(CBS Local)– Denver Broncos star Von Miller has built a name for himself as one of the best players in the NFL and one of the most notable figures in Colorado.

Miller has spent a third of his life around the Rocky Mountains and while the Broncos failed to make the playoffs in 2019, Miller is excited about the direction of the organization with Drew Lock as quarterback.

“Denver has been so special me and I’ve been in Denver for a decade. It’s who I am and what I do,” said Miller in an interview with CBS Local’s DJ Sixsmith. “Broncos country has been a part of my identity. We’ve had some tough years, but we have great motivation going forward. Drew Lock is going to be great for us. I like his aura. I like his personality and his confidence. As a quarterback, you have to have that and you have to bring the best out of other men. Courtland Sutton is turning on to really become a star receiver in the league. We’ll get Bradley Chubb back and I’m pretty excited about the direction of the franchise and where we’re going to go next year.”

Denver hasn’t been back to the playoffs since beating the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl L (50) and the memories are still fresh when Miller thinks back to winning a title, becoming a Super Bowl MVP, and playing with future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.

FULL INTERVIEW:

“Winning is addictive. Once you win a Super Bowl and have success like that, it really creates this hunger to want to do it every year,” said Miller. “You want to win every single year and the odds of doing that are slim. I feel like that drives me and drives the people that are younger than me to achieve some of the same success we did in 2015. Peyton [Manning] was a great leader of men and a normal guy. He won you over by being normal. Everyone sees the commercials, but he knows everything about your kids and what type of man you are. Doesn’t matter who you are, he treats everyone with respect. I try to put that into who I am. When we won in 2015, nobody thought we would do it. When you get in the tournament, anything can happen.”

Miller is in New York this week to raise awareness for the My Glaucoma campaign. The Broncos linebacker has had glasses since he was a kid and thinks it’s important people know everything about their eye sight.

“I started Von’s Vision in 2012 and it tackles issues with glasses, contacts, and lasix surgery,” said Miller. “Pretty much everything that has to do with vision for younger kids. I’m passionate about any kinds of vision issues. I know how serious it is and the self confidence issues that having vision issues can cause. Glaucoma is a disease that affects around 70 million people worldwide.”