ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Stack on a few more touchdowns like the one he caught Monday night, and Broncos rookie tight end Greg Dulcich may eventually join Troy Polamalu and Patrick Mahomes in shampoo commercials.
Easily the NFL’s best hair since Polamalu retired following the 2014 season, Dulcich started growing out his curly, long brown locks during the coronavirus pandemic in the spring of 2020. Or 2 ½ years ago.
“I haven’t had a haircut since COVID,’’ Dulcich said in a sit-down interview with 9NEWS this week. “It was always curly but it always would just grow out so I wanted to finally get it to fall down and that took a while.
“I just figured, ‘When else in my life can I get away with growing it out other than being 22 years old?’ I was trying out the beard, too, but it just doesn’t grow in, so I stuck with the ‘stache only.’’
Dulcich’s hair, and short shorts that display his muscular quads, were a big part of his story here locally after the Broncos used their third-round pick, No. 80 overall, to draft the skilled tight end out of UCLA. He participated in the Broncos’ rookie minicamp and first week of OTAs but disappeared in early June.
A hamstring from Hades sidelined him for the next 4 ½ months.
“Yeah it was crazy, never really had any injuries in college,’’ Dulcich said. “Played in every game in college. So it was new for me. Like coach (Nathaniel) Hackett was telling everyone, hamstrings are tricky. I never really realized that. Sure enough I had a pretty tricky one.
“The training staff did a really good job of making sure I was ready and going through the stages of rehab. But it doesn’t always do what you want it to do. It’s got a mind of its own, sometimes.”
The Broncos’ tight ends struggled throughout the first five weeks to make much of a receiving impact (Eric Saubert did make a game-winning touchdown catch against Houston in week 2). Dulcich finally made his NFL debut in game 6 Monday against the Los Angeles Chargers. His first NFL catch went for 5 yards off a simple out pattern that converted a third-and-4. His second catch became his first NFL touchdown as he broke wide open and gathered Russell Wilson’s running pass for a 39-yard score.
Dulcich didn’t fail to let his joy show. Broncos’ equipment manager Chris Valenti got the ball and was seen writing on it before putting it away for Dulcich as a keepsake.
“He put my number. He put L.A., Monday Night Football,’’ Dulcich said. “So that was really cool I got to keep that. It was definitely special to be able to do it in front of my family. A lot of people showing love and support. I probably had like 30 people come watch me which was so awesome. Got to see them after the game which was an awesome experience. Just wish we would have won.”
It was the Broncos’ only touchdown in their last two games.
He loves L.A.
Dulcich is about as L.A. as it gets. He is the youngest of four born and raised by George and Anna Dulcich who grew up a 5-minute drive from the Rose Bowl – which among its many events hosts UCLA home games.
“Big football family growing up,’’ Dulcich said. “My older brother (George) played football. I always wanted to be like him like any younger brother. I kind of followed in his footsteps.”
Big brother was a star player for coach Jim Bonds at St. Francis High School in La Canada, Calif. until a knee injury his senior year in 2013 pretty much ended his football days. Four years later, Greg Dulcich had a fabulous senior season for coach Bonds – a UCLA roommate of Broncos’ head coach George Paton -- catching 50 passes for 1,168 yards and 12 touchdowns, yet also was having trouble extending his football career.
No scholarships came Greg’s way. His brother helped push Greg to accept a premium walk-on position for UCLA and coach Chip Kelly.
“Played receiver and yeah, had a good high school career but in Southern California there’s a lot of talent there so it was easy to get overlooked,’’ Dulcich said. “So I figured I’d bet on myself at UCLA and coach Kelly gave me the opportunity and I took it in stride.”
COVID struck in the spring of his junior year as Dulcich was making the conversion to tight end. Which turned out to be good timing in a sense, not to mention how life-changing the position switch was from receiver to tight end.
“I came into college and like 205 pounds and the plan was for me to move into tight end,’’ he said. “Actually once COVID hit all I did all day was classwork, worked out twice a day and ate as much as I could. I was at home and mom’s a really good cook so it made it easy to put on 20 pounds to get to 240 by my junior year when I was playing tight end.
“It’s a cool position because you get to play a lot of different spots. You get to be split out, you get to be attached to the line. You get to do really everything offensively in a football game besides throw the ball.’’
In his first game as a full-time tight end at UCLA, Dulcich caught four passes for 126 yards – with 52 coming on a touchdown – in a 48-42 loss to the Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder. Two years later, Dulcich will play his second football game in Colorado.
On to game 2
Without Dulcich, and now with him, the Broncos’ 2022 season is off to a disappointing start, especially on offense. During his time at UCLA, Dulcich experienced losing locker rooms for three seasons before helping the Bruins turn it around last year with an 8-4 mark. So what’s the rookie’s perspective of the Broncos’ atmosphere with the team 2-4 going into their game today against the New York Jets?
“What’s great about our locker room is there’s no pointing of fingers or anything,’’ Dulcich said. “It’s really uplifting, it’s really positive. Everyone’s got each other’s back which is cool because that’s what you need. You need overwhelming positivity to get past this kind of stuff. I’m happy with what we’re doing.”
Now that he’s finally got his season started, Dulcich will be counted on to keep making impact catches, beginning his second game today from passes thrown by new quarterback Brett Rypien, who will be starting for the injured Wilson.
“The Jets have a good defense,’’ Dulcich said. “And that’s going to test us up front and we’re ready for it and I’m excited about the kind of stuff we have going in.”
And then after the game, more preparation. This time to keep up the best hair in the NFL.
“Conditioner every day is a big thing,’’ he said. “For shampoo, I mainly use Dove or Head & Shoulders, something like that.”
More games like his NFL debut and L.A. may beckon Dulcich again.
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