A familiar source gave Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham advice before the biggest moment of his football life. Stidham’s former head coach back in Texas at Stephenville High School. Joe Gillespie shared a snippet of their recent phone conversation with The Denver Gazette leading up the AF C Championship game. Gillespie said: “Remember, this game is meant to be fun. I understand the stage that you’re on, and what a wonderful stage. Shucks, you go out there, and you win, who knows what happens after that?” The Broncos host the Patriots at 1 p.m. Sunday at Empower Field with a Super Bowl berth on the line. Stidham was elevated to starting quarterback after Bo Nix suffered a season-ending ankle fracture in the divisional playoff win over Buffalo. Stidham earned the trust of coaches and teammates with behind-the-scenes work ethic and leadership. That’s no surprise to Gillespie. He was there at the very beginning of Stidham’s football journey. “I remember the very first time I ever saw him. I can remember it vividly,” said Gillespie, now the Midway (Texas) High School coach, and a former college defensive coordinator at TCU. “My oldest son was probably in the fifth grade. I went to pick him up from school and there is this neanderthal standing out there waiting to get on the bus. My son stepped in the truck, and I said: ‘Who is the dude back there?’ … He was a foot taller than everybody.” That ‘dude’ was Stidham. A new student turning heads on the football field and basketball court. Gillespie described Stidham as a “phenomenal athlete” with a potential future on the hardwood. Stidham instead turned to his true love to play quarterback at Stephenville. One problem: Stidham entered his sophomore year with another talented QB on the roster with less positional versatility. It forced Gillespie to make a difficult choice. He played Stidham at wide receiver and situationally in the secondary to capitalize on his athleticism. Gillespie sold Stidham on the idea to learn how those position groups think to become a better quarterback. “We kind of went over that with him, and he never batted an eye,” Gillespie recalled. “He said: ‘I want to do whatever is best for us.’” It worked. In 2012, Stephenville went 13-1 and beat El Campo to win the Class 3A Division I state football championship. Stidham scored on a 63-yard touchdown reception. Gillespie said: “There’s absolutely no doubt that we wouldn’t have won a state championship if he wasn’t willing to do that.” Yet it didn’t take long for college coaches at recruiting camps to catch wind of Stidham’s star potential at quarterback. “He was a guy that got a lot of notoriety and a lot of attention,” Gillespie said. “He had five or six big-time offers when he was in high school, the spring of his sophomore year, and he had yet to start a game at quarterback. And they’re offering him as a quarterback. I can remember going: ‘Holy cow, this has gotten bigger than I thought it was going to be.’ “Not one time did he ever beat his chest. Not one time did the head get so big. He knew that he was a very gifted and blessed athlete. … He was a tremendous leader, not only from a play standpoint, but he kept things light and had fun.” Stephenville injuries prevented future state championships with Stidham playing quarterback. He still threw for 5,547 yards over two seasons with 65 passing touchdowns. Stidham also ran for 1,790 yards and 29 rushing touchdowns. ESPN ranked him as the No. 3 ranked dual-threat quarterback in the nation. Stidham’s football journey led him to Baylor and Auburn. The Patriots drafted him in the fourth round. He later joined the Raiders and Broncos. Stidham still made time for his high school coach. “When I was the DC at TCU (in 2022-23), my family and I lived in Aledo,” Gillespie said. “He and his wife and their family built a house in the Aledo area. He would come up to the facility and throw to some receivers. … I got to visit with him a little bit then.” Gillespie is looking forward to watching his former quarterback get the opportunity of a lifetime in the AFC Championship Game against the Patriots. “I don’t know that I’ve ever been a Broncos fan as big as I am right now. We want that all for him. There’s a deep love and relationship,” Gillespie said. “A lot of people sit there and say: ‘Man, what unbelievable circumstances you’re getting put under. The odds are certainly not in your favor.’ … I think that’s a guy that probably thrives on times like this. I’ve gotten to see and witness it when he was a high school player. Now, he’s got an opportunity to go do this. If everything works out, and all the stars align, there’s probably going to be a pretty good movie made out of this in the near future. “Our last talk was: Hey, the game is meant to be fun. Go have fun.” ...read more read less