ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Ben Garland slipped out of his football uniform and donned his camouflage fatigues Wednesday for his swearing-in as a member of the Colorado Air National Guard in a ceremony outside the Denver Broncos headquarters.

He’s now a public affairs officer whose civilian job is playing defensive tackle.

Garland, a 24-year-old from Grand Junction, Colo., attended the Air Force Academy and signed with the Broncos as an undrafted college free agent in 2010. He was recently released from his five-year military commitment so he could pursue his NFL dream.

If he doesn’t make it as a football player, Garland has until he’s 27 to go to flight school, a two-year training program that would be followed by a 10-year military commitment.

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