In the summer of 2021, Taurean York went to a football camp in San Antonio and got some news about his midsection that hit harder than a stomach ache.

York was entering his junior season at Temple (Texas) High School and aspired to earn a scholarship as a linebacker to a Power Four conference program.

“One of the coaches at the camp told him he was a little fluffy around the midsection to be a college linebacker,’’ said Scott Stewart, then the coach at Temple.

So what happened when York returned home after the camp?

“I called his mother (Rebecca) and she said that he’s doing 538 sit-ups at 4:30 in the morning,’’ Stewart said. “I said, ‘Why 538? That a pretty random number.’ Well, 538 was his jersey number at the camp.”

York did end up earning that scholarship he sought, playing at Texas A&M from 2023-25, which included earning third-team All-SEC honors last season. But perhaps 257 is another number York will use for motivation.

That’s how many players were taken in the April 23-25 draft — with York not being among them. Being undersized at 5-foot-10 with short arms is why he most likely was passed over even though some analysts had projected him to go as high as the fourth round.

Shortly after the draft, York agreed to sign with the Broncos. He got the most desirable contract of any Denver college free agent, receiving a signing bonus of $25,000 in addition to having $300,000 guaranteed for 2026 on his three-year minimum deal.

“I wouldn’t say unbelievable but almost unbelievable,’’ York said of not being drafted. “I just felt like when you start 39 straight games (for the Aggies) with no injuries, a two-time captain, and do what I did, it’s like I was going to get drafted. … We had to go to ‘Plan B,’ but there’s nothing wrong with that.”

The inside linebacker took the field at Broncos Park for a May 8-10 rookie minicamp. And on Tuesday, when the Broncos begin organized team activities, York will join veterans on the field.

His father, Robert York, expects his son, who turns 21 on June 21, to be ready.

“Taurean, he’s just a go-getter,’’ he said. “He thrives on all the doubters and the haters that have been telling him the exact same story that he’s undersized. That motivates him.”

Robert York laughed when asked about York doing the 538 sit-ups each day, something that continued even after getting a scholarship to Texas A&M.

“That’s Taurean,’’ he said. “Right after that (San Antonio) camp, he was in the garage at 4 o’clock in the morning working out and making nonbelievers believers. …Taurean is one of those kids that you’ve never seen before. He works out all the time. He watches film all the time. He watches his diet.”

His father said Taurean eats egg whites, wheat bread and lean meats and drinks plenty of water.

“Last season, we went out to eat after a football game and he asked for a Diet Coke, and I got thrown back because I hadn’t seen him drink a soda for years,’’ said Robert York. “But I guess sometimes he can splurge on himself but other than that, he keeps a pretty strict diet.”

Robert York played linebacker at Temple High School and Mary Hardin-Baylor University in Belton, Texas. He now works for the Department of Defense in helping soldiers exit the military and owns and cuts hair at Knuckleheadz Barbershop in Killeen, Texas.

Robert York was his son’s coach from the age of 5 until he entered middle school. As a kid, York played linebacker and running back for the Temple Spartans and then for the Temple Falcons.

When York got to high school, he played just linebacker, and he was good enough to start as a freshman. He was district defensive player of the year from his sophomore through senior seasons.

Stewart, who was Temple’s head coach from 2016-24 and is now assistant head coach at Huntsville (Texas) High School, said York was so dedicated at film study when playing for the Wildcats that he had to make a special request for the linebacker to get film delivered earlier.

“I’ve done this for 28 years (as a coach) and he rewrote the standard as a player,’’ Stewart said. “He thrives on being accountable. He wasn’t going to parties. He was going home to try to figure out how to get better because the whole world had told him he’s going to be too small to play at a high level.

“There’s stories and stories about him. Once, after a game (an opposing coach) said, ‘Hey did you have our signals? Just tell me the truth. My offensive lineman is telling me (York) is out there calling out our plays.’’’

As it turned out, York simply had watched a lot of film on the opponent.

“I’m just somebody who’s just super prepared,’’ York said. “I love football. I’m a football savant. That’s what I tell everybody I talk to. … Something that is amazing is just to see those 22 circles on the board (for offensive and defensive players) and they come to fruition on the film, and that type of stuff gets me going.”

