Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II has followed in his father’s footsteps as he’s forged a successful career in the NFL.
The Surtain Family Line
Surtain II is not the only successful cornerback in his family. His dad, Patrick Surtain Sr., played 11 seasons at the same position, logging 37 career picks as a three-time Pro Bowler with the Miami Dolphins (1998-2004) and Kansas City Chiefs (2005-2008).
Surtain II attended American Heritage School in Plantation, Fla., and was coached by his father.
“I went to the majority of [my dad’s] games,” Surtain II said. “It was a great experience being out there, watching him play, getting the full experience of the NFL. And that helped me choose football at the end of the day, ’cause I felt like I had a sort of love for it at an early age.”
Surtain II’s father was a source of guidance throughout his football career.
“He had an established career, a great career, actually — three-time Pro Bowler, was a part of one of the great Miami defensive squads back in the day,” Surtain II says. “Just watching him play, his confidence, his swagger, I feel like he brought that down upon me — just teaching me the different levels of the cornerback position.”
Surtain II was a five-star recruit out of high school and committed to play college football at the University of Alabama in 2018.
As a true freshman at Alabama in 2018, Surtain II started 12 games and recorded 37 tackles and an interception. As a sophomore in 2019, he totaled 42 tackles, three forced fumbles, eight pass breakups, two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and one quarterback pressure.
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In 2020, he again returned as a starter at cornerback, earning several preseason All-American honors. He was named as the defensive MVP of the 2021 Rose Bowl and was part of a national championship in his final season with the Crimson Tide.
“The championship [at Alabama] was a bit surreal because we lost my first two years,” Surtain II said. “My freshman year we lost to Clemson, got blown out, and my second year we didn’t even make the playoffs. Then that third year, it was like, ‘OK, maybe it’s time to turn it up a notch. This may be my last year, so it’s about that time to go get me one, go get us one.'”
The Broncos selected Surtain II in the first round, with the ninth overall pick, of the 2021 NFL Draft. On May 18, 2021, Surtain II signed his four-year rookie contract with Denver, worth $20.9 million.
“We knew pretty much after his sophomore year [at Alabama] that he was going to pretty much eclipse me in the draft,” Surtain Sr. said. “That’s something you want as a father, you want your kids to eclipse everything that you did, and he definitely did that [in the NFL Draft].”
Following in his father’s footsteps has provided motivation and some healthy competition for Surtain II.
“The only s— I’ll be talking is who got the better career at the end of the day,” Surtain II said. “It doesn’t matter what round we went in, it just matters what you do when you get the opportunity to play.”
Since being drafted, Surtain II has been a key component of the Broncos defense. In the 2022 season, Surtain started in all 17 games. He finished with 60 total tackles (46 solo), two interceptions, 10 passes defended, and one forced fumble. For his 2022 season, Surtain earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors.
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