It's An SMU Reunion In Broncos' Wide Receiver Room

By Romi Bean

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - It's an SMU reunion in the Broncos' wide receiver room.

Courtland Sutton, who was drafted by the Broncos on Friday, joins former Southern Methodist University star Emmanuel Sanders in Denver.

And the two go way back -- sort of.

In 2006, Sanders set the record for touchdowns scored by a freshman at SMU.

In 2014, Courtland Sutton came along and tied it.

"He and I both have a lot of records at SMU. He actually tweeted saying he was happy I was leaving so he could keep some of his records in tact over there," Sutton said.

It's not just college records the two share. They have the same tenacity and excitement, and both figured out how to make a big name for themselves despite being at a smaller, private school.

Now that he's made it to the NFL, Sutton is looking to Sanders to show him the way.

"I'm picking his brain on what he does in the offseason and during in the year. Asking him about taking care of your body -- all those things are new playing in 16 plus games a season. And those things will make me last in the NFL. As a young guy we get told work, work, work ... sometimes we need to recover. He helped me understand when to work, how to work, and also when to recover," Sutton said.

As Sutton continues to learn all he can from Sanders, former Boston College teammates Isaac Yiadom and Justin Simmons are picking up where they left off now that Yiadom was drafted by the Broncos.

"Justin's like my big brother. When I first went to college he hosted me. I know if I have questions I can ask. He'll help me on and off the field. And I know he has high expectations for me, so I can never go under the bar. I know he's looking at me and everybody else ... Justin doesn't complain about anything, he just goes out there, shuts his mouth and does his job."

"It's the same path I try take. When you're a young guy you look up to the starters. He was a starter my freshman and sophomore year. My sophomore year I got to start with him. We had the best defense in the country that year. I was thankful to be part of something special and have a leader like Justin Simmons on my team," Yiadom said.

I don't think it's a coincidence that these rookies already have relationships with current Broncos. At first glance, they strike me at the type of rookie class with the potential to be great. They just seem to get what it means to be a Denver Bronco.

Romi Bean is a sports anchor and reporter at CBS4. Connect with Romi on Twitter @Romi_Bean.