In 13 days, on May 26, Nolan Laufenberg will graduate from the United States Air Force Academy.

“There won’t be a dry eye in that stadium,” his mother, Staci, said.

But before Laufenberg graduates and his mom inevitably cries, he must first attend Broncos rookie minicamp this weekend. Laufenberg, a 6-foot-4, 312-pound offensive lineman, signed with Denver after going undrafted in April. It was only a couple of years ago that football wasn’t necessarily in his future.

He was set to be an acquisitions officer in the United States Space Force.

After a policy change in 2018 that allowed athletes attending military academies to go pro immediately, combined with a couple of impressive seasons on the field at Air Force, Laufenberg’s dream of playing in the NFL started to become a reality.

“I felt like I was kicking some butt in high school so I wanted to keep doing that. And then I felt like I had a really good college career here at Air Force,” Laufenberg told The Gazette. “You never know when you’re going to be done with football and fortunately, I’ve had the chance to keep going. I’m going to live that dream out as long as I can.”

Laufenberg will be competing with several other rookies and young veterans to make Denver’s 53-man roster this offseason. And while he may not have been drafted, it wouldn’t be a shock if Laufenberg made the team or practice squad.

Coming from an athletic family, with his dad playing football and his mom playing volleyball both at the University of Iowa in the 90s, Laufenberg has always been athletically gifted. He was a three-sport athlete at Castle View High School in Castle Rock, learning under former NFL offensive lineman Tom Ashworth, who served as his position coach. And he was a three-year starter at left guard at Air Force, becoming the program’s first offensive lineman to be named to the All-Mountain West’s first team twice (2019, 2020) since the program began conference play in 1980.

“Every kid grows up wanting to play in the NFL,” said Laufenberg’s dad, Doug. “But I don’t think it really became a realization that he could do it until his sophomore of college at the Academy.”

Now, he’s hoping to continue his football journey for his hometown team.

“He grew up a Broncos fan,” Doug said. “I think everyone is rooting for him.”

And what a great story that would be — a kid born and raised in Colorado, who played college football in Colorado and who could soon be on Colorado’s favorite team.

“It’s hard to describe it,” Staci said. “To see him have the ability physically and from a career perspective to have the opportunity to go play in the NFL — less than a percent of kids get to live out that dream and whether it’s for two months or 5-10 years, it’s incredible.”

Laufenberg was born March 25, 1999, at Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, which is now only 11 miles from the Broncos’ team facility in Dove Valley.

It wasn’t much longer until Laufenberg found his way onto the football field, playing at age 5, despite the age limit being 6.

“He actually started bawling when we said he couldn’t play,” said Doug, who played outside linebacker for Iowa from 1989-93. “One of the coaches overheard the conversation, saw how big Nolan was and said ‘He can play up.’ So we signed him up.”

Laufenberg became quite the athlete before attending Castle View High School, where he played football, basketball and baseball. He particularly stood out on the football field as a three-year starter, but also on the baseball diamond where he put most of his attention before his senior year.

“We never pushed him in any direction,” Staci said. “He played summer baseball and really competitive baseball all the way through his junior year. And then going into his senior year, that’s when he decided to go the football route. So we probably should have spent a couple of those summers going football camps.”

Laufenberg had only a couple of offers to play Division I football, receiving mostly Division II and III offers, along with some Ivy League offers. Wanting to play Division I and coming from a family that has had several members serve in the military, he chose to attend Air Force.

“I just felt like it was the best opportunity for me not only from a football standpoint but also a life standpoint,” Laufenberg said. “You never know when football’s going to end and you can’t really ask for a better position to be in, leaving a school like that, in order to succeed in life without football.”

Laufenberg went to be one of the most decorated offensive linemen in Air Force history, after helping Air Force to a combined 19-12 record during his three seasons as a starter, including an 11-2 junior season in which Air Force led the country in rushing. It was then that Laufenberg realized he could play at the next level and he showed that his pro day in March, with an impressive 29.5 vertical jump and 5.34-second 40yard dash at 312 pounds.

But it’s off the field is where his parents are most proud of him, as he’s grown into the man they hoped he’d become. And the traits he’s learned at Air Force — particularly leadership — won’t go unnoticed by the Broncos staff.

“As a football player and a man, he’s grown up a lot since Castle View High School,” Doug said. “Obviously, the military will do that for you. I wish I could put it into words, but Staci and I couldn’t be any more proud of him. He’s gone beyond anything we thought he could accomplish.”

Laufenberg had two other offers from NFL teams after going undrafted. One from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and another from the Los Angles Chargers.

But ultimately, the Broncos made the most sense for several reasons, including the Broncos’ need for depth on the offensive line and the opportunity to be close to home.

“I just felt like it was a really good opportunity for me to come into this system and try to make an impact and try to make a roster and maybe get in that lineup,” Laufenberg said. “I felt like it was a really good opportunity for me here kind of with the way the roster sits right now. And along with that, kind of the support system that I’ve kind of come accustom to here, it’s just really nice to have and it was hard to pass up, knowing that I have that here with me currently. The whole community here definitely has my back.”

Laufenberg has an uphill battle ahead of him, with the Broncos drafting offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz in the third round and bringing in several other offensive linemen either through free agency or tryouts to compete this offseason. He’ll also be fighting the stigma that surrounds offensive linemen who played in a triple-option offense in college — few are drafted because of their lack of experience in pass protecting.

The new military policy allows Laufenberg five years to prove people wrong before having to return to the Air Force or pay off the cost of leaving. Though, he said if the NFL doesn’t work out, he’d have no problem working for the Space Force.

But Laufenberg isn’t worried about any of that.

“Right now, I’m focused on trying to be in that position to make the team,” Laufenberg said. “I’m going to give it everything I’ve got.”

And if he makes the team? Well, the dream continues.

“If I’m blessed enough and work hard enough to get there — it would mean a whole lot. I’m not sure I have the words, to be honest,” Laufenberg said. “To be able to do it for the hometown team? That’d be insane, growing up with Broncos fans all around you, being a Broncos fan yourself — it’d be a dream come true.”