John Elway

At 63 years old, John Elway has this physical status:

John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is a former American football quarterback who is now general manager and president of Football Operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. (NFL). Elway played college football at Stanford and his entire 16-year professional career with the Denver Broncos.

Elway had the most victories by a starting quarterback at the time of his retirement in early 1999, and he was the second most prolific passer in NFL history.

While at Stanford, Elway was also a prolific rusher of the game, being one of only two players to score a rushing touchdown in four separate Super Bowls (the other being Thurman Thomas) and the only quarterback to do so.

He was the first pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, also known as the 1983 quarterback class, where he was drafted by the Baltimore Colts before being traded to the Denver Broncos.

Elway embarked on one of the most memorable performances in sports and NFL history in January 1987, when he helped engineer a 98-yard, game-tying touchdown drive against the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Championship Game.

In National Football League history, the time is known as "The Drive." Following that game in Cleveland, Elway and the Broncos lost in Super Bowl XXI to the New York Giants. After two more Super Bowl losses, the Broncos entered a period of decline; however, they did not recover their first Super Bowl title after defeating the Green Bay Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXII.

In Super Bowl XXIII, the Broncos were crowned champions for the second season by defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34–19.

Elway was named MVP of that Super Bowl, his last game of his career, and in doing so, Elway set a then-record five Super Bowl starts, which was broken in February 2015 when the New England Patriots' Tom Brady started Super Bowl XLIX.

Elway, Denver's quarterback, led his teams to six AFC Championship Games and five Super Bowls, winning two.

He spent four division titles, two AFC Championships, and Super Bowl 50 during his time as a player.

Elway has been a member of the Broncos team for three of their Super Bowl victories, two as a player and one as an executive. Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 in his first year of eligibility, and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Early life

Elway and his twin sister Jana were born in Port Angeles, Washington, on June 28, 1960, to Janet (née Jordan) and Jack Elway, then head coach at Port Angeles High School, before being born. Lee Ann, a year older than the twins, was included in the family's. They moved to southwestern Washington, where Jack was the junior college head football coach at Grays Harbor Community College in Aberdeen for five seasons. Elway lived mainly in Missoula, Montana, and Pullman, Washington, Washington, when his father was an assistant coach at Montana and Washington State, respectively.

Jack joined the Palouse assistant Idaho staff in February 1976, but he became the head coach at Cal State-Northridge, a Division II program in Southern California, a month later. The family moved from John's freshman year at Pullman High School to the San Fernando Valley, where he spent his remaining three years of football at Granada Hills High School in Granada Hills, under head coach Jack Neumeier and Tom Richards. Despite missing five games due to a knee injury as a youth, Eric Dickerson, retired from high school with 5,711 passing yards and 49 passing touchdowns, and was named to the PARADE All America High School Football Team alongside future NFL players, quarterback Dan Marino, and running back Eric Dickerson.

He was a dual-threat quarterback, meaning he was a natural leader and escaped pressure with an impressive passing ability, and he was one of the country's top recruited high school players, winning numerous scholarships. Following the 1978 season, one of those bids came from his father, who became the head coach at San Jose State. Elway was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 18th round of the 1979 Major League Baseball draft, making him a versatile baseball player. Marino was also chosen by the Royals in the fourth round of the same draft.

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College career

He began playing football and baseball at Stanford University in 1979. He spent his freshman season as a back-up to future NFL quarterback Turk Schonert, who appeared in nine games as the team went 5-5-1. Elway, a sophomore who threw 27 touchdown passes (2nd in the NCAA), led the team to a 6-4 record in the first week of the season. Stanford lost 28-23 to 6-5, effectively ending their chances of playing in a bowl game. Elway's 1981-1985-1990s had another good year, ranking seventh in the NCAA with 20 touchdown passes, but the team finished the year with a dismal 4-7 record.

Stanford was 5–5 in his senior season in 1982, and to receive a bid to the Hall of Fame Classic bowl game, Stanford had to win its final game, The Big Game Against Cal. Stanford was down 19–17 and had 4th-and-17 on their own 13-yard line with two minutes remaining in the game. Elway completed a 29-yard pass and blasted the ball downfield to the 35-yard line, where Mark Harmon kicked what seemed to be the winning field goal. However, the clock was still four seconds, so Stanford had to kick off. What ensued is now simply "The Play," in which Cal players lateraled the ball, rugby-style five times – two of whom were controversial – and won the game, 25-20, scoring a touchdown. Elway was chastised afterward, claiming that the authorities "ruined my last game as a college football player." Elway was charged with the Heisman Trophy, according to Stanford athletics director Andy Geiger. Elway came to terms with The Play 20 years later, saying that "each year it gets a little bit funnier."

