Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II has been nothing short of phenomenal since entering the league in 2021. The former Alabama standout was selected ninth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft and has made a major impact on defense ever since. Over the past three seasons, he’s earned multiple Pro Bowl nods along with two All-Pro selections, in 2022 and 2024.
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Still, no season in his career has been better than his 2024 campaign. Surtain II tied a career high for interceptions in that single season with four and also recorded 45 tackles, a pick-six, and 11 pass deflections.
For his efforts, Surtain II was named the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He also became the first Broncos player to win the award since Randy Gradishar in 1978 and the first cornerback to claim the honor since Stephon Gilmore in 2019. His father, a former cornerback who spent 11 seasons in the NFL, is surely proud of how far his son has come. After all, he helped pave the way.
Making an appearance on the Get Got Pod, Surtain II spoke about the impact his father, Patrick Surtain, had on his development as a football player. The 2-year-old shared that watching his father play at a high level from an early age sparked his interest in the sport.
“Being around that experience, it sort of shifted my mindset,” said Surtain II. “Just being around football growing up, it’s sort of like built that passion for the game. Being around Pops, seeing him play at a high level, that sort of made me want to play football even more at a high level.”
However, the elder Surtain never forced his son to prioritize one sport. He only required Surtain II to play a sport, that’s it. And play he did, trying his hand at everything, which ultimately helped the younger Surtain find his true calling by high school. Of course, it was football.
“Growing up, it was nothing like: he was hard on me as far as forcing me to play a sport. Growing up, I played basketball, ran track, soccer, football, everything, so I won’t be specialized in one sport. Once I moved on to middle school and high school, that’s when I had a feel for football.”
Surtain II also mentioned that having the right mindset plays a big role in pushing himself to become a better football player. He was fortunate to be blessed with football genes through his family, which allowed him to develop a passion for the sport early on.
“I think the mindset that you put in towards it, no matter where you come from or your roots, it all starts with mindset… With me, it’s been a passion that’s built inside me, and I just took it and ran away with it,” he added.
Surtain II has recorded 232 tackles, 47 pass deflections, 11 interceptions, and two pick-sixes in his career. It will be interesting to see if he can maintain this level of production in the coming seasons.
