DENVER, Colo — By day, he's Elias Balderrama, a Denver husband and father of two who works a normal 9 to 5 on weekdays. At night and on the weekends, however, he's the legendary Bronco Libre.
It all started as a Halloween costume in 2015, but today, Bronco Libre is Balderrama's alter ego. Every Sunday you'll find the Broncos superfan outside Empower Field, hyping up the crowd and cheering on his beloved team.
“My uncle took me to training camp, when it was in Greeley. We'd go every chance that we had," said Balderrama.
The fandom started at training camp practices, when Balderrama was only 5 years old. His first game was the 1991 AFC divisional round game, where the Broncos kicked a game winning field goal against the Houston Oilers.
Balderrama has celebrated two Super Bowl victories for the Broncos. In 2016, the same year Manning helped the Broncos capture Super Bowl 50, Balderrama debuted Bronco Libre.
“It means pride for both the Broncos themselves and my Mexican heritage," said Balderrama.
For Balderrama, Bronco Libre helps connect his Hispanic heritage with his football community. The connection was apparent at the Broncos home opener against the Steelers, where Balderrama hosted a tailgate and represented nearly a hundred Mexican fans who made the trip to Empower Field.
The Mexican fans wore their own lucha libre masks and in total, more than 160 people attended.
"We have a huge Latino base here in Denver," said Balderrama. "We're trying to bring up the Latinos within the NFL.”
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Although Bronco Libre started out as a costume, Balderamma said the connection he's built with the community has added a deeper meaning to it.
"It's part of me," said Balderamma.
Balderrama is currently working towards becoming the NFL Fan of the Year. The winner will be announced in February.
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