The Denver Outlaws are the youngest team in the PLL, but the Outlaws franchise is as storied as any in professional lacrosse history. In this year’s Professional Lacrosse Hall of Fame class, three people who built that legacy will be enshrined.

Brendan Mundorf, Lee Zink and Josh Sims are three of this year’s four inductees alongside Kyle Sweeney. All three of Mundorf, Zink and Sims helped establish the original Denver Outlaws franchise in the mid-2000s.

“We enjoyed playing. There was a good group here living in Denver, so we really just kind of all meshed well,” Zink said.

Mundorf was one of the team’s very first draft picks. Over a decade later, he was the face of Denver lacrosse. He scored 229 goals and made 118 assists in eight seasons for the Outlaws.

Zink is another player inseparable from Outlaws history. After two seasons with the Chesapeake Bayhawks, Zink joined Denver ahead of the team’s inaugural season in 2006. For the next nine years, he became the leading force in the Outlaws defense.

Sims played for four teams in his professional career, but many of his best years came in Denver. He played in the Outlaws’ first four seasons, and he returned for a final season in the Rocky Mountains in 2012.

Creating a culture and legacy for Denver lacrosse, though, is what ultimately defines their legacy. In an era of westward expansion, Denver was the shining light. 

“I think that for all of us it was, you know, kind of the new frontier for the sport to move out west in that way and establish some roots in Denver,” Sims said. “I think the sport’s just taken off there.”

The team culture was set by ownership, which it shared with the NFL’s Denver Broncos. The staff and management were the class of Major League Lacrosse and set the tone for the entire organization.

“They were at a different level, from the top down,” Mundorf said. “It was a notch above everybody else.”

For the players, the strong professional front office led to higher standards on the field. With everything off the field operating at a high level, it was up to the players to execute in game.

“I think we just sort of held ourselves to a higher standard, and that's what you felt being a part of that organization,” Mundorf said. “You felt like you had to perform at a higher level than everybody else.”

The culture translated to success, and success built a presence in the city. And even a decade later, there’s one thing Outlaws alumni always remember: Fourth of July. 

Denver’s Fourth of July game was the biggest event of the MLL season. Thousands packed now Empower Field at Mile High Stadium to watch the Outlaws and postgame fireworks. 

“That was the one that we circled on the calendar,” Zink said. “Every team in the league wanted to be a part of that game.”

The fans in Denver are what made the team thrive. Whether it was tens of thousands on the Fourth of July or the usual crowd on a regular-season game, the Outlaws fans always embraced the team and made the franchise part of the city.

“Denver is just such a strong sports town and [has] just rabid fan base for all of their sports,” Sims said. “Building on that energy was really part of that opportunity.”

For all three players, their Hall of Fame induction has been a chance to reflect on a past life. It’s a chance to look back and celebrate a different time in their lives and a different time for the sport of lacrosse.

For Zink, this year has provided an opportunity to share the sport with his children. As his kids get older and more involved with lacrosse, he’s able to share more from his experiences as a pro.

And when he watches the PLL on summer weekends, he can share a special piece of his past: the Denver Outlaws. 

“Seeing those uniforms on the field this summer has been really cool,” Zink said. “Now I can share it with my son. It's like, ‘Look, that's the team I played for.’ So it is special.”