John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is an American professional
football executive and former
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
who is the president of football operations for the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
(NFL).
Elway played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...
for the
Stanford Cardinal and his entire 16-year professional career with the Denver Broncos. He is widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks of all time. At the time of his retirement in early 1999, Elway had the most victories by a starting quarterback and was statistically the second most prolific passer in NFL history. He was also a prolific
rusher of the ball, being one of only two players to score a rushing touchdown in four different Super Bowls (the other being
Thurman Thomas
Thurman Lee Thomas (born May 16, 1966) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He was selected by the Bills in the second round of th ...
) and the only quarterback to do so.
["Super Bowl Records: Individual Passing"](_blank)
NFL.com
Pro-Football-Reference.com Elway is also only one of two quarterbacks (the other being
Peyton Manning, also with the Denver Broncos) to retire after a
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the gam ...
victory.
Elway set several career records for passing attempts and completions while at Stanford and also received
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n honors. He was the first selection in the
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983, at the New York S ...
, famously known as the Quarterback Class of 1983, where he was taken by the
Baltimore Colts before being traded to the Denver Broncos. In January 1987, Elway embarked on one of the most notable performances in sports and in NFL history, helping engineer a 98-yard, game-tying
touchdown drive in the
AFC Championship Game against the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conferenc ...
, a moment later dubbed "
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, that ended during the
1997 season, as Elway and Denver won their first Super Bowl title by defeating the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
31–24 in
Super Bowl XXXII. The Broncos repeated as champions the
following season in
Super Bowl XXXIII by defeating the
Atlanta Falcons 34–19. Elway was voted MVP of that Super Bowl, which was the 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
Tom Brady of the
New England Patriots started
Super Bowl XLIX. After his retirement as a player, Elway served as general manager and executive vice president of football operations of the Broncos, which won four division titles, two AFC Championships, and
Super Bowl 50 during his tenure, making Elway a three-time Super Bowl Champion with the Broncos - two as a player and one as an executive. Elway was inducted into the
College Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...
in 2004.
Early life
Elway and his twin sister Jana were born on June 28, 1960 in
Port Angeles, Washington to Janet (
née Jordan) and
Jack Elway, then the head coach at
Port Angeles High School. The family of five included sister Lee Ann, a year older than the twins. They moved the following year to southwestern Washington, where Jack was the
junior college head
football coach at
Grays Harbor Community College
Grays Harbor College is a public community college in Aberdeen, Washington. Founded in 1930, the college sits on a campus overlooking the town of Aberdeen and its seaport on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Additional "learning centers" are locat ...
in
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), a ...
for five seasons. As a youth, Elway lived primarily in
Missoula, Montana, and
Pullman, Washington,
when his father was an assistant coach at
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
and
Washington State
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a U.S. state, state in the Northwestern United States, Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first President of the United States, U.S. p ...
, respectively.
In February 1976, Jack joined the staff at
Palouse
The Palouse ( ) is a distinct geographic region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of north central Idaho, southeastern Washington, and, by some definitions, parts of northeast Oregon. It is a major agricultural area, primar ...
neighbor
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Monta ...
,
but a month later became the
head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in asso ...
at
Cal State-Northridge,
a
Division II program in
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ...
. The family moved after John's freshman year at
Pullman High School
Pullman High School is a public secondary school in the city of Pullman, Washington, the home of Washington State University.
It is the only traditional public high school in the city and in the Pullman School District (#267). A four-year hi ...
to the
San Fernando Valley,
where he played his final three years of
football at
Granada Hills High School
Granada Hills Charter (often abbreviated to GHCHS/GHC or simply Granada) is an independent charter school consisting of over 4,600 students in grades K–12, located in the Granada Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It i ...
in
Granada Hills, under head coaches
Jack Neumeier and Tom Richards.
Despite missing five games with a knee injury as a senior,
he ended his high school career with 5,711 passing yards and 49 passing touchdowns,
and was named to the ''
PARADE'' All America High School Football Team, along with future NFL stars, quarterback
Dan Marino and running back
Eric Dickerson.
Known as a
dual-threat quarterback, meaning he was accomplished at running and escaping pressure with an impressive passing ability, he was amongst the top recruited high school players in the country, receiving numerous
scholarships. One of those offers was from his father, who became the head coach at
San Jose State following the 1978 season. Also an accomplished
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
player, Elway was selected by the
Kansas City Royals in the 18th round of the
1979 Major League Baseball draft. The Royals also selected Marino in the fourth round of the same draft.
College career
In 1979, he enrolled at
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
, where he played for the
Cardinal's football and
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
teams. He spent his freshman season as a backup to future NFL quarterback
Turk Schonert
Turk Leroy Schonert (January 15, 1957 – January 17, 2019) was a quarterback, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in the National Football League (NFL). Schonert was the head coach of the United Football League's Sacramento Mountain Lio ...
