“I learned that I’m a dawg that any adversity given to me imma get through it.” After 11 months of grit, grind, and quiet prayers, Spencer Danielson’s starting running back is not shying away from the spotlight. And if his words are any indication, he’s not here to play it safe. He’s here to take over. “God got me,” the 6’0, 193-pound RB exuded confidence as he took over the turf following months of recovery. It was after 11 months, “grinding in the dark,” that he put the pads on and stepped up to the Broncos’ fall camp.

Boise State star WR Ashton Jeanty left for the NFL— specifically for the Las Vegas Raiders —leaving behind a void at Albertsons Stadium. His successor? Well, Sire Gaines is touted to be his replacement. Following a season-ending injury, a mild soft-tissue injury, he has returned. Although he couldn’t participate in the first two practices at the fall camp, he has bounced back stronger than ever, with his head high and his faith intact.

“It’s not pressure cuz I embrace it,” Gaines oozed confidence after wrapping up the drills, as he sat before the media (per Broncos Nation News), filling in the shoes of Jeanty. Jeanty had a historic run at Boise State, rushing 1,893 yards as he led the Broncos to their first-ever CFP appearance. Not just that, he further broke the school record set by Jay Ajayi in 2014 (1,823 yards).  Now, Gaines is rising to carry the torch, embracing the road ahead with confidence. “Everything that he had, I won’t, you know, all the carries, everything. Just allowed me to do my best for this team because it’s the team first, I’m second. So, every pressure it is, I’m embracing it and I want it,” Gaines added.

Looking up at the former Boise State star last season, he took detailed notes. When asked that “Ashton had 397 touches last year, and he was available for every game. What did you learn by just kind of watching that about what it takes between game day to make sure you’re ready to go for game day?” Sire Gaines replied that the key to success lies in consistency, persistence, and taking care of your body.

“He just took care of his body;  I really watched Ash, and I really talked to him outside of when he had a game, and it looked like, you know, he was banged up injury. I was talking to, ‘Hey, how you feel?’ He was banged up, but he kind the first one in the training room.” And that’s the persistence of a hard-working player who stacked up the Maxwell Award and the Doak Walker Award in his back pocket. Not to forget that he finished up as a runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting and much more. And much to Spencer Danielson’s delight, Sire Gaines is named to the Doak Walker award wishlist.

“He the first one out of practice, first one in practice in the training room. You got to live in a trainer room. You want to be elite in this game of football, college, and NFL, you got to take care of your body. Your body’s your business,” Gaines learned from the former Broncos star. And he is stepping up. His presence at the Fall camp saw to that.

Spencer Danielson’s RB Sire Gaines bounces back

Last season, Sire Gaines ran for 156 yards, scored one touchdown on 20 carries before suffering a season-ending injury. But his recovery regimen, including “a gallon of electrolytes, stretching, lifting, and clean eating,” helped him get back and prepare for the turf.

“He’s in the right headspace; He knows he’s going to play football when football comes around. He’ll be great,” QB Maddux Madsen exuded confidence in his running back. Gaines was bubbling with excitement after running the drills. He was glad to be back on the field, surrounded by coaches, teammates, and raw fuel to keep the adrenaline going. “Man, it was so much fun, man. Just seeing the old line happy, the receivers happy, seeing the coaches happy. It just the energy all around just felt great just being out there because I miss the team. Yes, I miss playing football, but I miss being out there with the team.”

Even Danielson compared Gaines to Jeanty. “Sire Gaines is very similar to Ashton in that he’s wired the right way; He’s just relentless, and that’s the mentality he brings.” After topping the charts at the Mountain West Conference for two straight seasons and a playoff appearance last season, let’s see how Sire Gaines and the team keep up with Ashton Jeanty’s legacy.