Tuesday Morning Cheerleader: Romi Bean of the Denver Broncos

By Steve Mazzucchi
Esquire

After a late-night blowout to Pittsburgh, a Broncos pom-pom shaker discusses what to read, where to ski, and how losing can sometimes be a good thing.



Perhaps it was only a matter of time. After conquering off-season controversy and galloping to a 6-0 start, the Broncos have buckled, following up last week's blowout loss with a 28-10 defeat on Monday night at the hands — and legs — of the Steelers. While Ben Roethlisberger was finding Steelers all over the field, so was Kyle Orton, who tossed three picks, including one that backup safety Tyrone Carter ran back 48 yards for a score. Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall's 155 yards on the ground versus 27 total for Denver didn't help, either.

Still, fifth-year cheerleader Romi Bean remains confident in boy wonder/Belichick protégé/hoodie aficionado Josh McDaniels's troops. The current University of Colorado student, prolific reader ("I just finished Firms of Endearment, this business book about successful companies that do things against the norm, like paying really high wages"), and future Adam Schefter ("I would love to be an ESPN reporter — that's my dream"), tells us why Broncos fans have every reason to ignore the neigh-sayers.

ESQUIRE: So far this season, we've talked to an Amy, a Kelli, a Brandi, and a Casie. You have a very uncheerleader-like name. What's the origin?

ROMI BEAN: I was actually born in Johannesburg, South Africa — my family moved to Colorado when I was two — and there are plenty of Romys there. My mom wanted to be different, so she spelled it with an "i." Growing up, people were always joking, "Where's Michelle?" but I'm Romi, not Romy. I haven't been back to South Africa in years, but it's beautiful. I really want to go back for the World Cup next year.

ESQ: So what went wrong on the American football field tonight?

RB: I think it was just a tough game. We played our hearts out, but the Steelers were fast, big, and just a little more fired up; they really came to play and didn't let one little thing get past them. Seriously, they are massive. I was looking at one guy on the sidelines and thinking, "What size is that shirt?" Also, we are known for being a second-half team, and the Steelers came prepared. They were like, "Nope, not gonna happen tonight."

ESQ: Kyle "Jay Cutler Trade Afterthought" Orton has been fantastic for most of the season. But after just one interception through the first seven games, he had three in this one. What happened?

RB: It looked like the Pittsburgh D was just barreling over our line. The Steelers defensive line is just as big if not bigger than our O-line, and that was probably our biggest challenge. I felt like Orton was getting rushed and forced to scramble out of the pocket a lot more this game. The past few games, he's had a lot more time. But he's improved a ton throughout the season, and you have to make those mistakes. I mean, Brett Favre has the touchdown record, but he also has the interception record, right?

ESQ: With the recent addition of Ty Law, the Broncos now have three multi-time Pro Bowlers in the secondary, yet Roethlisberger torched them for nearly 200 yards and three touchdowns in the second half. Did they slip, or is he just that good?

RB: The defense played really strong and got a couple of turnovers — Andre Goodman had an awesome interception — but I give the Steelers a huge amount of credit. They outplayed us. I think Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins can go back on this and ground themselves and see what they need to work on. There is still so much talent in our defensive line and secondary, if they can get back to basics, they can be amazing.

ESQ: Do you think the fact that the offense couldn't hold the ball in the second half (less than seven minutes of possession) left the defense tired?

RB: They've always stuck it out to the very end, but they definitely got tired. Plus, Pittsburgh was fresh off their bye week, they got Polamalu back, and they were ready to rock and roll.

ESQ: Can it actually help to lose a few games during the season?

RB: I do think it's good to lose sometimes. The bubble needs to burst — that's how you learn and get better. There's always some team that goes 13-3 and then gets crushed by some wild-card team in the playoffs. When you lose, you really start to study those tapes and get faster and quicker and become everything you want to be. I think that Coach McDaniels really knows how to take those losses. If you utilize them, it can really benefit you. Also, when you haven't lost, everybody is asking, "When will they fall?" Now that's out of the way.

ESQ: Okay, totally unrelated, but you grew up in Colorado, so we have to ask: Where do you like to ski?

RB: I love Vail. It's amazing. Aspen's great, but it's really expensive. I've been skiing since I was four and I like to rip it up, but I can't during the football season. Once it ends, I try to make the most of the snow. But I'd rather the season go into February and not get as much skiing in.

For more on the Denver Broncos cheerleaders and their Romi-fied new swimsuit calendar, click here.