CSU-Pueblo’s Retzlaff and Browning team up for historic season
CSU-Pueblo receiver Reggie Retzlaff is a monster. He's a big reason The Pack have won nine straight games heading into their playoff opener. Retzlaff's journey has been remarkable, and many have been a part of it; including former T-Wolves legend Paul Browning.
Retzlaff set school records for career catches, yards, and touchdowns. It was Browning's records he broke. Browning had a front row seat, as he's currently CSU-Pueblo's wide receivers coach.
Before he was a coach, Browning helped CSU-Pueblo to the 2014 national championship, and ended up signing with the NFL's Cleveland Browns and later Carolina Panthers as a practice squad player.
"I had no idea he'd be that I would run into that guy and I would have something to do with him - let alone - I mean, he was already playing at such a high level. If you are in the area and you haven't seen regular press staff play football yet, you kind of you should come down to a football game and watch it," Browning says.
"When he became the receiver coach, I was already pretty close to him," Retzlaff recalls. "And even last season when I was getting close to the touchdowns one (record) he was in my ear was like, You better do it here. I rely on him a lot for stuff on the field and off the field. And so it's just been a really great relationship for me to have to grow throughout the last year and a half now."
"He makes the catches that he's not supposed to make," Browning says. "You know, he goes up and makes some really difficult grabs. I know. I think to myself, like, I don't know if I would have been able to make some of those catches. He's the new G.O.A.T... When you get an opportunity to be around a like minded individual like this, I know I see a lot in myself of how I played the game and the person I am. I do see some of that in him."
Retzlaff is actually tied for the school record in catches with his teammate Zack Rakowsky. Both of them setting the record while playing under coach Browning.
"When were coming to hire a receivers coach, like they asked us like who we thought would be great. All of us, me and Zach were on the table and said, No, we want PB and stuff like that. And we couldn't be happier that they gave us the opportunity to put our input in, and we're even happier that it's worked out that the way it has."
There's still one more thing they can achieve together: a national championship.
"Nobody can ever take it away from you," says Browning. "And I think you to put an absolute stamp on his career. I think it put a stamp on the career of all the guys who came here and played."
"We have the guys on our team to give ourselves a shot to do it," Retzlaff says. "And really, it just comes down to playing our best ball when it's time to play our best ball. "
