ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — It was hot with blinding bright sunshine Tuesday during the Broncos’ mandatory minicamp but still something seemed different about Sean Payton.
Sunglasses. The Broncos’ head coach was wearing sunglasses.
With good reason.
Payton had cataracts surgery on his left eye last Thursday and will have cataracts surgery on his right eye Wednesday, presumably after his Broncos conduct their second minicamp practice at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit.
“First day ever wearing sunglasses coaching,’’ Payton joked to 9NEWS. “Waiting for the Parcells phone call.”
Back in January at his season-ending news conference, Broncos head coach Sean Payton said one goal he had for himself this offseason was to improve his eyesight.
“I want to get my eyes fixed, so I call the right play and I don’t mess up and call the wrong play on a play that happened one time this year,’’ Payton said on Jan 9. “That was embarrassing.’’
Promise kept.
Payton met with Nan Miller, the widow of another well-known former head coach, Red Miller, following practice. Payton apologized to Nan for carrying on the conversation without taking off his sunglasses.
“He said Bill Parcells is going to be calling him: “You wimp what do you have sunglasses on for,’’ Nan Miller said. “It’s because he had cataracts surgery.”
Nan said they talked about how Red Miller, who led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl appearance to cap the 1977 season and was inducted into the team's Ring of Fame in 2017, played for his hometown Western Illinois while Payton played many years later for Eastern Illinois.
“He’s really excited about Bo Nix,’’ Nan said. “When I came in I asked Patrick (Smyth, the Broncos PR chief) if I could get a chance to shake Sean Payton’s hand I would love it. And so he said, ‘I’ll take care of it.’ And pretty soon here comes Sean Payton and he says, ‘Now here’s who I want to talk to.’ And he threw his arms around me.
“He was extremely friendly and of course very positive about the team. Anyway, it was pretty exciting. Made my day. I can go to dinner tonight and tell the girls.”
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