To sum up the story of current Denver Broncos starting quarterback Trevor Siemian's football career, you have to look back — all the way back to Nov. 8, 2014.
That's when Siemian was a senior at Northwestern on the verge of upsetting Big Ten rival Michigan at home. It was Siemian's first year stepping into the limelight, finally grabbing ahold of a starting job he'd spent the previous two years platooning with fellow quarterback Kain Colter, a player more famous for attempting to unionize college athletes than for his gridiron exploits.
SEE ALSO:Patriots coach Bill Belichick has had it with Microsoft Surface tabletsA win over Michigan on Nov. 8 would have been a huge check for Siemian's thin college résumé -- and, at first, it seemed as if that would happen. He connected on a touchdown pass with three seconds left in the game, but rather than tie it and go into overtime, the Wildcats opted to go for two points and the win. So, Siemian took the snap, rolled right and ... fell on his butt. (Really, watch the highlight at 0:40 below.)
Michigan won. The Wildcats fell back into relative obscurity. Moreover, the game provided a long-winded metaphor for Siemian's career: one spent constantly within shouting distance of greatness, but so often spent falling inches short.
Which is why it's so odd we find ourselves where we are today. Trevor Siemian — a longshot by any standard to make it onto a professional roster, so much so that he reportedly debated going into commercial real estate after college instead of pursuing football — not only made it to the NFL. He's currently the starting quarterback of the defending Super Bowl champions -- in just his second year, no less.
It's a scenario so farfetched it became one of the NFL's biggest punchlines come the start of the start of the season.
But, minus missing two weeks to a shoulder injury, Siemian's play has actually been impressive, leading the Broncos to a 3-1 record in games he's started. He's gone from third-string back-up to touchdown-tossing machine in record time, even if it took a bionic neck and a green-eyed back-up to get there. And the more he plays, the more he looks like a guy worthy of starting under center in the NFL.
It's a bit of an understatement to say this kind of thing doesn't happen. Siemian was selected six picks from the end of the 2015 NFL Draft. Late-round quarterbacks not named Tom Brady often have a tough time making rosters in the NFL, let alone a starting gig. So how did we get here?
An underdog's rise
Northwestern quarterback Trevor Siemian (13) smiles as he celebrates with cornerback Joe Cannon after Northwestern defeated Notre Dame 43-40 in overtime on Nov. 15, 2014.Credit: APSiemian played four years at NU, but his Northwesternian tendencies of throwing the ball into turf or to someone not wearing purple often created more headaches than cheers.
Splitting time with Colter in 2012 and 2013 cut his reps in half, but Siemian's arm strength and awareness often drew praise by coaches when he did see the field. And there were definitely flashes of greatness.
In 2013, Siemian threw for 120 yards and ran for a touchdown against Mississippi State to help Northwestern to win its first bowl game since 1949. And in 2014, Siemian threw for 284 yards and a score to topple No. 18 Notre Dame in overtime. They're hardly moments to brag to NFL GMs about, but just enough to turn heads.
The Broncos took a chance on Siemian in the final round of the 2015 NFL Draft, despite him tearing his ACL during the second-to-last game of his senior season, which alone would have been enough for most NFL teams to look the other way. But Siemian waited on the Broncos bench for a year before skyrocketing up the depth chart following soon-to-be Hall of Famer Peyton Manning's retirement and the decently mediocre Brock Osweiler bolting for Houston as a free agent this past off-season.
Siemian hasn't looked back. Take his game against the Bengals on Sept. 25 for example. He tossed a season-best four touchdowns and 312 yards, all while looking like the second coming of Denver football legend John Elway himself, his most impressive throws coming on a 41-yard arching touchdown bomb to Emmanuel Sanders and a 55-yard heave to Demaryius Thomas for a score.
"Obviously going in, nobody really knew about him," Sanders told reporters after the game. "Now everybody's starting to talk about him. He's always calm, cool and collected, even in the fourth quarter. You should have seen the way he took command in the huddle."
It's a far cry from what anyone could have imagined, especially for a guy who threw a pick on his first series in the NFL. But Siemian continues to impress on a team that could very well be bound for back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. In the NFL's current cutthroat quarterback market, he may not end up being the long-term solution in Denver, but the fact that he's had this much success so fast is a feat in its own.
In fact, Monday night he'll square off against Osweiler, the Broncos' former successor under center, when Denver hosts the Texans on Monday Night Football. It's Osweiler's departure this off-season that paved the way for Siemian's surprise success story, and now he has an opportunity to outshine his former teammate.
All of which sounds a helluva lot better than selling office space in suburban Chicago, and a just a tad bit crazy with everything considered.
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