University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Silbor's Long Way Home: From Costco to a Starting Job in the Big Sky
10/1/2026 12:20:00 PM | Football
GREELEY, Colo. – Brayten Silbor spent a year and a half working at Costco.
He wasn't injured in a way anyone could see. He had torn the labrum in his shoulder during his first game of his sophomore season at Lehigh, after having broken his arm in half in his first collegiate game as a true freshman. He couldn't shower properly.
He couldn't do a push-up. He couldn't lift anything overhead.
So he went home to Arizona, took community college classes to stay academically eligible, and worked retail while he rehabbed. Eight months of it, paid for out of pocket by his grandmother.
There were moments, he admits, when he wondered if the football part of his life was over.
"I mean, definitely crossed my mind a couple times," Silbor said. "Being home, all my friends, especially out of college, it's just kind of me, my parents, a couple friends I had there. But I'm lucky to have a lot of mentors in my life, my quarterback coach, a lot of old coaches. They were giving me the talk. 'Listen, it's going to be hard, but you have to keep your head in it.' I followed that. I'm glad I did. It made me ready."
Finding Greeley
After his junior college season at Southwestern Community College, Silbor had offers from Eastern Illinois and Northern Colorado. He knew he wanted to play in the Big Sky, and he had family in Colorado Springs, a second home, he called it.
"I went on visits to both, and I just fell in love with it here," Silbor said. "Loved the support system, loved the guys. I love the opportunity they provided for me. It's closer to home as well, so I think it was a great fit for me."
He credits his junior college coach, Coach Oscar Rodriguez, with changing the course of his career.
"That was probably the best decision I ever made," Silbor said. "That man changed my life. Gave me opportunities that I think I'd never have, made me a better person, better football player."
He arrived at Northern Colorado as the backup, competing behind Kenny Lueth, and spent the early season taking practice reps without knowing when, or if, his number would be called. That changed against Northeastern State, when he entered in relief and led the Bears to a 23-17 overtime win. A week later, he made his first start and helped deliver a 37-13 Homecoming rout of Utah Tech.
"I had a couple practices when Kenny got a little banged up where I would take a lot of snaps with the ones," Silbor said. "It's nice that I had that chemistry and reps with them before I got thrown into the game. That was definitely crucial."Winning and
Moving On
Silbor is quick to point out that the offense is still not where it needs to be. Head coach Ed Lamb has said the same thing, citing an offense whose efficiency metrics look strong while its scoring lags behind.
"We have to focus on this week," Silbor said. "We've had the past weeks we've won, and we're trying to carry that energy over, but obviously fix all the stuff we were messing up and keep moving forward and getting better every day."
That means preparing for a trip to No. 3 Montana on Saturday. Silbor has played in loud road environments before, including at Wyoming earlier this season, and said the approach doesn't change.
"The crowd noise is loud, but Wyoming is a very loud crowd too. As long as we lock in, do our thing and communicate, we'll be just fine," he said. "At the end of the day, you get out there and the noise just goes away when you're on the field. That's how I feel when I'm out there."
The Bears have been piping in artificial crowd noise at practice to prepare, but Silbor described the adjustment as minor.
"The speakers are there in the huddle and when we're snapping the ball," he said. "End of the day, it's just playing our own game with the crowd noise in the background."
Comfort in Routine
Asked how he handles pregame nerves, with a reporter invoking Bill Russell, who famously got sick before every game, Silbor laughed and described an approach built on calm rather than chaos.
"I kind of just get in that locker room, get a feel for the field before pregame, and then get in the locker room, put some music on, calm music, and that kind of brings the whole energy to where I want it to be," he said. "Comfortable."
Silbor is 22 and in his fifth year of college football. He called this year his last one. Given where he was two years ago, with a shoulder he couldn't lift above his head and a job at Costco, that alone carries weight.
He also carries something else. His parents live in Arizona and travel to every game. His uncle, cousins and extended family live in Falcon and Colorado Springs.
"They're always watching the games," Silbor said. "It's awesome to have that support system. If I ever need anything, I could drive out there, it's only a couple hours away. And my parents come out every game that I'm playing. That's awesome to have too."
Tickets can be purchased through the UNC ticket office online at UNCBears.com/Tickets, by calling 970-351-4849, or in person at the UNC ticket office during normal business hours.
Quarterback Club
The Quarterback Club plays a vital role in supporting the UNC Football program. By giving to the Quarterback Club, you help enhance the student-athlete experience, providing resources for team development, and ensuring the success of the Bears on and off the field. Your involvement makes a meaningful difference in the future of the program.
