DENVER — Before the Denver Broncos begin another season with lofty expectations, linebacker Alex Singleton already has a victory to celebrate.
Singleton’s second annual cornhole tournament raised nearly $15,000 for Special Olympics Colorado, continuing a partnership that has been deeply personal throughout his life.
The event drew 20 more teams than last year, a sign of its growing popularity and impact.
“To have a second annual is awesome,” Singleton said. “It means the first one went well, and we have 20 more teams this year, which means 40 more people playing cornhole.”
But for Singleton, the day has always been about more than competition.
“Special Olympics has been part of my family my entire life,” he said. “My older sister has Down syndrome, so she’s been a Special Olympics athlete her entire life. Any city I’ve gone to, I make sure to reach out to them almost before I sign a contract.”
That connection has followed Singleton throughout his football career and was one of the first things he focused on after re-signing with Denver this offseason.
“Right after I re-signed, the first text was to Tiffany and Megan with Special Olympics to be able to do this again,” Singleton said. “Being in the community is so important to me.”
The fundraiser comes as Singleton prepares for a season in which the Broncos are expected to contend in the AFC after reaching the brink of the Super Bowl last season.
Singleton said continuity could be one of Denver’s biggest strengths.
“What Sean [Payton] said since Day 1, he’s going to keep the guys here, they’re going to win football games for us, and he’s done that,” Singleton said. “We’ve had a year of winning where we got close. Instead of trying to fix something that isn’t broken with new pieces, we kind of put the band back together.”
He believes the Broncos will enter the season with a different challenge: handling the expectations that come with success.
“We’re the target now in the AFC,” Singleton said. “Everyone’s going to want to beat us. Everyone’s going to want to knock us down. It’s our job to remember that, practice and prepare with that target on our back, and go do what we want to do.”
For at least one day, however, football took a back seat.
Guided by the Special Olympics athlete oath — “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt” — Singleton helped raise thousands of dollars for Special Olympics Colorado, giving him a meaningful win long before the Broncos take the field this fall.
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