Broncos' Juwaan Winfree Finds Unique Ways to Train During Coronavirus

DENVER (CBS4) - With gyms and NFL facilities closed, Denver Broncos wide receiver Juwaan Winfree has found creative ways to get his workouts in.

"I've been going on hikes," Winfree said. "Trying to run miles up in the mountains. I've been taking boxing classes. Just finding different ways to push myself. Different ways to stay in shape."

But the second-year receiver earns his money by catching passes, so he hired Drew Lieberman, a former college wide receivers coach who travels the country to train the pros.

"I realize how much value I provide for these guys because they don't have a lot of skills coaching in the offseason, but even more so now because they're supposed to be in OTA's (Organized Team Activities) now, Lieberman said.

"There is a lot of learning that's not happening so my value has gotten up even more because I'm trying to simulate that OTA feel. Making sure they have the same amount of progress they normally would be making."

Lieberman, who coached at Rutgers University, runs a website called 'The Sideline Hustle.' It's an online platform that helps coaches, players and fans learn the game of football from the wide receiver position. It's the same knowledge he passes to Winfree who's learning a new playbook under Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur.

"They normally would be in the meeting rooms, then watch film and then they would walk through (the plays). They get the physical reps of learning the new plays. That's what he's missing right now," Lieberman said.

"We were just working different techniques. Working different things and just trying different things out so by the time camp comes, by the time we actually have real reps, we're able to try out these different things I've been learning all offseason," Winfree said.

The two have known each other since Winfree's playing days at the University of Colorado. In 2017, Winfree had one of his best games as a Buff, catching five passes for 163 yards for two touchdowns in the 38-24 loss to USC. The second score that caught coach Lieberman's eye and he talked about the play on Twitter.

"I see this number 9 from Colorado run this slant-go-slant, 'Dino' route and I broke it down and everyone started tagging him like 'Hey this is Juwaan. He's from New Jersey. You should hit him up,'" Lieberman said.

The duo immediately built a bond and immediately went to work. Coach Lieberman trained Winfree through his NFL Combine preparations and up to the 2019 NFL Draft where he was a sixth-round pick by the Broncos.

It didn't take long for them to see the fruit of their labor pay off. Last season, in the Broncos first preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons in the Hall of Fame Game, Winfree caught not only his first touchdown pass as a pro, but also the game-winner on a tipped pass in the fourth quarter. The biggest fan in the stands was Coach Lieberman who drove nine hours from New Jersey to see the game-winning play.

"That's why I coach man. It's to help these guys reach their dreams and Juwaan has all the talent inside of him. We just put in the work to unlock more of that every day and I think his potential is second to none. I think the sky is the limit for him," Lieberman said.

"We want to see each other thrive and be great so it's a friendship that's a tough friendship and hard on each other, but at the same time it's needed," Winfree said.