Enjoy 14 stories from the NFL Draft Days of Von Miller, Louis Wright, Daniel Graham, Champ Bailey, Simon Fletcher, Steve Atwater, Terrell Davis, Rick Upchurch, Howard Griffith, Peyton Manning, Gary Kubiak, Steve Foley, Tyrone Braxon and Bubby Brister. Many of these players also have full episodes on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast (or will someday). If you haven’t listened to them, search them up and check out their conversations! 

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

Defenseman can be onery. They are defensemen after all. Kyle Quincey was no exception and had his moments, however many were justified. Like the time he pinned a hockey stick between the eyes of Redwings head coach Mike Babcock and “requested” respect during his second stint in Detroit after coming off 3 solid years with the Avalanche. Babcock obliged and put Kyle on the power play the next night.  

Kyle started skating in his home country of Canada when he was just a toddler. Junior hockey took the place of college, and the Redwings drafted him in 2003. Babcock was his coach then, which is why it was difficult for him not to treat Kyle like a rookie during the second go around.  

Kyle’s career took him from one coast to the other. He endured numerous injuries and over 20 concussions.  He also earned respect and lifelong friends everywhere he went whether it was the Redwings, Kings, Avs, Devils, Blue Jackets or the Wild. Hockey is family and he needed that family after he retired in 2019.   

In 2020, Kyle’s one year old son Axl was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Kyle was just starting to figure out who he was post-hockey and had to put that mental anguish aside to be a dad, husband and support his family. It was tough between Covid and moving short term to Philly for Axl’s surgery, but Axl came out cancer free. Then it was time to focus on Kyle.  

Kyle found a path to fulfillment by creating the Do Good Ranch and helping others who have experienced mental and physical trauma. The Do Good Ranch offers a stunning setting for healing, wellness and education into self-improvement and personal growth. The ranch opened in April of 2025 and is available for reservations and private retreats.

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

He had no plans to play football in the same town where he grew up, in fact Dallas Davis fully planned to leave Fort Collins and become a Badger in Wisconsin. Then he got a visit from head coach Sonny Lubick and a couple other coaches who put a new thought in his head: did he really think he’d catch many passes with future Heisman Trophy winning Ron Dayne running the ball on most plays? Dallas switched gears to Colorado State University.  

He became a captain and was All-Conference as a wide receiver and returner. He was also very active off the field, something that started in high school and carried into college. He chaired the CSU Athletic Advancement Committee and represented the Mountain West at the NCAA Leadership Conference.  

While he loved all the activities, Dallas also had a dream to play professionally. The Steelers brought him in as an undrafted free agent and he stayed for a few months until he was cut in training camp. The next year, he was cut just before training camp and reality set in: it was time to find a job.  

He dabbled in the mortgage industry and realized he missed sports. So he got on planning and event committees for the Orange Bowl, NBA All Star Game and the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Eventually he found himself working as the Director of Community Affairs for the Colorado Rockies, where he still works today, but is now part of human resources. Dallas is married and raising three athletically gifted daughters who have a tough time believing their dad was pretty special with the football.    

Listen to Dallas’ story and conversation with @susiewargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast. Links to listen on your favorite podcast platforms in the @ctfrpodcast bio!

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

He grew up on a horse ranch in a small town in Manitoba, Canada. Rick Berry thought it was perfectly normal that his family had some 200 pure bred Belgian horses and when those horses urinated, it was collected (by Rick and his brother) for the Premarin in the urine and sold to pharmaceutical companies. He later found out that wasn’t so normal.  

What was normal for Rick: having a pond nearby and playing hockey. A lot of hockey. When he was 16, he left Canada and went to Seattle to live with a host family and started junior hockey. In 1997, the Colorado Avalanche, who had just moved from Quebec to Denver, selected Rick in the 3rd round of the NHL Entry Draft.  

He played with the Hershey Bears for a few years and eventually made it to Denver where his Avs debut came in the 2000-2001 season. He stuck around for another season in Denver and then was traded to the Penguins in 2002. From there the rollercoaster started between NHL teams, affiliates and a stint in Germany.  

