can get is better than one," Ware said. "When you have a lot of guys thinking, putting their heads together and coming together as one, anything is possible and that's what teamwork is about." The ropes course is open for all USAFA units to use for teambuilding. For more information, contact Master Sgt. John Grijalva at 333-6844.