[2] Roche made his NFL debut with the Broncos on September 20, 1970, at the age of 25, in a 25–10 win over the Buffalo Bills.
[6] He played in all 14 games during his rookie season,[2] before being traded to the Green Bay Packers for Don Horn on January 28 the following year.
The transaction also included a swap of 1971 first-round picks, with the Packers selecting John Brockington at 9th and the Broncos choosing Marv Montgomery at 12th.
[9] He chose Roche as the starting right defensive end, replacing the incumbent Lionel Aldridge, a holdover from the Packers' glory days under Vince Lombardi.
[5] His grandson, Jay'Shawn Washington, played college football for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles from 2015 to 2018.