NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
Memorial Day weekend is quickly approaching for Garett Bolles.
The Denver Broncos offensive lineman has military roots, as his grandfather fought in the Korean War. But this bank holiday weekend will be the first without her grandfather, who died earlier this year.
But earlier this month, Bolles partnered with USAA in Colorado Springs for an event bringing together more than 50 local veterans who served in the Vietnam and Korean wars, all of whom will travel with the Honor Flight of Southern Colorado for a trip to Washington, D.C., this weekend. The veterans, many of whom have never made the trip to the nation’s capital, will all visit monuments across Washington.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Garett Bolles #72 of the Denver Broncos returns to the block during the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on January 25, 2026. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
A strong advocate for our military, Bolles spent time with each of the veterans to hear their stories, honor their service and join them in solemnly remembering those with whom they served and who lost their lives in combat.
“It’s truly an honor and a blessing. Letting them be recognized – just being there, getting to know them, loving them unconditionally and showing them my support – has truly meant the world to me,” Bolles told PK Press Club Digital. “The smiles and facial expressions I saw on these men and women were simply priceless. Priceless moments that I will remember for the rest of my life.
“I told each one of them as I shook their hands that they were the real heroes. I’m just wearing a helmet and a jersey and they’re cheering for me, but it’s these people that are truly making a difference in our world. These men and women are literally risking their lives on a regular basis just to make us safer at home and to allow us to live in a free country. How grateful and proud we should be to truly understand that, it’s remarkable. It’s truly amazing what these men and women are doing for us.”
Bolles is a self-proclaimed history buff who “loves[s]”learn about wars.
“Not because of what happened, but because of the fascinating stories and things behind the wars that we endured and went through and experienced in the United States military,” Bolles added.
Which is why, for the 6’5″, 300 pound gentle giant who actually wanted to be a Navy SEAL growing up, coming face to face with those who lived it is the ultimate gift.
Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles walks on the field after the team’s victory against the Carolina Panthers at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA points out typos in OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD: “DISRESPECTFUL”
“The great thing is, when you talk to these people, when you open them up, when you ask them about their family, when you ask them about their better half, their wife, these people are real,” recalls an emotional Bolles. “These are real people with real stories, real backgrounds and real battle scars. These people are not just Joe Schmo. Many of them come from broken homes. Many of them come from single parents. Many of them grew up in foster care…
“These people are part of our history. These people are part of who we are and how we can wake up every day and see the blue sky, the sun, the trees and a house. We can drive a car to work. All of these things that we can do are because of the people who sacrificed their lives for us. Without these people, we couldn’t go to school. We wouldn’t be free. We wouldn’t be able to eat what we want, when we want, how we want, or talk the way we want We would not be able to stand on a platform and express our opinions. Without all of this, the United States of America would be nothing…
“There are so many toxic things in this world right now that we really need to understand the importance of Memorial Day. We live in a country where people have bled for us and died for us, and we need to be grateful for the small and simple things because we have lost track of what’s important.”
Being around military veterans is easy motivation for Bolles, who was named to the All-Pro first team for the first time in his nine-year career last season. His Broncos fell short in the AFC title game after Bo Nix was injured the previous week, and the snow took its toll, “but really, we just failed.”
Now, after enduring seven straight losing seasons to start his career, Bolles has tasted success and is “super hungry” for the full meal.
Garett Bolles speaks to veterans at a recent USAA event. (USAA)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PK Press Club APP
“There’s a reason we didn’t bring in certain people during the free agency period, when everyone wanted to panic and say, ‘What’s going on?’ That’s because we have a special locker room. This has nothing to do with the need for key parts. We just have a special locker room with special people in it, and when you bring the wrong guys in, it destroys that and becomes a toxic environment. You can’t win football matches in a toxic environment. Believe me, I did this for seven years,” Bolles said.
“The Denver Broncos are full of winners. They’re full of dogs. We have a culture that’s really tough to beat. There are so many other teams across the country that want to see what we do and how we do it – how we train, how we take care of our bodies. We’re building a brand new facility with a world-class training facility. You can’t beat it. Our ownership is incredible, we have the best general manager in football, we have the best head coach, we have the best coaches under his team, I’m just grateful to be a Denver Bronco and I’m excited for the upcoming season.”