, playing in nine games as the team went 5-5-1. After Schonert graduated, Elway became the starting quarterback as a sophomore, threw 27 touchdown passes (2nd in the NCAA), and led the team to a 6-4 record heading into the final week of the season. In the
Big Game against a 2-8
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
team, Stanford was upset 28-23, dropping them to 6-5 and costing them a chance to play in a bowl game. In 1981, Elway had another fine season, ranking 7th in the NCAA with 20 touchdown passes, but the team finished the year with a dismal 4-7 record.
In his senior season in
1982, Stanford was 5–5 and needed to win its final game, The Big Game against Cal, to secure an invitation to the
Hall of Fame Classic bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivis ...
. With two minutes remaining in the game, Stanford was down 19–17 and had 4th-and-17 on their own 13-yard line. Elway completed a 29-yard pass and drove the ball downfield to the 35-yard line, where Mark Harmon kicked what appeared to be the winning field goal. However, the clock had four seconds remaining, so Stanford had to kick off. What followed is now simply known as "
The Play", in which Cal players lateraled the ball,
rugby
Rugby may refer to:
Sport
* Rugby football in many forms:
** Rugby league: 13 players per side
*** Masters Rugby League
*** Mod league
*** Rugby league nines
*** Rugby league sevens
*** Touch (sport)
*** Wheelchair rugby league
** Rugby union: 1 ...
-style, five times – two of them controversial – and scored a touchdown to win the game, 25–20. Elway was bitter about the game afterward, stating that the officials "ruined my last game as a college football player." Stanford athletics director Andy Geiger said the loss cost Elway the
Heisman Trophy. Twenty years later, Elway came to terms with The Play, saying that "each year it gets a little funnier."
Although Elway never led his team to a
bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivis ...
, he had an accomplished college career. In his four seasons (1979–1982) at Stanford, he completed 774 passes for 9,349 yards, 77 touchdowns, and 39 interceptions, while also scoring 5 touchdowns rushing the ball. Stanford had a 20–23 record during his tenure. Elway's 24 touchdown passes in 1982 led the nation, and at the conclusion of his career, he held nearly every
Pacific-10 record for passing and total offense. He won the
Pac-10 Player of the Year honors in 1980 and 1982, was a consensus
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n, and finished second in
Heisman Trophy balloting as a senior. In 2000, Elway was enshrined in the
College Football Hall of Fame. In 2007, Elway was ranked #15 on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list. He passed for over 200 yards in 30 of his 42 collegiate games.
Elway also excelled as a baseball player. He was selected by the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
in the second round of the
1981 Major League Baseball draft
First round selections
The following are the first round picks in the 1981 Major League Baseball draft.
Compensation Picks
Other notable players
* Darrin Jackson, 2nd round, 28th overall by the Chicago Cubs
*Mike Gallego, 2nd round, 33 ...
(52nd overall, six spots ahead of future Hall of Famer
Tony Gwynn), and received $150,000 for playing for the Yankees'
short season affiliate
Oneonta Yankees
Oneonta may refer to several places:
Communities
*Oneonta, New York, A small city and inspiration for some of the other "Oneontas"
*Oneonta (town), New York, a town that surrounds the City of Oneonta
*Oneonta, Alabama, Blount County
* Oneonta, Ke ...
in the
New York–Penn League in the summer of 1982.
Many scouts saw Elway as a good baseball player, but not as likely a star as in football.
Yankees scout
Gary Hughes
Gary Hughes (born 5 July 1964) is an English hard rock singer, songwriter and musician. Apart from his work as a solo artist, Gary Hughes is the front man and main songwriter of Hard Rock/Melodic Rock band Ten. He has also worked as a producer ...
believed, however, that if Elway concentrated on baseball "the sky was the limit … he would've been off the charts". Yankees owner
George Steinbrenner—who aggressively sought Elway's services—reportedly planned to make him the Yankees' starting
right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In ...
by 1985, which Elway—aware of Steinbrenner's opinion—later described as "a tremendous
ndexciting thought".
Elway graduated with a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...
in
economics
Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics anal ...
, and is a member of the
Delta Tau Delta fraternity.
Already age 19 when he entered as a freshman, Elway did not use a
redshirt
Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Red Shirts'' (film), a 1952 film about Anita Garibaldi by Franco Rossi
* Redshirt (stock character), originally derived from ''Star Trek'', a stock character who dies soon after b ...
year at Stanford.
Statistics
Professional career
1983 NFL Draft
The Baltimore Colts had the first overall pick in the
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983, at the New York S ...
, nicknamed the "Quarterback class of 1983". Elway was the first of six quarterbacks selected in the first round. Elway was wary of playing for the Colts, among the worst teams in the league at the time, and his father advised him against playing for head coach
Frank Kush
Frank Joseph Kush (January 20, 1929 – June 22, 2017) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Arizona State University from 1958 to 1979, compiling a record of 176–54–1. Kush was also the head coach of the ...
