Tucked away in an underused section of Abraham Lincoln High School in Denver is a charter middle school for underprivileged students, almost all of whom are minorities and eligible for subsidized lunches.



It’s almost 1 p.m. on a Tuesday and Broncos veteran Brandon Marshall has just arrived at Compass Academy’s second-floor wing as students flock to room 228 for their weekly Action Youth Class, an hour-long development and leadership program.



“Are you for real? We get to meet a Broncos player?!” a student belts out as her peers trickle into the room.



“Yeah, Brandon Marshall,” another responds. “He’s a linebacker.”



Upon introduction, Marshall walks to the front of the room as nearly two dozen eyes fixate on him.



“My name is Brandon Marshall,” he begins. “I’m from Las Vegas, Nevada. I grew up with a single parent. I worked hard and earned a scholarship to the...