Denver, CO. The Denver Broncos community is drowning in grief after the death of Brian Moss, a 16-year-old who wasn’t only a familiar ball boy along the Empower Field at Mile High sideline, but also a high school football prodigy widely viewed by NFL scouts as a future MVP candidate. The teen was killed in a devastating car crash on Christmas Eve while traveling with his family.
For five years, Brian had been a presence the Broncos players genuinely loved — from the grind of training camp to the emotion of home game Sundays. He wasn’t “just picking up footballs.” Brian listened, learned, and watched how an NFL organization operates, and over time he became the locker room’s little brother — a kid everyone recognized, protected, and rooted for.
On the high school level, Brian Moss was a name that made people stop and pay attention. Explosive, intelligent, and advanced beyond his years, he was exactly the kind of dynamic, high-IQ talent Denver had reportedly tracked for years as a potential future cornerstone. In scouting circles, there was a quiet, consistent belief: this was the type of player who could change a franchise.
Brian was selected as a ball boy through a Broncos community program — one of the most common paths teams use, alongside personal relationships and family connections, to bring local youth into the NFL environment. But not everyone turns that opportunity into something lasting. Brian did. Five years of belonging, growing from a shy kid on the sideline into a high school star with a rapidly rising profile.
What makes the story even more heartbreaking is this: Brian loved the Broncos with his whole heart. To friends and teachers, he spoke about Denver not like a distant dream, but like a destination already waiting for him. “The contract is just about being old enough,” Brian once said, half-joking but fully believing.
Tragedy struck on Christmas Eve. Police said Moss and his family were traveling to New York for holiday celebrations when the crash occurred on a highway, taking his young life and shattering the dreams of everyone who saw his limitless potential. While the Florida Highway Patrol was not involved in the investigation, the loss sent shockwaves through football at every level.
Brian’s high school head coach released an emotional statement following his passing:
“This is a tremendous loss. He was a great kid and an excellent student. Brian earned Offensive Player of the Year honors after an impressive freshman season, and he was special both on and off the field.”
Across social media, Broncos fans, scouts, and the football world expressed their grief:
“Denver lost a future before it even had the chance to begin.”
“From a ball boy… to tomorrow’s MVP.”
“Denver’s future just got dimmer. Rest in peace, young Bronco.”
To honor his memory, friends, family, and the community held a candlelight vigil, releasing orange and navy balloons into the sky — a final goodbye to a young man whose star was rising far too fast to fade so soon.
A ball boy.
A future MVP in the making.
A loss that echoes through Denver.
Rest in peace, Brian Moss. 🕊️
