Lloyd Does Everything 'in the Most Professional Way'

Brandon Lloyd makes another spectacular touchdown, against Oakland on Dec. 19. (PHOTO: ERIC LARS BAKKE / DENVER BRONCOS)

DENVER – Brandon Lloyd was graceful, thankful and humble in the wake of earning his first Pro Bowl selection.

But he’s only human, too.

When he was asked whether he wanted to wink to the three teams that cut him and tell them, “I told you so,” he disagreed, and said he had something more direct in mind:

“No, I want to say, ‘F— you,’ and I mean that in the most professional way.”

The media on the conference call broke up in hysterics at such an unvarnished remark, but it’s not a surprise. One thing we’ve learned about Lloyd this year is how open and honest he can be — even when he’s saying very little.

After losses — of which there were many, of course — Lloyd didn’t want to say much, sometimes not answering a question he didn’t like. He was still emotional over the game that had just passed; he appeared to be still processing the defeat.

It would be easy to interpret that negatively. But it reminded me of a former Broncos Pro Bowler I came to respect deeply in his years playing for the team: Al Wilson.

Wilson could be on such an edge after the game that even the most innocuous question was brushed aside with a brusque “next question” or a “you’ve got to be kidding” stare. But Wilson never let it stick; he’d return to the team facility in the days that followed and go back to patiently answering every question and being the kind of guy who would pick you up on the side of the road if your car broke down and you needed a lift to the office.

Wilson was a true professional several years ago.  So is Lloyd in 2010.

When the overload of emotions over the game’s result had passed in the days that followed, Lloyd was more talkative, often available at his locker-room stall and always candid and thoughtful.  A moment after his salty comment, Lloyd shared thoughts that were equally revealing.

“I wanted to say one last thing: One of the things that really sticks out to me about when I first came to the Denver Broncos was how well the media accepted me, and I wanted to thank you guys for that,” Lloyd said. ” I don’t know why the hell you guys would accept me and believe that I was any different than what you guys were told, but you did.

“Every (other) team I’ve been on has been media, negative press, from Day One. And I wanted to thank you guys. I appreciate that. You gave me a lot of confidence to really be myself, and I was able to really come out of my shell and be myself — and to realize that being myself isn’t so different. I really appreciate and thank you that, and I do credit you guys with my success also.”

Crediting anyone who was even tangentially responsible for his emergence as one of the NFL’s best receivers was the thread that tied together the answers to questions he was asked late Tuesday afternoon. Teammates, coaches, fans, and even the press — all combined to make Denver different than anyplace he’d ever been.

The result was a season that has been eight years in the making. This season as a whole could be the beginning of a renaissance. The last two weeks — when Lloyd has caught nine passes for 190 yards and a touchdown from Tim Tebow — could be the seeds from which a flowering partnership grows.

Two weeks ago, Lloyd expressed displeasure on a conference call with Bay Area writers when it became apparent that Tebow would replace Kyle Orton in the starting lineup. But Lloyd kept his head up, stayed true to his responsibilities as a teammate and gave Tebow his first touchdown pass as a starter.  A week later, he had his sixth 100-yard game of the season — and first with his new quarterback.  By that point, he was sufficiently impressed.

“(Tebow) gave us what we needed,” Lloyd said after beating Houston on Sunday. “We needed him to be poised and confident out there and give the receivers a chance to make plays downfield, using his speed, picking up first downs. We needed him to be that quarterback for us, and he did.”

They worked as a quarterback and wide receiver should.  They worked as though they’d been together for years.

That’s why Lloyd’s first Pro Bowl appearance could be the first of a few as a Bronco — because he did his job, did it well and did it in the most professional way.

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