Though Elway never led his team to a bowl game, he did a good job in college. He passed for 774 yards, 77 touchdowns, and 39 interceptions at Stanford in his four seasons (1979-1982), while still scoring 5 touchdowns rushing the ball. During his tenure, Stanford had a 20–23 record. Elway's 24 touchdown passes in 1982 led the nation, and he set nearly every Pacific-10 record for passing and total offense during his career. In 1980 and 1982, he was a consensus All-American and finished second in Heisman Trophy voting as a senior. Elway was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. Elway appeared on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list in 2007. In 30 of his 42 games, he was running for over 200 yards in 30 of his 42 collegiate games.

Elway also excelled as a baseball player. In the second round of the 1981 Major League Baseball draft, he was drafted by the New York Yankees (52nd overall, six spots ahead of future Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn), and he was paid $150,000 to play for the New York–Penn League in the summer of 1982. Many scouts liked Elway as a good baseball player, but not as well as a footballer. Gary Hughes, the Yankees' scout, said that if Elway concentrated on baseball, "the sky was the limit," he'd be off the charts." George Steinbrenner, the Yankees' owner who pushed Elway's services, is said to have him as the Yankees' starting right fielder by 1985, something Elway later described as "amazing [and] thrilling possibility."

Elway obtained a bachelor's degree in economics and is a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Elway did not use a redshirt year at Stanford when he first started as a freshman.

Professional career

In 1983, the Baltimore Colts had the first overall pick in the NFL Draft, which was dubbed the "Quarterback class of 1983." Elway was the first of six quarterbacks selected in the first round. Elway was unsure of playing for the Colts, one of the worst teams in the league at the time, and his father told him not to play for head coach Frank Kush, who had a reputation as a brutal taskmaster. Although Elway preferred football, his handler Marvin Demoff later said that baseball was "a legitimate option" for him at the time. Elway had leverage in talks with the Colts if this was the case.

Elway told the Colts in December 1982 that he did not want to play for the team and later told the Colts that he did not want to play on the West Coast or for the Dallas Cowboys or Miami Dolphins. Elway, who unsuccessfully tried to broker a private deal with the Colts with which Elway would continue to remain on the West Coast to alert the team that he did not trade him, has threatened to join the team full-time; Demoff wrote in his journal, which was published three decades ago, that "he'd be a garbage collector before he'd play for Baltimore." Elway's decision not to join the Pittsburgh Steelers was controversial, with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw narrating, "You should play baseball... not the kind of guy you win championships with." However, other NFL franchises, including Pittsburgh, began negotiations with the Colts for the quarterback. One possibility was to trade Elway for Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers, whose team had a bad season in 1982. Another trade with the San Diego Chargers, who were negotiating a new deal with superstar quarterback Dan Fouts, was a labor contract. The New England Patriots were interested, but the Colts did not want to trade Elway to a team in the same division. The Los Angeles Browns almost traded for Elway the day before the draft, but the Oakland Raiders were unable to complete a mandatory trade with the Chicago Bears.

With no happy trade before the draft, the Colts were forced to draft Elway and then trade him later. Although Elway was not expected to be bringing any first-round quarterbacks, team general manager Ernie Accorsi said later. Surprised observers, Accorsi announced Elway as the team's pick within the 15-minute window on draft day, but Kush already informed Elway's family by phone that the Colts will select him regardless of baseball. At a press conference, Elway reiterated his decision not to play for the Colts, adding, "I'm here right now, I'm playing baseball." When a reporter pointed out that the Yankees were not based on the West Coast, Elway replied, "They play baseball during the summertime." John "will never play for Irsay or Coach Kush," Jack Elway said.

Team owner Robert Irsay started negotiating with the Denver Broncos before the draft was set. The Colts were interested in offensive lineman Chris Hinton, who was voted fourth pick in the first round by the Broncos. Irsay and Accorsi decided to trade Elway for Hinton, backup quarterback Mark Herrmann, and a first-round pick in the 1984 Draft, which turned into offensive lineman Ron Solt. The Colts' turbulent relocation to Indianapolis in the following year would more clarify Jack Elway's doubts, and the team will continue to fail until Peyton Manning's arrival as a player during Elway's last season.

