Karl Mecklenburg

Karl Mecklenburg (born September 1, 1960 in Seattle, Washington) is a former American football player for the Denver Broncos in the National Football League.

National Football League
In 1983, the Denver Broncos drafted Karl Mecklenburg in the 12th round with the 310th pick overall. In spite of his low selection, Mecklenburg went on to become an integral part of the Broncos' Super Bowl teams of the 1980s. He played in six Pro Bowls. His 79.5 sacks is the second highest total in franchise history. In 2001, during half time of a game against the Baltimore Ravens, he and Dennis Smith were inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame. He is also in the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and serves on the Broncos Alumni Council.

Since retiring from pro football in 1994 because of injury, Mecklenburg divides his time between family, motivational speaking, and his ongoing charity involvements. Karl and his wife Kathi have three children. The Mecklenburgs reside in Littleton, Colorado. The son of Fred Mecklenburg and Marjory Mecklenburg, Karl has two brothers, Eric and Fred, and a sister, Carol.

His nicknames as a Bronco include 'The Snow Goose', 'The Albino Rhino', 'The Vanilla Gorilla' and 'Wrecklenberg'!

Charity work
Mecklenburg is the founder of the REACH Foundation. REACH is an acronomy for Rewarding Experiences for All Children. The foundation focuses on education and outdoor programs, and in particular stimulating young children to read. It is run by volunteers in cooperation with Mecklenburg.