After his time in Germany, and with two young girls at that point, Rick decided to retire. He and his wife made Denver their home, added a third girl and Rick went into the financial advisory industry. He enjoys his work, being a girl dad and staying involved with the Colorado Avalanche Alumni Association.  

Listen to Rick’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast.

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

His biography is filled with basketball. What’s not in Ricardo Patton’s bio is his childhood which included being raised by his grandmother after his mom left him and his sister when he was just 9 months old. His father wasn’t present either, so Ricardo figured out how to navigate life through basketball.  

His college career at Belmont kept him close to home in Nashville. After college, he stayed in the south for many years as a middle school and high school coach and assistant coaching jobs at Middle Tennessee, Arkansas Little-Rock and Tennessee State. Then came his trek to Colorado where he started as an assistant and three years later, got his break as a head coach.  From 1996 to 2007, Ricardo had three 20-win seasons and took the Buffs to the postseason six times. He also landed a huge recruit in Chauncey Billups who would go on to be a #3 overall draft pick.  

Ricardo left CU on his own terms and continued to coach here and there, including a return to the state of Colorado when he was an assistant for Chauncey’s brother Rodney at the University of Denver. It seems Mr. Big Shot is never too far removed from Ricardo.  

That trend continues today as Ricardo is now the Executive Director of the Porter-Billups Leadership Academy, where he loves the challenge of raising money to help young people from underserved communities become future leaders.

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

Charlie Blackmon had no illusions of grandeur once he realized his days as a left-handed pitcher were numbered.  He’d been a pitcher in high school and junior college and figured when he transferred to Georgia Tech he’d ride his time out on the bench, get a degree and find a job. Life worked out a bit differently.  

It all changed when Charlie spent a summer in the Texas Collegiate League and got some advice from Texas Rangers Hall of Famer Rusty Greer. Charlie went into the TCL with a bit of a fib: he told them he could pitch, hit and play defense. Truth be told, he hadn’t hit or played in the field since high school. Regardless, he picked up a wood bat and began to make contact, a lot. He also started to play positions outside of pitcher and Rusty told him he should consider giving up pitching and heading to the outfield. The self-admitted hardheaded Charlie eventually agreed.  

He had fairly quick success with his newfound skills at Georgia Tech and got drafted by the Rockies. He worked his way up every level of the minors and finally made his MLB debut in June of 2011. Within a month Charlie had his first hit, RBI, home run and broke his foot, ending his season.  
He used his rehab time to finish his degree in finance and found a new appreciation for baseball and the grind. He’d be up and down from the minors to the Rockies for another couple years and then became a staple at Coors Field until his retirement in 2024. Which didn’t last long: in 2025, the Rockies named Charlie a Special Assistant to the General Manager.  

Listen to Charlie’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast.

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

In 2025, Lisa Van Goor will finally be inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. A long overdue honor for the first player in the history of the University of Colorado (man or woman) to score 2000 points and snag 1000 rebounds in a career. She also averaged a double-double for her career as a Buff, all of this despite missing several games due to injuries her junior and senior seasons.  

Lisa was born in South Dakota and after being named a Parade All American as a senior, she had over four dozen schools recruiting her. She thrived her first two years under head coach Sox Walseth, however when Ceal Barry came in, the injury bug hit and life got tougher physically and mentally. After graduation, (the WNBA didn’t exist yet), Lisa went overseas to play professionally for 7 years and became a 5-time All Star.   

After retirement, Lisa returned to Boulder unsure of what to do with her life. She wanted to be back in athletics and after getting turned down for a few opportunities, she got a job with a rental car company. Eventually she did get back into the CU Athletic Department helping to plan events. These days she’s out of the department, but still very involved with former student athletes, as the Executive Director of the non-profit Buffs 4 Life.  

Listen to Lisa’s story and conversation with @susiewargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast. Links to listen on your favorite podcast platforms in the @ctfrpodcast bio!