Elway, one of the NFL's most popular quarterbacks, was drafted in Denver as one of the NFL's most popular players. "The Elway Watch" was included in the local newspapers' section. After Craig Morton retired after the 1982 season and Herrmann was traded, the media predicted that Elway would be the starting quarterback during the 1983 season. He appeared for the Broncos in the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium, and was suspended for the first time in his NFL career, in the hands of linebacker and fellow Hall of Famer Jack Lambert. Elway was aided by veteran quarterback Steve DeBerg, who led the Broncos to victory in his first game. Elway's second game was also on the road in Baltimore, and was boosted by his franchise's rebuttal of the franchise. Elway was forced to play in Baltimore for the first time in what would be Elway's only professional game, though DeBerg led the Broncos to another victory. DeBerg was named starter by third-year head coach Dan Reeves for the remainder of the season, but Elway was forced to return a month later due to a shoulder injury.

After losing the Cleveland Browns on a popular possession at the end of the fourth quarter that became known as "The Drive," Elway led the Broncos to Super Bowl XXI in 1986. Elway led his team 98 yards to tie the game with 37 seconds remaining in regulation in a span of 5 minutes and 2 seconds. The Broncos won the game in overtime. The Broncos started the Super Bowl against the New York Giants with a 10–7 lead and then headed to the Giants 1-yard line in the second quarter. However, the Broncos lost five yards on their next three plays and ended up empty after kicker Rich Karlis missed the field goal attempt. For the Broncos, the majority of the game went downhill from that point. Elway was suspended in the end zone for a safety on the Broncos' ensuing possession, limiting their lead to 10–9. The Giants won the game 39-20 after scoring 30 points in the second half. Nonetheless, Elway had a good showing, throwing 304 yards, a touchdown, and an interceptor, as well as leading Denver in rushing with 27 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Elway was chosen to start with the American Football Conference's (AFC) Pro Bowl team in 1987 and received the NFL Most Valuable Player Award. He went on to lead the Broncos to victory over the Browns in the AFC championship game for their second straight Super Bowl appearance, this one against the Washington Redskins. Denver got off to a promising start in the first quarter, and they took the lead by the end of the first quarter. No team had triumphed over a 10–0 deficit in the Super Bowl at the time. The Redskins actually recovered from defeating Super Bowl XII 42–10. Elway did have a few highlights. At the time, Ricky Nattiel's 56-yard touchdown pass after just 1:57 had elapsed in the game set a record for the fastest touchdown in Super Bowl history. He also became the first quarterback to earn a pass in the Super Bowl, receiving a 23-yard reception from halfback Steve Sewell on a halfback option play. Elway was forced to take greater risks on the offensive end because of a porous defense that was unable to stop the Redskins offense. As a result, Elway's result was rather disappointing: only 14 out of 38 completions for 257 yards and one touchdown, with three interceptions.

Elway, who set an 8-8 record in 1988, led his team back to the Super Bowl after another victory over the Browns in the AFC championship game and then went on to face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV. However, this game was even worse for the Broncos than their previous Super Bowl losses. San Francisco defeated Denver 5-10, the most lopsided score in Super Bowl history. Although Elway scored his only touchdown for his team on a three-yard run, his result was horrific: ten out of ten touchdowns for 108 yards with no touchdown passes and two interceptions. However, he did not try to hide from the media after the game or downplay his dismal results. When asked if he wanted to return to the Super Bowl after three losses, he said he wanted to go back every year, even though his team kept losing. However, many people were skeptical that he would win a Super Bowl in his career.

Elway waited for another eight years before directing his team back to the Super Bowl in 1997. Elway ruptured his right (throwing arm) biceps tendon during a preseason American Bowl game in Mexico City. It was medicated non-surgically, and the team continued to play 19 days later, Elway's fourth appearance in Super Bowl XXVIII, where they defeated the Green Bay Packers, the defending champions. Despite Elway's completion of just 11 of 22 passes, throwing no touchdowns but one intercept, the Broncos defeated the Packers 31–24, winning their first Super Bowl after three failed attempts for the team (and four for the team).

The Broncos repeated this feat in 1998, winning 336 yards, a touchdown, and an interceptor, as well as scoring a rushing touchdown in Denver's 34-19 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Elway was named MVP of Super Bowl XXIII. Other than the 1999 Pro Bowl, it was his last game.

Elway, a 38-year-old quarterback, announced his retirement from professional football on May 2, 1999. Elway is one of the best quarterbacks to play the game. He has one of the highest winning percentages in league history (148–82–1) and was ranked second in the second-most Pro Bowl picks for a quarterback (nine) at the time of his retirement. Elway appeared in 22 postseason games with the Broncos, 21 as a starter, and led the team to victory in 14 of them. He threw 4,964 yards and 27 touchdowns, along with 21 interceptions, in those games, while still rushing for 461 yards and 6 more points. He is currently 9th in passing yards, 10th in passes completed, and 12th in passing touchdowns. His four total touchdowns in his Super Bowl games are the most by a quarterback. He is also the second player to score a rushing touchdown in four different Super Bowls (running back Thurman Thomas was the first).

