Their eyes lit up when they walked into the room.

Last week, at the Denver Broncos Boys and Girls Club, the 2025 rookie class gathered for community outreach. Players spent time eating lunch, talking and doing activities with a wide age range of kids on summer break. The small gesture was one piece of a bigger plan to provide Broncos’ rookies with local pathways for giving back.

“We saw when we first got in here, all of the kids kind of freaked out,” said Olivia Irving, the team’s manager of community programs and events. “Seeing a large group of guys walk in with jerseys, they know they’re on the Broncos.”

Broncos defensive back Jahdae Barron, the No. 20 overall pick in the NFL draft, played pickup basketball with kids at the team-sponsored Boys & Girls Club in northeast Denver. Barron was among several rookies with a special connection to the nonprofit that provides after-school programs for kids and teenagers.

“I grew up in a Boys & Girls Club,” Barron told The Denver Gazette. “My mom would be at work sometimes, so it’s very beneficial. It’s a nice organization just to help kids engage, still learn, and have fun. To keep them out of trouble, honestly. Being here today kind of reminded me (of that experience). … It’s fun to always give back. We’re football players and we look at it sometimes as everything is so serious.

“To step away from that, enjoy it, and just be a kid again is so much fun.”

It’s also a chance for players new to the Denver area to learn more about their adopted home. The Boys & Girls Club visit marked the second of several charitable outreach visits this summer for Broncos rookies.

“We really make it a point in our rookie programming to get them exposed to the community. Doing it as a class, they can really build those relationships and get exposed to some of our core community partners,” Irving told The Denver Gazette. “Once we get in season, they’ll then have opportunities to join volunteer opportunities or maybe set up things on their own. … Every normal football Tuesday, we will have an opportunity that’s available to the entire roster. Those range from hospital visits, food insecurity, financial literacy and a range throughout the season.”

Rachel Rooney is the senior director of philanthropy for Boys and Girls Clubs of metro Denver.

“We’ve had players that have built really strong relationships,” Rooney told The Denver Gazette. “We’re here in the (Demaryius Thomas) center. ‘DT’ being one of those (players). Justin Simmons was huge in the last few years. … There are other clubs that have some sort of sponsorship, but I don’t think they have the frequency that we do with players. Whether it’s someone coming once, a few times a year, or more frequently and developing specific relationships with the kids.

“It’s also just a reminder to the kids that the Broncos are a team that cares about them.”

The Broncos also provided their rookie class with a workshop from Athletes for Hope, a nonprofit that exposes and educates athletes on different avenues to give back. Barron gave some simple advice for kids and teenagers at Boys and Girls Club.

“They have goals and dreams. I just tell them to keep going,” Barron said. “These kids have me sweating. It’s fun to find people playing pick-up basketball, and they have that competitive nature. They love winning.”