Red Murdock is equally dominant on the football field and in the classroom.

The Broncos’ final pick (No. 257) in the NFL draft — otherwise known as Mr. Irrelevant — now has the diplomas to prove it. Murdock returned to campus this week at the University at Buffalo for a graduation ceremony. The inside linebacker received a master’s degree in educational studies.

Murdock previously graduated magna cum laude in May 2024 with a degree in psychology, and the university said he logged a 3.46 grade-point average. Murdock was on track for a 4.0 GPA in his master’s program. Murdock earned recognition in October as one of 16 national finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy — also known as the academic Heisman Trophy.

Those academic smarts easily translate to football if you ask Pete Lembo.

The Buffalo head coach posted a photo on social media with Murdock on campus before graduation. Lembo captioned the post: “This guy represents everything that’s good about college football!” He spoke with The Denver Gazette in a phone interview.

“Somebody who was less invested may have found a reason not to come back for this,” Lembo said. “It just speaks to Red’s heart and his loyalty. He’s just a man of such impeccable character and making these types of decisions to do the right thing. It just comes so natural to him. It was so cool to have him back and be a part of that.”

The football strengths of Murdock — a bruising 6-foot-2, 232-pound inside linebacker — are well documented. He set the NCAA career record for the most forced fumbles (17). Murdock explained his mindset to create those turnovers during rookie minicamp earlier this month at Broncos Park.

“Intent and pain tolerance. There are a lot of opportunities out there,” Murdock said. “Forcing a fumble isn’t painful, it’s the ones that you miss — and trust me — I’ve missed way more than I have gotten.”

Attention to detail helped define Murdock’s greatness playing over four college seasons at Buffalo.

“He was on time early every morning,” Lembo said. “He would make sure that his mind was right coming into the building. He would make sure that his body was right. Because he was always in such a great frame of mind, he became a very good practice player, and then that translated to being a very productive player in games.”

Murdock’s commitment to education helps explain his rare loyalty to Buffalo. He exploded as a junior with 16.5 tackles for loss and seven forced fumbles playing in the Mid-American Conference. Those numbers certainly drew the attention of bigger programs with deeper NIL pocketbooks. Murdock never wavered.

“I did have opportunities, but I’m big on being a team-first guy,” Murdock said during his NFL draft media call. “That is all that matters to me. Also, I felt like my main thing was being the best player that I can be and winning a MAC championship. I felt like I could have done that when I had those opportunities — so I stayed.”

Lembo recalled Murdock’s decision to stick with Buffalo instead of seeking a bigger payday elsewhere.

“It speaks to his character and his loyalty,” Lembo said. “He was the MVP of our Bahamas Bowl victory to culminate the 2024 season, and he also had his undergraduate degree at that point. … But he still decided to stay. In this day and age, that’s just very uncommon.”

Murdock will compete for a Broncos roster spot at inside linebacker in training camp. The team returns starters Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad. But Dre Greenlaw left in free agency after just one season. Murdock should provide quality depth if he tops Lavelle Bailey, Karene Reid, Taurean York and others on the depth chart.

Yet excellence in the classroom suggests a plan for when his playing days are over.

What does Lembo see in Murdock’s future beyond football?

“He connects so well with people,” Lembo said. “He’s so grounded and authentic and real. He makes great eye contact. He’s an excellent listener. He could be successful in anything.”

Broncos announce stadium manager

The Broncos hired Dan Lolli as general manager of Empower Field at Mile High, the team announced in a news release.

Lolli spent the last 18 years in Major League Soccer overseeing stadium operations for three different clubs: Kansas City, Cincinnati and Columbus. His last role was chief operating officer for Sporting Kansas City (2022-26).

Lolli will now lead day-to-day operations at Empower Field at Mile High. He is replacing Jay Roberts, who accepted a role in stadium operations with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Broncos are expected to leave Empower Field at Mile High following the 2030 NFL season for a planned development at Burnham Yard.