Elway's number 7 jersey was retired by the Denver Broncos during halftime of a Monday Night game against the Miami Dolphins; the same night he was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame. Craig Morton, Denver's direct predecessor, wore number 7 and is included in the Ring of Fame alongside Elway. He was the first Broncos player to have the five-year waiting period waived. He was also inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.

Elway appeared on the list of the 100 Greatest Football Players of 1999, the only player to have spent the majority of his time with the Broncos to make the list; Willie Brown, who began his career with the Broncos but spent more of his time with the Oakland Raiders, was ranked 16th on the list in 1999. In 2005, TSN released another special issue honoring the 50 Greatest Quarterbacks. Elway was ranked third after Johnny Unitas and Joe Montana, respectively.

Sports Illustrated ranked Elway as the best celebrity to wear the #7. Ben Roethlisberger, a Pittsburgh quarterback who grew up idolizing Elway and Joe Montana, wore number 7 to honor Elway throughout his entire 18-year career.

Elway won by 148, the most popular start by a starting quarterback since Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady. He finished his career with 774 rushing attempts, his fourth in league history, behind Cam Newton (934), Michael Vick (873), and Randall Cunningham (775). Elway's 3,407 rushing yards rank seventh all-time among NFL QB's behind Cunningham, Vick, Newton, Steve Young, Fran Tarkenton, and Steve McNair.

Elway's five Super Bowls total, he threw 1,128 yards, third most behind Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, and Joe Montana. His 76 Super Bowl pass completions rank fifth, and his 152 attempts were a Super Bowl record before being shattered by Tom Brady. He is one of only two players to score a touchdown in four different Super Bowls (the other being Thurman Thomas) and the only quarterback to do so with 156 attempts.

Elway had at least 33 Broncos franchise records as of the 2017 NFL off-season, including: "Elway had at least 33 Broncos franchise records," according to the franchise.

Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 8, 2004. In his first year of eligibility, he was elected. His eldest daughter Jessica gave him the boy. In 2000, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Executive career

After eating dinner with Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, Elway expressed interest in working as the Broncos' top football executive in December 2010. Following Josh McDaniels' dismissal, he said he had no intention in being a head coach or general manager, adding, "I'm not interested in being a head coach." I'm not interested in being a general manager. I don't have the opportunity to select those players day in and day out and such," says the author.

With the final say in all football matters, Elway was named general manager and executive vice president of football operations of the Broncos on January 5, 2011. In this capacity, he reports to team president Joe Ellis and is the immediate supervisor for the team's head coach. Brian Xanders, the general manager, was actually retained but mainly served in an advisory capacity to Elway. After the 2011 season, the Xanders left the team and Elway assumed the position of general manager, giving him complete control of the Broncos' football affairs.

The team signed free agent quarterback Peyton Manning, who was just released by the Indianapolis Colts, under Elway's leadership. In four seasons from 2012 to 2015, the Broncos won four division titles, two AFC Championships, and the Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII, beating the Seattle Seahawks convincingly 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII, the Broncos' top offense in the regular season.

Elway responded to the Super Bowl by signing defensive end DeMarcus Ware, cornerback Aqib Talib, and safety T. J. The 2014 season was Ward's fourth. Elway fired John Fox, who won four divisional championships in his four years as Broncos head coach, after losing in the divisional playoffs to the Indianapolis Colts.

Gary Kubiak, Elway's former backup quarterback and former Broncos offensive coordinator, has been named as the new head coach for the 2015 season. Wade Phillips, the team's defensive coordinator, was fired by Elway and Kubiak for his second stint as the team's defensive coordinator. Elway won his third Super Bowl as part of the Broncos franchise on February 7, 2016, when Denver defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. This was his first Super Bowl victory as Executive VP/GM, as well as the two as the team's quarterback.

Elway received the Mizel Institute Award in 2017 for his philanthropic services to Denver and the state of Colorado.

In November 20, Elway tested positive for COVID-19, and then returned to the team on November 12. Following the 2020 season, Elway announced that he would step down as general manager but that he would continue to serve as the Broncos' president of football operations. George Paton took over as the general manager.

Elway will take on a new role as an outside consultant that reports directly to Paton in February 2022.

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