FOLLOW THE BEARS:
For complete coverage of UNC Athletics, check out the official homepage at UNCBears.com. Follow the football team on Instagram, X and Facebook.
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He wasn't injured in a way anyone could see. He had torn the labrum in his shoulder during his first game of his sophomore season at Lehigh, after having broken his arm in half in his first collegiate game as a true freshman. He couldn't shower properly.
He couldn't do a push-up. He couldn't lift anything overhead.
So he went home to Arizona, took community college classes to stay academically eligible, and worked retail while he rehabbed. Eight months of it, paid for out of pocket by his grandmother.
There were moments, he admits, when he wondered if the football part of his life was over.
"I mean, definitely crossed my mind a couple times," Silbor said. "Being home, all my friends, especially out of college, it's just kind of me, my parents, a couple friends I had there. But I'm lucky to have a lot of mentors in my life, my quarterback coach, a lot of old coaches. They were giving me the talk. 'Listen, it's going to be hard, but you have to keep your head in it.' I followed that. I'm glad I did. It made me ready."
Finding Greeley
After his junior college season at Southwestern Community College, Silbor had offers from Eastern Illinois and Northern Colorado. He knew he wanted to play in the Big Sky, and he had family in Colorado Springs, a second home, he called it.
"I went on visits to both, and I just fell in love with it here," Silbor said. "Loved the support system, loved the guys. I love the opportunity they provided for me. It's closer to home as well, so I think it was a great fit for me."
He credits his junior college coach, Coach Oscar Rodriguez, with changing the course of his career.
"That was probably the best decision I ever made," Silbor said. "That man changed my life. Gave me opportunities that I think I'd never have, made me a better person, better football player."
He arrived at Northern Colorado as the backup, competing behind Kenny Lueth, and spent the early season taking practice reps without knowing when, or if, his number would be called. That changed against Northeastern State, when he entered in relief and led the Bears to a 23-17 overtime win. A week later, he made his first start and helped deliver a 37-13 Homecoming rout of Utah Tech.
"I had a couple practices when Kenny got a little banged up where I would take a lot of snaps with the ones," Silbor said. "It's nice that I had that chemistry and reps with them before I got thrown into the game. That was definitely crucial."Winning and
Moving On
Silbor is quick to point out that the offense is still not where it needs to be. Head coach Ed Lamb has said the same thing, citing an offense whose efficiency metrics look strong while its scoring lags behind.
"We have to focus on this week," Silbor said. "We've had the past weeks we've won, and we're trying to carry that energy over, but obviously fix all the stuff we were messing up and keep moving forward and getting better every day."
That means preparing for a trip to No. 3 Montana on Saturday. Silbor has played in loud road environments before, including at Wyoming earlier this season, and said the approach doesn't change.
"The crowd noise is loud, but Wyoming is a very loud crowd too. As long as we lock in, do our thing and communicate, we'll be just fine," he said. "At the end of the day, you get out there and the noise just goes away when you're on the field. That's how I feel when I'm out there."
The Bears have been piping in artificial crowd noise at practice to prepare, but Silbor described the adjustment as minor.
"The speakers are there in the huddle and when we're snapping the ball," he said. "End of the day, it's just playing our own game with the crowd noise in the background."
Comfort in Routine
Asked how he handles pregame nerves, with a reporter invoking Bill Russell, who famously got sick before every game, Silbor laughed and described an approach built on calm rather than chaos.
"I kind of just get in that locker room, get a feel for the field before pregame, and then get in the locker room, put some music on, calm music, and that kind of brings the whole energy to where I want it to be," he said. "Comfortable."
Silbor is 22 and in his fifth year of college football. He called this year his last one. Given where he was two years ago, with a shoulder he couldn't lift above his head and a job at Costco, that alone carries weight.
He also carries something else. His parents live in Arizona and travel to every game. His uncle, cousins and extended family live in Falcon and Colorado Springs.
"They're always watching the games," Silbor said. "It's awesome to have that support system. If I ever need anything, I could drive out there, it's only a couple hours away. And my parents come out every game that I'm playing. That's awesome to have too."
Tickets can be purchased through the UNC ticket office online at UNCBears.com/Tickets, by calling 970-351-4849, or in person at the UNC ticket office during normal business hours.
Quarterback Club
The Quarterback Club plays a vital role in supporting the UNC Football program. By giving to the Quarterback Club, you help enhance the student-athlete experience, providing resources for team development, and ensuring the success of the Bears on and off the field. Your involvement makes a meaningful difference in the future of the program.
FOLLOW THE BEARS:
For complete coverage of UNC Athletics, check out the official homepage at UNCBears.com. Follow the football team on Instagram, X and Facebook.
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