SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Ja’Quan McMillian worked through football famine and was rewarded with a pigskin feast.
An undrafted rookie cornerback last season who skipped two years of eligibility with East Carolina to turn pro, McMillian spent the first 17 weeks, and 16 games on the Broncos’ practice squad. And then for the 17th and final game against quarterback Justin Herbert and the playoff-bound Los Angeles Chargers, McMillian not only got a chance to play, he started. And he not only started, he played 100% of the 68 defensive snaps.
Must have played pretty well, too, because McMillian has been starting with the Denver defense through the end of OTAs and minicamp in place of the nicked up Damarri Mathis and then again the past week or so as a fill-in for the slightly sore Pat Surtain II.
“Opportunity is there,’’ McMillian said in an interview with 9NEWS this week. “I wouldn’t say I’m starting. We’ve got Pat down right now. I’m taking a role. But it’s been a great opportunity to show what I can do against the best of the best.’’
In the preseason opener last week at Arizona, McMillian played all 15 snaps with the first-string defense in place of Surtain, then played some in the second half as a nickelback. He had a sack, and a big special teams hit in the game. McMillian and defensive end Elijah Garcia were the two players who received little notice before the game but stood out during it.
“I knew ever since that last game of the season last year that I definitely carried that confidence over into this season and I feel like I’m playing pretty good,’’ McMillian said. “I’m still learning a lot, still asking questions from the older guys. But to go out there and make a little bit of plays, it’s just a great feeling.”
Though he was a ball-hawking boundary corner at East Carolina – compiling an impressive 12 interceptions in just three seasons – McMillian was often projected as a nickel corner for the NFL because of his 5-foot-10, 183-pound build.
Either way, he’s a scrappy sort, whether on the boundary, the slot, or in wind sprints. During the end-of-practice gassers Tuesday, McMillian got into a spat with fellow corner Mathis. The two had to be separated but so it goes during the long, hot camp practices in mid-August.
“No it wasn’t a fight,’’ McMillian said. “That’s my boy. There was no fight. We’re cool.”
He grew up with a large, blended sports-oriented family in Winston-Salem, N.C. He has two brothers and two sisters from his mom’s side and two sisters from his father, who passed away in December.
“We all played sports,’’ McMillian said. “I’ve got a little sister right now, Taylor. She’s like eighth in the nation in her age group in hurdles. We all played sports. I played with my older brother as a freshman in high school. He was the starting quarterback, I was the starting cornerback. And my junior and senior year I played with my younger brother. He was a receiver.’’
In his youth, McMillian had dreams of playing running back like his favorite player LaDainian Tomlinson.
“But once I got to high school, I just fell in love with defense, cornerback,” he said.
He had 22 interceptions in high school, two of which he returned for touchdowns. A freshman starter in high school and college, McMillian was checked his first year as a pro. But a pro he was.
“It’s tough,’’ McMillian said about life on the practice squad. “It’s tough. For me, I’ve always been a guy who played right away in high school and college I played as a freshman. So coming here -- I knew I came out (of college) early after three years at East Carolina so I knew it would be tough. I went undrafted also, so I knew I would have to grind my way up. But being on practice squad, it allowed me to develop and learn from the guys and adjust to the speed of the game.
“So I would say it did more good for me. … As I was on the practice squad I was always doing the same thing as if I was a starter or as if I was playing on the 53 (man roster). I was studying film every week, doing everything that the guys were doing. Ask questions, film breakdown and then when week 17 came and my opportunity happened I was ready.”
He worked his way up with the Ejiro Evero-coordinated Denver defense last year. And he’s been running with the top group with new defensive coordinator Vance Joseph this year. Adjusting to new defensive coaches is not new to McMillian. He went through a couple during his college years.
“Hey, if that’s how it is, I know I can get through it,’’ McMillian said. “I keep God first. I know he’s got me. All I try to do is keep working. Keep working no matter the circumstance. Day-in and day-out I just try and go out there and do my best and take advantage of all the opportunities that I’ve been given.”
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