Five Questions: Polumbus on joining ‘The Drive,’ his NFL journey
Oct 16, 2019, 6:00 AM
Last week, Sports Radio 104.3 The Fan launched the newest iteration of “The Drive,” this time with former Denver Broncos Tyler Polumbus and Nick Ferguson joining forces with Darren “DMac” McKee.
We caught up with Polumbus, the newest addition to The Fan’s on-air staff, to chat about his return to the station, his experience in radio and his interesting NFL journey.
Sports Radio 104.3 The Fan digital producer Johnny Hart: You grew up in Colorado. You went to high school at Cherry Creek. You went to college at the University of Colorado. Heck, you were signed by the Broncos as a college free agent. So, when you moved on to Seattle, what was that feeling like moving away from home for the first time?
“The Drive” co-host Tyler Polumbus: Just one week after leaving Denver and getting traded to Seattle, my first game as a Seahawk was against the Broncos at Mile High. Talk about a weird feeling for a dude who had never left Colorado.
I am incredibly grateful for all of my NFL stops, though. I got to live in some cool places and experience things that I probably never would have if not for the chaos that comes at the time with life in the NFL.
Hart: Many in Broncos Country remember when Gary Kubiak put Peyton Manning in for Brock Osweiler in Week 17 of the 2015 season. But you also subbed in at the same time. What was the huddle like with “The Sheriff’s” return and the subsequent journey to a Super Bowl 50 victory?
Polumbus: Well first off, clearly the fans were giving a standing ovation for me and not Peyton as we ran on the field. I feel bad for stealing that moment from him!
Jokes aside, that was one of the unicorn moments in sports that you live for. Peyton and I entered the huddle, and I don’t know how to explain it but you just looked at everyone’s eyes and we knew we were going to win that game. Peyton Manning just took over the game. He cracked a couple of jokes in the huddle and the guys responded.
Hart: The Seahawks polled its website audience about what was the most iconic play in Seattle’s history. Not surprisingly, it was the “BeastQuake” by a landslide. You were on the field for that play. What do you remember about it?
Polumbus: It is easily the most vivid play in the memory of my NFL career. It will live on forever as one of the greatest runs of all time.
Marshawn (Lynch) broke about 12 tackles, and I ran about 50 yards down the field and was fortunate enough to make the final block on the goal line. The city of Seattle went so nuts that it literally registered on the Richter scale as an earthquake.
Hart: You’re now a radio veteran, but you joined the profession just a few years ago. What do you know now that you wish you could’ve told yourself then?
Polumbus: Fans want levity built into authentic takes. They also want to hear embarrassing stories about yourself. You have to build a show that balances the good stuff with the bad and humor with the serious times. Fans will read through an unauthentic take in a heartbeat.
Hart: What excites you the most about your new role co-hosting “The Drive” alongside DMac and Nick Ferguson?
Polumbus: Everything man. This is the most iconic show in Denver sports radio. My partners are great, the reach of the show is next to none and I love the building in general. All of the on-air personalities together are like a frat. We have a great time.
