Devaughn Vele calls Jonah Elliss ‘Mayor of Sack Lake City’

The wide receiver discusses becoming a Bronco, shares endearing nickname of Utah teammate.

The Denver Broncos have drafted Devaughn Vele, a 26-year-old wide receiver that was “too talented to pass up” according to head coach Sean Payton himself.

Vele, a fellow Utah alum with OLB Jonah Elliss, was selected no. 235 overall in the seventh round of the draft, launching him into a career that he’s been dreaming off since he was a kid.

Joining the Broncos wasn’t a shock to Vele, who says that he and the team were in “constant communication.”

“They’ve been talking to me. I kind of kept it in the back of my mind that this was a potential spot,” he admitted, So hearing my name, having that call given to me, it was super exciting. I’m just excited to be a Bronco.”

As Vele waited for his name to be called, he was acutely aware of his age and how it may affect his likelihood of being drafted. Ultimately, though, he knew that production was most important to this business. He posed the question, “If you can play at the end of the day, does it matter how old you are?”

“As long as you can contribute to the team and help them win, you are going to be able to see the field,” he continued, “I understood that was going to be the thing going into the draft. Any team that took a chance on me despite my age, I was going to be grateful to them. I am going to give them 110 percent.”

Shifting the focus from getting drafted despite his age, Vele noted some advantages he brings to the table because of his age and life experience.

“I feel like I have that sense of maturity where teams won’t have to worry about me, on-or off-the-field issues,” he shared, describing things that he learned while serving a two-year mission in Samoa with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “I feel like that is going to help me have that sense of maturity to be coachable and also be humble in the standings of wherever they need me to contribute for the team.”

Asked about getting to play with Utah teammate OLB Jonah Elliss again, Vele insisted, “They’re getting the ‘Mayor of Sack Lake City’,” revealing that he earned the nickname by getting sacks all the time.

“He’s a heck of a player,” Vele went on, “I was super excited for him, and it’s awesome to be reunited with him and bringing that Utah culture to Broncos [Country].”