Mr. Bruton

From The Denver Post:


Broncos safety David Bruton walked through the doors of his high school alma mater Friday with a new look and a new title.

Mister.

Armed with the bachelor's degree he earned from Notre Dame in 2009, Bruton has turned to substitute teaching to help fill his days in Miamisburg, Ohio, his hometown.

Bruton applied for and received a one-year substitute teacher's license from the Ohio Department of Education, clearing him to take short-term assignments in classrooms for students in kindergarten through high school.

"I'm just trying to keep busy," Bruton said, "and it's nice to be able to give back to my community."
His first call came May 12 to split time between two second-grade classes in an elementary school in the Dayton suburb. He was called again Friday, this time to teach social studies and a credit-recovery class — for students who have fallen behind — at Miamisburg High School, where he graduated in 2005.

Bruton went to the gym to lift weights for an hour before showing up for duty, wearing a tie — even though it was casual Friday for school employees — and his eyeglasses.

"He was very professional," said Tim Lewis, Bruton's prep football coach and an administrator at the high school. "He looked like he was completely in control, like he'd done it before."

Bruton received $90 for each day in the classroom, about $10 per hour. Not exactly NFL money.
Bruton, a fourth-round pick in the 2009 draft, didn't decide to teach for the money. He was growing bored during the months off from football. He was spending more than an hour a day in the weight room, trying to bulk up, and spending time with his 5-year-old son, Jaden, but still found himself with plenty of free time.

Rather than return to Denver to train, Bruton decided to remain in Ohio during the NFL lockout in order to be with his son, who lives in Miamisburg year-round with Bruton's former girlfriend.

"I got the playbook, I study. But I don't get much time with Jaden during the season, so I want to spend as much time with him now as I can," Bruton said.

Lewis, who remains the Miamisburg head coach, nudged Bruton in the direction of substitute teaching.
All Bruton needed to get his license, which he received April 22, was a college degree — he graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in political science — and good references.

"I told him, 'Imagine how much fun you're going to have,' " Lewis said.

It certainly has been fun.

Bruton taught the second- graders math and social studies, but also took them outside to play kickball. He started the day incognito, but at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, it wasn't long before the kids figured out what Bruton usually does for a living.

Not that he minded too much.

"Sometimes I would have to bribe them. 'If you don't behave, you don't get an autograph,' " Bruton said.
Bruton is 23 and hopes to have a long NFL career, but his days in the classroom have taught him that he could have a career as a teacher after he's done playing football. He also is considering law school and specializing in family law or going into social work when his football days are over.

The school year is almost over, so Bruton soon will be back to being just another locked-out NFL player.

He's hoping to get at least one more day in the classroom, possibly teaching physical education at the high school this week.

"I love kids," Bruton said. "I'm just a big kid at heart."