In the late-January cold, P.J. Locke thought perhaps he’d made a terrible mistake.

The kind that can end a career or alter quality of life for years to come.

He was a couple of weeks past having lumbar fusion surgery on the L-4 and L-5 vertebrae in his spine, and struggling to do simple tasks.

The Broncos safety couldn’t stand up or sit down without help, couldn’t get in and out of the car, and even had to have his son grab the remote for him if he dropped it.

Doubt lingered.

What if the operation was for nothing?

Locke got concerned enough that he started to dabble in the real estate and construction business his dad built, the world he planned to jump into, but only once his playing days were finished.

“Man, I’m not going to lie. I was nervous for a long time before the procedure

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