Despite excelling on the field, the only offers from Power Four schools York had received after his junior season were from Baylor and Duke, neither being a consistent winner. After his senior season, Texas A&M came in late and York signed.

“It was kind of the same thing when I went to A&M,’’ said York, comparing not being drafted because of his size to not being highly recruited out of high school. “When I went to A&M, I was the last guy offered, the lowest-ranked guy in my class. Nobody really expected much from me.”

Before York ended up with the Aggies, he was recruited by Jay Bateman, then Florida’s inside linebackers coach.

“We lost a kid late and we kind of went looking for a guy and I loved Taurean’s film, and the people at Florida were like, ‘Oh, he’s too little. He’s too this (or that),’’’ Bateman said.

As it turned out, Bateman was hired as Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach in 2024 and was able to coach York. He is now Kentucky’s defensive coordinator.

“I’m glad I got to coach him for two years,’’ Bateman said. “He’s awesome. He’s really smart. I’ve never coached somebody that impacts the other 10 guys on defense like him with his ability to communicate.”

The 226-pound York had his arm length measured in February at the NFL scouting combine at 30 1/8 inches, about 2 inches shorter than what some consider ideal for the position. Bateman said York has a “shorter body” but that he uses his smarts to know where the ball is and he’s a “powerhouse” when making hits. He believes the Broncos got a “steal” by signing him.

“I think there’s going to be 31 teams that screwed it up,’’ said Bateman, who compared York to 5-foot-10 former NFL star linebacker London Fletcher, who also went undrafted. “I just know he’s going to make the team.”

At Texas A&M, York entered the starting lineup as a freshman and never left. He had 229 tackles in his 39 Aggies games before declaring for the NFL draft with one year of eligibility left.

There was so much confidence York would be selected that his family held a draft party April 25 in Gatesville, Texas. About 150 people showed up to watch the final day of the draft, when rounds four through seven were held.

But York’s name never was announced.

“I told him I loved him and I gave him a hug,’’ Stewart said of when the draft ended. “I said, ‘I can only speak for me, but I promise you nobody is here just to hear your name called. We’re here to celebrate who you are and what you do and how you do it.”’

Robert York didn’t deny there was disappointment when the draft concluded, including with his son.

“I think it hurt everybody in that room that he didn’t get his name called,’’ he said. “Taurean’s not going to show his cards, but I know he was hurt.”

Late in the draft and when it ended, though, Stewart said York got about 20 phone calls from teams wanting to sign him as a free agent. Robert York said other teams that expressed interest included Detroit, Baltimore, Miami and Washington.

Many attendees were still on hand when shortly after the draft York committed to sign with Denver. He put on a Broncos hat and the mood brightened.

“I’m exactly where I belong,’’ York said. “I knew (the Broncos) liked me a lot and I liked them a lot. Obviously, they’re a team that was on the brink of winning the Super Bowl. To be honest with you, what really enticed me was the Broncos pass rush (that produced a team-record 68 sacks in 2025).”

His father didn’t deny he had wanted his son to stay in school for one more season. But he was thrilled when he joined the Broncos.

“My favorite team is actually the Broncos,” he said of having been a fan for more than 30 years. “I just loved the style of (running back) Terrell Davis back in the day (and quarterback John) Elway and (tight end) Shannon Sharpe and those guys. I just fell in love with the Broncos. And one of my favorite players was Peyton Manning. They’ve been my favorite team for decades now.”

Now, Robert York expects his son to end up playing a key role for Denver. While the Broncos appear to be set with starting inside linebackers Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad and are moving Jonah Elliss from outside linebacker for additional depth, his dad said not to sell his son short.

“A lot of people are talking about (York making the) 53-man roster and maybe he can be on special teams and be a backup,’’ he said. “But if you know Taurean, he’s not looking to be on special teams or to be a backup to anybody. He’s coming in to get a spot permanently and that’s how he’s been since the time I started coaching him when he was 5.”

Perhaps if someone on the Broncos tells York he’s still too fluffy in the midsection, that would motivate him even more.