Frank Crum Beat The Odds To Be A Denver Bronco, Now He Works For An NFL Career

Former University of Wyoming football star Frank Crum got to live a dream shared by countless other aspiring football players last season by playing his rookie year in the NFL with the Denver Broncos. 

Now that the honeymoon phase of his budding career is over, Crum — a huge 6-foot-7, 315-pound offensive tackle — is ready to get to work to make his place in the NFL more permanent.

“Dreaming about being in the NFL, but now living the dream, to be a part of it, it’s a whole different animal,” Crum told Cowboy State Daily.

Crum signed a three-year, $2.86 million contract with the Broncos in 2024 as an undrafted free-agent rookie.

According to Statista, a data-gathering website, the average NFL career lasts 3.3 years. In a league where job security is never guaranteed, Crum must constantly prove his worth to avoid getting cut. 

Each year, 53 players make an NFL roster with another 16 designated to a practice squad, where they can be called up as needed. Between eight to 10 players on a roster, however, are offensive linemen.

“To make the roster, it’s just that much harder statistically,” Crum said.

But Crum said Broncos head coach Sean Payton, offensive line coach Zach Streif and Broncos General Manager George Paton all had a clear vision and belief  in him, which was validated by the fact he played well enough in training camp to earn a spot on the team’s regular-season roster.

Perfect Fit

Crum couldn’t have found a better landing spot than with the Broncos. Not only does playing in Denver offer him great proximity to his family in Laramie, but it was also the team he cheered for growing up.

“It’s a good deal, I’m glad to be in Denver for sure,” Crum said.

This month, Crum joined Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix courtside at a Denver Nuggets game. Both also attended a Colorado Avalanche game, where they were announced to the crowd, given jerseys and treated with fanfare.

Crum also got to play for the Broncos in their best season in eight years, posting a 10-7 record and making the playoffs. He played in six games for the Broncos in 2024, participating in 33 total snaps. The Broncos won five of the six games he played in. 

“Just being in the league for the first year has kind of been the highlight of it all,” Crum said. “Love winning games, Mile High is electric.”

Crum didn’t let the fame get to him, helping host a "Shop with a Jock" shopping spree for children from the Broncos Boys & Girls Club in December.

One of the most surreal moments, Crum said, was standing on the field as the national anthem played, which he usually sings along with. Being able to tie in the pride for his country to his love for football, Crum said, is what makes it a special moment.

“It is a surreal moment,” Crum said. “You see those big flags out there, you see the jets overhead, the fireworks. You know how emotional that song is. To be a part of it on the field, it’s just a little glimpse at being thankful for the country we live in.”

Crum said Payton and his fellow linemen, including Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey, were instrumental in helping him succeed.

“They never treated me like a normal rookie,” Crum said. “They always tried to keep me in the loop on things, give me tips here.”

Conversely, Crum always tried to give his fellow linemen tips whenever he’d see them. 

The Rookie’s Experience

But he did have a few rookie duties, often having to get his teammates coffee and fill up the stock of snacks at the practice facility in Dove Valley. 

One of the biggest rookie adjustments, Crum said, was getting used to the length of the season. The NFL starts earlier in the summer than college football and the regular season goes more than a month longer, and that’s not even counting playoffs. 

In addition, Crum went straight from his senior season to training for the NFL Combine last winter in Arizona. 

“This has been since the summer before my last year of college, this has been the first time I’ve had off,” Crum said.

After the Broncos’ season ended with a wild card loss to the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 12, Crum went back to Wyoming and took in the first day of the 2025 Wyoming Legislature, where his dad is a state senator.

“It’s nice to have this time off now because you’re truly off and get your body healthy, get your mind right, and then start up again in mid-April,” Crum said.

Preparing For Year Two

Besides letting his body heal, Crum said he plans to study film and work on his technique. Although the six-foot, seven inch, 315-pound lineman has an NFL body, various scouting reports have said working on his technique should be his biggest concern.

“Just get a better understanding for the things you can do without being physical, which is learning on the mental side right now,” he said.

Crum will start practicing with the Broncos again in April for spring workouts.

Expectations are already high for the 2025 Broncos season and some experts expect them to improve, particularly with the addition of star tight end Evan Engram over the off season. The team has been rumored to be scouting for running backs in the upcoming NFL Draft, one of their weak spots during the 2024 season.

“It’s on the rise right now, I think we’re getting ready to do some special things here,” Crum said.

Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.