North by Northwestern

Everybody’s favorite quarterback, Trevor Siemian, is undefeated in the NFL. That’s right, a very mediocre Northwestern QB has taken the NFL by storm, leading the Denver Broncos to a 3-0 record - and there’s no signs of him slowing down. This obviously calls for a celebration, so from the good to the bad, we’re recounting our favorite Trevor Siemian moments.

Touchdown Trevor takes over - Trevor Lystad

To just about everyone except Broncos fans, the 8,314 Northwestern undergrads and fantasy football players in very deep leagues, Trevor Siemian was just the mediocre-at-best new quarterback for a Denver team that was 2-0 thanks to its stifling defense. Until Sunday.

Siemian burst onto the national scene Sunday when he led the undefeated Broncos to a 29-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Tossing four touchdowns with no interceptions along with 312 yards, Siemian finished the game with a 132.1 passer rating—good for the best in the league in Week 3.

He calmly staved off Cincinnati’s attempt to rally late in the game, leading two fourth quarter touchdown drives with a casual calmness that probably reminded Broncos fans of some guy named Manning that used to play in Denver. Touchdown Trev iced the game with a perfectly placed deep ball to Demaryius Thomas for a 55-yard TD with just a few minutes left, ultimately resulting in the Broncos third straight win to start the season.

NFL debut: The knee - Megan Pisarczyk

Let’s be honest: as someone who wasn’t at Northwestern when Siemian was playing for the ‘Cats, I didn’t know much about the guy until he was named the Broncos starting quarterback. However, my allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers did allow me to witness his first appearance in an NFL game, even though I never expected this rookie debut to mean anything to me.

Peyton Manning was out with a foot injury, so Brock Osweiler started the game. Somehow Osweiler also ended up getting injured toward the end of the second quarter, and Denver turned to Siemian. He took a knee with two seconds left in the first half, executing it to absolute perfection, and didn’t play another down for Denver in the 2015-16 season. I like to think that when he got his Super Bowl ring he remembered taking that knee on Dec. 20.

Siemian stuns Syracuse - Max Goodman

A young Trevor Siemian watches longingly from the sideline as the 2012 season kicks off for Northwestern at Syracuse. Siemian saw action in eight games during 2011 and was set to remain the backup QB to Kain Colter for his redshirt sophomore year. But when Colter went down with a left shoulder injury late in the game, it was Siemian’s turn to shine.

Down 41-35 with only minutes remaining, Siemian was flawless, marching the Wildcats down the field on a game-winning drive, culminating with a nine-yard touchdown toss to Demetrius Fields to give the ‘Cats the victory.

The legend of Touchdown Trev was born and the world would never be the same.

The Michigan slip - Will Fischer

When NU scored in the final seconds to pull within one of Michigan in 2014, Trevor Siemian’s fearlessness and outright courage inspired him to go for the win. He stood up to the challenge and lined up for the two-point conversion with everything on the line. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be standing much longer.

Touchdown Trevor may have slipped and lost the game for the Wildcats, but it was a necessary part of his growth. Before he became the best quarterback on the planet, he was human - he made mistakes just like you and me.

And that’s what makes Trevor Siemian so inspiring. These past few weeks, he’s proven that even if you were bad at something once, that doesn’t mean you’re going to be bad forever. One day, we can all become good. One day, we can all become Trevor Siemian.

Draft Day, Baby! - Tim Hackett

On May 2, 2015, Trevor Siemian shocked the world once again when his name was called by the Denver Broncos in the 2015 NFL Draft. He was taken in the 7th round with the 250th pick, which, if you're keeping track, is seventh to last. But hey, that was still seven picks higher than anyone saw him going, as not many expected Siemian to be taken in the draft.

Despite all the draft analysts mispronouncing his name and probably confusing him with a guy who was drafted out of Northwestern State 27 picks earlier, the man we now know as Touchdown Trev still had a smile on his face (in the stock photo NFL Network used), as if he knew that he would soon become a Super Bowl champion.

Broncos' first 2016 preseason game against the Bears - Evan Denton

It was at this moment, Trevor Siemian, that I knew you would blossom into a steal-of-a-draft-pick player. Despite not throwing a touchdown against the lowly Chicago Bears, this game marked the genesis of the “Touchdown Trevor” era in Denver. Only rivaled by the movie “Hoosiers,” this could be the greatest sports comeback story the Midwest has ever seen. And what made this moment even sweeter? The fact that you, Trevor Siemian, took the starting quarterback position away from Mark “Butt Fumble” Sanchez, a former USC quarterback and fifth overall draft pick.

Trevor, because of you, NU football fans can now hold their heads held high while watching NFL games every Sunday. Trevor Siemian: The man, the myth, the legend. Thank you, Trevor.