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

Sometimes the road to professional football takes a non-traditional path. Colorado native Gabe Knapton knows that trail well.

After playing linebacker for his dad, who demanded a lot as the head coach at Skyline High School in Longmont, Gabe had his choice of many colleges to continue his playing career. It came down to Wyoming and Colorado State. He chose to be a Cowboy because of alumni in his family and most importantly, the coaches.  

During his time in Laramie, the staff switched Gabe from linebacker to defensive end. He made the transition look easier than it was because of his motor and non-stop hustle. In reality, it was difficult to learn a very different position and physically he was still more like a linebacker. Regardless, he had hopes of getting drafted in the NFL and while a few teams called during the draft, no one called his name or his agent. 

Unsure of what to do at that point, Gabe’s dad suggested taking a year off, working out and staying ready. So, he took a gap year before gap years were cool and eventually played indoor football with the Colorado Ice, then got his break with the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League. He would be named Montreal’s Rookie of the Year and go on to play for several years in the CFL between Montreal and the BC Lions. 

In retirement, Gabe is a busy guy: husband, father of two, owner of Different Breed Performance gym and a firefighter with the City of Thornton.  

Listen to Gabe’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast. 



To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

He thought he would be a basketball player and never considered football until high school where he learned the game on his 1A high school team. First on offense, then moving to defense. His team was good, regularly beating larger schools and garnering large home crowds. The college scouts didn’t stop by often, however Nate was still offered a few scholarships.  

He chose North Carolina State where he would become an All-American his senior year. An honorable feat by itself, but even more impressive considering he missed the year before recovering from multiple injuries sustained in a single car crash. Nate overcame a collapsed lung, separated shoulder, broken rib and a compound leg fracture.  

He was a 3rd round draft pick of the Broncos in 2011 and played in nearly every game his first three seasons. He started several games in 2014, until he was bit by the injury bug with a torn ACL. The Broncos went on to win the Super Bowl that year and did not sign Nate to a new contract in the off season.  

He signed a new deal with the Colts, but again found himself in the training room and after one year of his three-year deal, Nate was cut on the final day of training camp in 2016. Soon after, Nate decided he was at peace with his NFL career and walked away.  

Today, Nate is a director and manages 300 people at Anschutz Medical Center, is the Defensive Coordinator at Ponderosa High School and a proud girl dad to three little ladies.

Listen to Nate’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast.

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com

He’s not the typical professional athlete, but his resume reads like one: he was on the payroll of a professional team, he entertained fans and he performed athletic feats many would never dare. He also wore a mountain lion costume. Kenn Solomon was Rocky, the Nuggets mascot, for over three decades and while he kept his mascot code of silence when in costume, now he’s “just Kenn” and has plenty to talk about.  

Kenn grew up in Las Vegas and was self-taught gymnastics in his backyard. After seeing the San Diego Chicken at a minor league baseball game, he instantly had a career goal. He became his high school’s mascot and did the same at two colleges. At Utah State, as a communications major, Kenn came to Denver during a summer to intern at the Rocky Mountain News. He decided to cold call the Nuggets and strike up a conversation about him being their mascot. The Nuggets didn’t have a mascot, but they listened to his spiel. They didn’t do anything right away, so Kenn kept calling.  Eventually he auditioned for Rocky and won the gig.  

His 30+ years as Rocky saw him become a fan favorite and an attraction for the Nuggets, especially during some very down seasons on the hardwood. He made countless appearances off the court, endured a few injuries (including breaking his back) and a life changing lesson after spending a weekend in jail.  

His retirement came after the Nuggets won their NBA championship and a transition to the new Rocky was set up for one of Kenn’s three sons. Drake Solomon held the role for a while until he had to step aside to rehab an injury. The Nuggets decided to go a different direction. Now Kenn is going in a different direction with lots of open doors and opportunities between public speaking, podcasting and writing a book.  

Listen to Kenn’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast.

To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com