&quot;Some people gradually go through life changes. It seems like I took them all in one shot. I think I struggled with it at first. There&#8217;s a lot
"Some people gradually go through life changes. It seems like I took them all in one shot. I think I struggled with it at first. There's a lot on your plate, a lot of responsibility. You've kind of got people leaning on you. You have to weigh out your responsibilities and deal with them. Being 23 years old, I had to grow up." Tony Scheffler, on starting a family with wife Richelle, who is expecting the couple's first child in March (Post / Glenn Asakawa)



Raised in Chelsea, Mich., a town about 15 minutes from Ann Arbor, 40 minutes west of Detroit, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Tony Scheffler played baseball and football at Western Michigan before he became the Broncos' second-round draft pick this year. His brother, Vince, 25, was a Division III All-America punter at Hope (Mich.) College. Tony, 23, and his wife, Richelle, are newlyweds who have a Newfoundland puppy, Sadie, and are expecting a daughter.

Klis: Time to get personal. Got any hobbies?

Scheffler: I used to be a huge sports card collector. Baseball cards, football cards, basketball cards. I used to be a huge (Michael) Jordan fan, so I probably have over 100 Jordan cards. I haven't done that as much since I started college, but growing up, I mean, huge.

Klis: You wouldn't happen to have a John Lynch card, would you?

Scheffler: I probably do. I guarantee you I have his rookie card. That was an interesting part about getting here. A lot of guys I collected cards and went crazy over when I pulled them from a pack, now all of the sudden I'm in the locker room with a couple of them. John Lynch, Rod Smith, even Champ (Bailey).

Klis: You played college baseball. Was that ever No. 1 in your life?

Scheffler: Basketball was my favorite. Loved basketball. Then baseball. I didn't play football until seventh grade. I didn't play pee-wee or Pop Warner. I actually played travel soccer until I was in seventh grade.

Klis: Wow. Not many soccer players grow up to be 6-5, 250. What position did you play?

Scheffler: I was kind of a chubby younger fella. I was more of a defensive player in my younger days. As I matured, I started playing a wing spot.

Klis: You're an inspiration to overweight boys everywhere.

Scheffler: I was so chubby. My eighth grade to freshman year I grew at least 4 inches, thinned out, lost all my baby fat.

Klis: What was your favorite TV show growing up, or now, for that matter?

Scheffler: I don't watch that many shows. I liked "Saved by the Bell" when I was a kid.

Klis: That's good. See, we like this stuff. Describe your typical summer day as a kid.

Scheffler: We lived about 15 minutes out of town, so it was my parents driving my brother and me into town and meeting up with all the kids to play football, basketball, baseball, you name it.

In college, Tony Scheffler played baseball and football, sometimes lifting weights twice a day to appease different coaches, but that didn&#8217;t keep him
In college, Tony Scheffler played baseball and football, sometimes lifting weights twice a day to appease different coaches, but that didn't keep him from his studies - he carried a 3.63 GPA. (Post / Glenn Asakawa)
We stayed constant in sports. My parents would drive us back and forth every day.

Klis: What was it like playing two sports in college?

Scheffler: It was a lot to handle. There were times when I'd lift with the baseball team at 6 in the morning, go lift with the football team because my coaches weren't seeing eye-to-eye. So I pulled double duty in the weight room. Then I'd go to football practice in the spring and baseball practice after that. So there were some days when I was struggling to get from point A to point B on time.

Klis: Yet, you left there with a 3.63 GPA and one class away from your degree in marketing. How did you do your homework?

Scheffler: At night. It kept me out of trouble.

Klis: I remember watching your cousin, Steve Scheffler, play at Purdue and a little bit in the NBA.

Scheffler: He's like a second or third cousin. I don't know him that well. I met him a couple of times. I followed his career a little bit.

Klis: Coming out of high school, did you have any options other than Western Michigan?

Scheffler: It was basically all the MAC schools. It was tough because I grew up 15 minutes from the University of Michigan. I was a diehard Michigan fan. They recruited me in high school and then they dropped me about halfway through my senior year. So I turned into an Ohio State-Michigan State fan right away. That's kind of what got me through college. I was bitter, wanted to show them.

Klis: Did you have some adversity in college where that bitterness carried you through?

Scheffler: My sophomore year, I shattered my collarbone, against Michigan State, first game of the year. The true freshman that stepped in for me (Tyson DeVree) wound up a second-team freshman All-American. So then he and I kind of fought for the position the next year. I won it back, and he wound up transferring to Colorado.

Klis: He didn't play much for CU this year as a senior. Why did he transfer?

Scheffler: There was a rumor I would receive a sixth year of eligibility because of my collarbone. So he thought I would get that and he wouldn't be playing. I wound up not getting it. I applied for it, but I didn't really push it.

Klis: Why do you think Michigan pulled the rug out?

Scheffler: I don't know. I went to their camp, the same invite camp with Braylon Edwards. I wasn't fast enough, I guess. I was a wide receiver then. And I got a lot faster in college. I ran a 4.8 (40-yard dash) coming out of high school and I was a 4.54 at the combine.

Klis: Jay Cutler, Domonique Foxworth, other Broncos draft picks, they all said the Broncos never talked to them until the minute they were drafted. Were you just as surprised?

Scheffler: No, I was out here the week before, met with Coach (Tim) Brewster. They were pretty upfront with me and told me there was a good chance they would take me at that pick. I talked to a lot of teams, and they all said some things but they all fell through. The Broncos were the only ones who held to their word.

Broncos wallpaper


The Scheffler file

  • 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end

  • Drafted by the Broncos in the second round (61st overall) out of Western Michigan in April.

  • Has 13 receptions for 206 yards and two touchdowns this season.

  • Has started three games this season.

  • Set a school record at Western Michigan with 57 receptions for 670 yards his senior season.
