London game is special homecoming for Broncos punter Corliss Waitman

LONDON – When Denver Broncos players scan the throngs of fans filing into historical Wembley Stadium connected Sunday, punter Corliss Waitman volition beryllium the 1 to find the astir acquainted faces.

“It volition beryllium a small weird," Waitman said. “OK, a batch weird. Of each the things I thought could hap successful football, I’m not definite I would person said I’d beryllium backmost successful Europe, with truthful galore friends and household coming to spot maine play a crippled I didn’t truly cognize thing astir until I was successful precocious school. That isn't thing I could person predicted."

Waitman, 27, was calved successful Belgium and lived successful the Netherlands until helium moved with his begetter to Florida to be precocious school. He holds dual citizenship successful the Netherlands and United States.

“I had to inquire them which passport they wanted erstwhile it was clip to get acceptable for this trip," helium said.

The Broncos, who past played astatine Wembley successful 2010, volition look the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday astatine 9:30 a.m. ET, streaming exclusively connected ESPN+. Waitman purchased 18 tickets for friends and family, including his parent Aldolphine, who lives successful Amsterdam and hasn’t seen Waitman play successful an NFL crippled successful person.

It each volition beryllium a connect-the-dots infinitesimal Sunday for a subordinate who has spent clip with 4 teams implicit the past 2 years -- the Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots and present the Broncos -- and been waived 4 times.

The Broncos claimed him disconnected waivers successful February and helium won a conflict for the occupation erstwhile seasoned Sam Martin suffered a preseason ankle wounded and wouldn't instrumentality a wage cut. With the Broncos lone scoring 8 touchdowns each season, they person kept Waitman busy. He's presently tied for the league pb successful punts (39) and leads successful punts downed wrong the 20-yard enactment (18).

“Corliss is idiosyncratic that is truly talented," Broncos wide manager George Paton said. “ ... He has the large leg, lefty, and we conscionable thought helium had [a] unsocial operation of hangtime, directional, precise bully athlete, precise bully holder."

Waitman’s father, Jose, played nonrecreational hoops successful Europe for 15 seasons and was the MVP of the Dutch leagues successful 1986-87. Waitman lived successful the Netherlands with his parent until his begetter returned to the United States and settled successful Pensacola, Florida.

Jose Waitman died from complications from a changeable successful 2013, astatine 49, and Waitman lived with his gramps until helium went to play shot astatine South Alabama University.

“I didn’t truly bash overmuch with shot erstwhile I was successful Europe," Waitman said with a laugh. “I was each astir shot and hoops and immoderate track. But Michael Vick, for immoderate reason, was immense past successful Europe, oregon astatine slightest wherever I was. So everybody it seemed similar knew the Falcons backmost then.

“I was tense to move, you didn’t cognize what precocious schoolhouse was going to beryllium similar successful the U.S., it was truly lone what I had seen successful the movies, Like the ‘Breakfast Club’ oregon something, conscionable what you saw connected the movies. So, erstwhile you’re a teenager, you don’t know, was it similar bullies and the jocks battling each the clip similar successful the movies?’’

It didn’t instrumentality agelong for Waitman to observe the diversion pecking bid either. Football was king. When Waitman arrived arsenic a sophomore helium started disconnected by handling immoderate kickoff duties for the Milton High School shot squad earlier being named an all-state punter his elder year.

“Soccer is conscionable the No. 1 athletics successful Europe, cipher I knew played thing other really," Waitman said. “Then I determination to Florida, shot wasn’t truly a happening erstwhile I was successful precocious school, it was a batch much casual and I wasn’t utilized to that. ... It conscionable looked much superior to me, but I was playing basketball, shot and immoderate track, truthful didn’t truly spell each the mode into it until my elder twelvemonth erstwhile they needed a kicker.’’

That led him to South Alabama wherever his begetter had played basketball. Toss successful the quirky odyssey of a punter oregon kicker trying to carve retired a spot successful the NFL, which is often aggregate years of an assortment of workouts and Waitman said “I’ve been benignant of retired connected my ain since college.’’

His 10-punt extravaganza successful the Broncos’ Week 3 triumph implicit the San Francisco 49ers included six landing wrong the 49ers’ 20-yard enactment and 4 wrong the San Francisco 13-yard enactment arsenic helium was named AFC peculiar teams subordinate of the week. His fiery coach, Dwayne Stukes, has said helium has to support Waitman from being excessively assertive astatine times.

"At times helium gets greedy, and it mightiness beryllium maine trying to propulsion him a small bit, saying we decidedly request this shot wrong of the 10-yard line," Stukes said.

When the NFL released the 2022 play docket successful May, Waitman ran his digit down the Broncos' calendar and saw “London’’ and “Wembley Stadium’’ adjacent to Oct. 30.

“It benignant of deed maine then, conscionable looking astatine the schedule, if I tin somehow, immoderate way, marque the team, I could play successful beforehand of my family, a batch of my friends,’’ Waitman said. “And present it is."