Tom Nalen was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 7th round of the 1994 NFL Draft after starting for three years at Boston College. At the time, most teams aspired for interior linemen to be massive maulers, which partially explained his anemic draft position (though Kevin Mawae was only 5 lbs larger and was drafted 182 positions earlier. Nalen became a starter in his second season, and would start when healthy for 13 years until his retirement after the 2007 season. He played his entire career in Denver.
Nalen earned 5 Pro-Bowls, 3 All-Pros, comeback player of the year, and two Superbowl Rings.