Von Miller had this gift, by the grace of God and Gloria, to make complete strangers feel 10 feet tall. Even Curt Greeley, who was already two-thirds of the way there.
“Hey, are you lacing them up later?” the Vonster asked him as No. 58 — he’ll always be 58 here — reached out to shake Greeley’s hand.
The future Broncos Ring-of-Famer looked up. And up. And up. And up. And up. From beneath those big frames, Miller’s eyes twinkled.
“Do you want to come play basketball?” the Vonster asked.
Heck yeah, he did.
Greeley’s an optometrist by trade and hooper by birth. At 6-foot-7, he graduated from Newton High School in Iowa as the Cardinals’ all-time leading scorer. He played college ball at Division II Minnesota State in Mankato.
“Yeah,” the eye doc replied with a grin. “Name the time and place and I’ll be there.”
This was two years ago, when Dr. Greeley and the good folks at ICON Eyecare were providing free eye exams and glasses for Von’s Vision, Miller’s signature charity for uninsured youth. We’re not sure if Curtis is the only optometrist in the metro who can dunk a basketball without a running start. But it’s gotta be a fairly small subset.
“When you hear (Miller) talk about Denver and talk about Colorado, you can tell his heart’s still here in a lot of ways, even after leaving the Broncos,” Greeley told me last week.
“He seems like an awesome dude.”
The awesome, like that grin, was contagious. Which makes Monday a little awkward, as the Broncos (3-6) open the second half of coach Sean Payton’s inaugural season at Buffalo (5-4), against arguably the best defensive player in franchise history.
“It’s a business,” Greeley said of Miller, who was traded to the Rams on November 2021 and signed a six-year, $120 million contract with the Bills in March 2022. “But it also has that emotional side that is undeniable.”
The Vonster is going to Canton as a Bronco. Buffalo’s renting his heart. Denver owns it. Forever.
“It’s not like a revenge game. I left on good terms,” Miller told reporters last week. “We won a Super Bowl. I had a great relationship with everybody in that facility. I don’t have any bad blood.”
Front Range kids can see the love from Trinidad and Wray. From Walsenburg and Hugo, Lamar and Cripple Creek, Limon and Monte Vista. All thanks to you-know-who.
In spirit, the Vonster never left. In 2023 alone, Von’s Vision has provided at least 311 uninsured children in Colorado with free exams and prescription glasses. It’s provided 368 pairs of glasses free of charge. At least 162 uninsured children have been seen through Von’s Locker Programs and, to date, at least 149 uninsured kids outside the I-25 corridor through Miller’s Rural Vision Program. At least 257 extra pairs of glasses have been given out to children in rural communities through Miller’s Spare Pair Program.
“I think he showed us the way to do a lot of things, on and off the field,” Broncos wideout Courtland Sutton said of Miller’s Denver legacy. “And I know that everybody has a lot of great memories of the things that he was, and that he did while he was here … it was just nice to be able to have somebody to show you the ropes on how to do stuff like that.”
Station 26 Brewing has provided drinks at some of Miller’s fundraising endeavors over the years. Matt McGuinness, field sales rep with Station 26, became such a familiar face that the Vonster used to call him “The Beer Guy.”
“He’s so patient,” McGuinness recalled. “It seemed like, especially at an event like that, where everybody is trying to get your attention, he makes time not just for kids, but for everybody there.”
Greeley wondered if his time with Miller was up after the trade to Los Angeles two years ago. But Von’s Vision has reached out about a reunion with Doctor Dunk in early 2024.
Good work never sleeps.
Neither do good souls.
As for the pickup game, Greeley’s got his kicks ready. He’s still raring for a time and a place, Vonster.
“I was waiting for the call, never got it,” Greeley laughed.
Miller still left him feeling tall enough to touch the stars. Although none of them burned as hot as the one a heartbeat away, flashing a smile that lit the path to everywhere.
“He talks about the Broncos as though he’s almost still on the team,” Greeley said. “There’s a lot to be said for that.”
One word manages to nail it, though. Even after all these years. Class.
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