SB Nation Denver Interviews Broncos Wide Receiver Brandon Lloyd

As part of the Fed Ex "Pack and Ship" promotion we were able to sit down for a few minutes with Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Lloyd. Lloyd is experiencing a breakout season with the Broncos and has a fantastic shot at being elected to this season's Pro Bowl.

Many thanks to both Brandon and Fed Ex for the opportunity.

You can follow Brandon (@MrBLloyd) on twitter.

The full transcript is below or you can listen the interview here.

JW: Alright, we are here with Brandon Lloyd, wide receiver for the Broncos. Great season so far, set career highs in almost every category. When did you expect, or did you expect, that in this offense, in this system, you could have a breakout year this year?

BL: I didn't have any expectations. I guess it's... I can't explain that perspective. I don't know if it's something that happened to me in my childhood or something that happened to me in college but I just really have an approach to take it one day at a time. One day at a time. When I signed back in the offseason  I was like, alright go through training camp, make the team, go through preseason, go through regular season, literally take it a day at a time. So it was really no expectations. I didn't go into the season saying I'm gonna put up these numbers or I'm gonna score this much. It's just, I'm prepared, I know what the heck I'm doing. I show up on gamedays and I'm going to make the plays if given the opportunity.

JW: Well it's worked well. So we had Tim (Tebow) start last weekend and we've got him starting this weekend. How does Tim being the quarterback change the offense and do you feel like you've started to form a repoire with him already? You had some good plays last weekend.

BL: Kyle makes the offense dynamic and in the sense of the types of plays, the looks that we can throw at teams and route running and him being able to deliver the ball on time. Tim makes the offense dynamic because of what he can do if the play breaks down or if we're not open or if they're blitzing, he can get away from the rushers and extend the play. He's one of those players when you look in the huddle and know that he's gonna do everything he possibly can to make it successful and it's exciting to see him show that in the game on Sunday. So we're gonna have to build on that and make sure that he can make the plays as diagrammed before he extends the play and he's gonna be pretty good.

JW: So, it's been kind of an up and down season for the Broncos this year, have an interim head coach right now, who are the leaders in the locker room that can bring the team together and make sure that you guys finish the season strong?

BL: You know, I think our captains have been doing a really good job of just keeping us focused. I think it's a better team and we don't have a lot of ra-ra guys and that when a season is going like this, the last thing you want to hear is someone ra-ra'ing us every day. We're professionals, we're made up of a lot of guys that have been a lot of places. I've been on a lot of different teams and the best thing to do is to just continue to go out and perform in practice and perform in the games. That's the only thing we need to do. Lead by example, because right now words are worthless.

JW: You've spent almost a season with them now, so tell me what do you see in the young guys, Eric Decker and Thomas. Do you think we should expect some breakout seasons soon? Have you seen some good things?

BL:  I mean, they will have productive seasons. They are the most competent rookies that I have been around. They're not full of themselves, they don't feel like they're entitled to have anything or be anything and that's the first step in being successful.  Understanding that you have to work for everything that you get in this profession. So, it's really cool being around them just because they look for me advice and it's been so fast, because it was just like yesterday with me a rookie and was like, man, I can't wait to be the older guy and now I am and these guys are asking me questions on how to run routes,  how to do this, "why did I slip", "what do I need to do". So it's really cool to coach them and tell them things that I see from my perspective. What makes them different from rookies that I've been around is that they'll go out and do it. They'll implement what I say on the field and that's probably the most gratifying feeling to see that they're doing what I'm telling them to do and they are being successful with it.

JW: You go up against one of the best NFL corners in history in practice every day. Outside of Champ or any other Broncos who's kind of that one cornerback that really gives you a tough time, that you think is the best NFL cornerback that you've faced in your career?

BL: I really like Nnamdi, from Oakland. I compare him to Al Harris cause he's tall, he has long arms, he's quick, he's fast, he's an interceptor. Everything is potentially threatening when you're going up against him. He plays splits, he knows tendencies. It puts a lot of responsibility on the offensive coordinator that, if, you're gonna throw the ball to that side, you've got to be creative with moving your receiver around, motions, slots, trips formations, you've got to do a lot of things to get him out of his comfort zone if you want to get the ball thrown to his side.

JW: I have to ask about your twitter account (@MrBLloyd). Do you tweet everything yourself?

BL: Yep

JW: Last one, I remember back in the day, I think it was 2000, 2001 NCAA College Football. I was playing with Illinois and tore it up with Brandon Lloyd.

BL: Number six?

JW: Absolutely. So what do you think about these changes in the Big 10, new conference and the Legends and the Leaders divisions. Do you have thoughts on that?

BL: I don't like it. I don't like it. It takes away from the tradition and that's what's bothering me the most about college football because it's starting to become about money and I hate it. It's taken the purity out of the sport. That's why people like college sports over professional sports. Because it's not about money and now it's becoming about money. My problem with NCAA sports right now is that we have to start compensating the players. They're making all these moves, these political moves to position themselves to make a killing financially and the players are still stuck making nothing. Making nothing on top of just free school. Free school is worth it, but it goes from being a... as a college athlete it's a use - use situation. I'm using the school for a free education, the school is using me to generate money. I think that the schools are starting to get the upper hand because they're starting to make a lot of money at these kids' expenses. It would be tough to really stop kids from accepting money from outside sources because these conferences are showing how greedy they are.

JW: Well we certainly appreciate you taking the time today Brandon. Thanks.

BL: No problem