No. 63, as it turns out, is actually not eligible.
Sorry, ladies. Broncos offensive lineman/cult hero/jumbo-package star Alex Palczewski just got engaged. No. 63 in your program is No. 1 in the heart of fiancée Megan Cooney.
“We were walking to dinner at the Broadmoor (Hotel),” Cooney told me Tuesday morning, “and it’s decorated and it’s beautiful, and he finds a spot and hired a photographer. On the way to dinner, he got on one knee and proposed.”
Palczewski, whose announcement by officials when he enters the game is met with raucous cheers from Broncos Country, put a ring on it this past Aug. 29. It was the apex of a rare romantic weekend off for the 26-year-old Broncos lineman and his girlfriend of six years, just before the start of the regular season.
“He (booked) the Broadmoor all on his own, so that already gave me a little tip, because that’s not like him,” Cooney chuckled. “So I had a little tip just from that. He did still surprise me.”
When Palczewski’s presence is announced at Empower Field, there’s no surprise — the Broncos are probably about to run the football with the 1-2 tailback combo of J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. Denver wound up rushing for 186 yards on 38 attempts on Monday night during a 28-3 romp over reeling Cincinnati.
It’s the kind of romping they should be doing a heck of a lot more of, frankly. Denver came out of Week 4 ranked fourth in the NFL in yards per carry (5.1) but ninth in run attempts (113).
When coach Sean Payton has rushed at least 30 times in a game over the last three seasons, he’s 11-2. If the Good Lord wanted the Broncos to air it out all the time, He’d have given Thunder wings.
“I just like to be able to run the ball,” the 6-foot-6 Palczewski — his pals call him “Palcho” — told me after the game late Monday night. “That’s all I want to do.”
They did it all over the Bengals’ furry hindquarters. Harvey picked up 58 yards on 14 carries, while Dobbins (101 yards on 15 attempts) became the first 100-yard rusher of the Broncos’ Payton Era. The latter snapped a 37-game franchise streak without a 100-yard rusher, then the longest active drought in the NFL. Latavius Murray had been the last one to crash the century mark, racking up 103 yards against the Chargers on Jan. 8, 2023.
Official (via the public address system): “63 has reported eligible.”
Broncos Country: “WOOO-HOOOOO!”
“I try to ignore it, because I just want to hear the play from the booth the whole time, make sure I don’t mess up,” Palcho said.
“But no, it’s pretty cool. I didn’t even notice it the first week until somebody told me.”
His linemates, though?
Oh, they noticed.
Every darn time.
“It’s hilarious,” guard Quinn Meinerz said. “I love that. I love it for him. He’s an incredible player. I mean, it shows how locked in Broncos Country is on this, on these games, and how much our fans love football. Because they see a jumbo (package), and normally that means running the ball. So that means Bronco Country loves running the ball. That’s the equation that I’m taking from it.”
And when you do the math, The Palcho Package works. The Broncos had 11 rushes against Cincinnati in which No. 63 reported as eligible, gaining 29 net yards and two first downs. Take out Palczewski’s 15-yard flag in the third quarter for administering an illegal backside block, and the count was 10 runs for 44 yards, good for 4.4 yards per pop.
“Are you gonna fine him?” I asked Meinerz.
“We’ll figure out something for him,” he replied with a grin.
Palcho loves the carnage, loves the first downs, loves the wins. He hates the attention. But rules are rules — extra linemen have to be publicly announced every time they enter the game as eligible receivers.
NFL players with numbers 50-79 aren’t allowed to catch a ball otherwise. The ref is required to reveal the change in designation before the snap to the defensive captain, to the crowd, and to the TV audience.
When Palczewski’s arrival is announced 10 times in a tilt, as he was during the Broncos’ Week 1 home victory over Tennessee, Empower Field starts to catch on.
Speaking of catching on, could there be a tackle-eligible pass in the works? Did you play a little tight end in high school?
“Never,” Palcho countered. “Never touched the ball.”
We can dream. In the meantime, cheering whenever “63 has reported eligible” is fast joining “IN-COM-PLETE” and booing the no-shows as one of those communal Broncomaniac traditions.
Eagle-eyed peepers in the press box on Monday even spotted a local wearing a Broncos “63” jersey with the word “ELIGIBLE” on the name plate.
Only, just to be clear, he’s not.
“I love it,” Cooney said. “You never expect anybody to cheer for an offensive lineman.”
Yet if there was ever a lineman to cheer for, it would be Palcho. Dude broke his neck in high school, rehabbed, recovered, and wound up starting 65 games at the University of Illinois. His favorite athlete is a fictional one — Ivan Drago, the “Rocky” villain played by Dolph Lundgren. He’s a Chicago native, the son of Polish immigrants.
Mom Bozema was in the stands for the Cincy game, tickled to death while trying to record on her phone every time her son enthralled the Denver faithful.
“His mom was like, ‘What is going on? Why are they all cheering?’” Cooney laughed. “She’s loving it, too. I don’t think anybody understands why they’re cheering. But they’ll take it.”
It’s how legends are made. After all, when they call your number and everybody smiles, you better run with it.
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