, who had a reputation as a harsh taskmaster. While Elway preferred football, his agent Marvin Demoff later stated that baseball was "a true option" for him at the time. The possibility gave Elway leverage in negotiations with the Colts.
Elway told the Colts in December 1982 that he did not want to play for the team, and later told the Colts that he wanted to play on the West Coast or for the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
or
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
. After unsuccessfully attempting to negotiate a private agreement with the Colts in which Elway would cite his alleged desire to remain on the West Coast to explain the team trading him, Elway publicly threatened to join the Yankees full-time if the Colts did not trade him; Demoff wrote in his journal, published three decades later, that "he would be a garbage collector before he'd play for Baltimore." Elway's refusal to join the Colts was controversial –
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback
Terry Bradshaw denounced him, stating "you should play baseball … he’s not the kind of guy you win championships with" – but many other NFL teams began negotiations with the Colts for the quarterback. One possibility was trading Elway for
the San Francisco 49ers'
Joe Montana, whose team had a poor
season in 1982. Another was a trade with
the San Diego Chargers, who were negotiating a new contract with star quarterback
Dan Fouts.
The New England Patriots were interested, but the Colts did not wish to trade Elway to a team in the same division.
The Los Angeles Raiders almost traded for Elway the day before the draft, but the Raiders could not complete a required trade with
the Chicago Bears.
With no successful trade before the draft, the Colts had to draft Elway and possibly trade him later. Team general manager
Ernie Accorsi wanted Elway as, Accorsi later said, he did not foresee
the 1984 Draft as producing any first-round quarterbacks. Accorsi announced Elway as the team's choice as soon as possible during the 15-minute window on draft day, surprising observers, but Kush already told Elway’s family by phone that the Colts would pick him regardless of baseball. Elway that day reiterated his wish to not play for the Colts at a press conference, saying "As I stand 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”. Jack Elway said that John “will never play for Irsay or Coach Kush”.
Worried that the Colts would waste their pick, team owner
Robert Irsay began negotiating with
the Denver Broncos before the draft. The Colts were interested in offensive lineman
Chris Hinton
Christopher Jerrod Hinton (born July 31, 1961) is a former American football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Indianapolis Colts franchise. In addition to his seven seasons with ...
, whom the Broncos chose as the fourth pick in the first round. On May 2, Irsay and Accorsi agreed 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
Ronald Matthew Solt (born May 19, 1962) is a former American football guard in the National Football League. He played professionally for the Indianapolis Colts and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Biography
Solt was born in Bainbridge, Maryland and g ...
. The Colts'
controversial relocation to
Indianapolis the following year would later prove to somewhat vindicate Jack Elway's concerns, and the team would largely struggle until the arrival of
Peyton Manning during Elway’s last season as a player.
Denver Broncos
As one of the best quarterbacks drafted, Elway joined Denver as one of the most highly anticipated athletes in the history of the NFL.
The local newspapers ran a section that was called "The Elway Watch."
After
Craig Morton retired after the 1982 season and Herrmann was traded, the press expected that Elway might become the starting quarterback during the
1983 season. He debuted for the Broncos in the season opener against
the Pittsburgh Steelers at
Three Rivers Stadium, and was sacked for the first time in his NFL career at the hands of
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
and fellow
Hall of Famer Jack Lambert.
In his first game, Elway was relieved by veteran quarterback
Steve DeBerg
Steven Leroy DeBerg (born January 19, 1954) is an American retired professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 years.
Early life
DeBerg is an alumnus of Savanna High School in Anaheim, Cali ...
, who led the Broncos to a victory. Elway's second game was also on the road at
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
, and was spirited by his rejection of the franchise. In what would turn out to be Elway’s only professional game in Baltimore,
[The Colts moved to Indianapolis prior to the 1984 season. Although Baltimore received a new franchise that commenced play in 1996, that team (]the Ravens
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
) only played the Broncos once, in Denver, during Elway's final three professional seasons. Elway was again relieved in a close game by DeBerg, who led the Broncos to another win.
[ ] In early October, DeBerg was named the starter by third-year head coach
Dan Reeves
Daniel Edward Reeves (January 19, 1944 – January 1, 2022) was an American football running back and coach in the National Football League (NFL). During his 38 years in the NFL, Reeves participated in nine Super Bowls, the third most for a ...
for the remainder of the season,
but a shoulder injury brought Elway back a month later.
In the
1986 season, Elway led the Broncos to
Super Bowl XXI, after defeating the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conferenc ...
on a famous possession at the end of the fourth quarter that became known as "
The Drive". In a span of 5 minutes and 2 seconds, Elway led his team 98 yards to tie the game with 37 seconds left in regulation. The Broncos won the game in overtime. Elway and the Broncos started out the Super Bowl against the
New York Giants very well, building a 10–7 lead and then driving to the Giants 1-yard line in the second quarter. However, the Broncos lost five yards on their next three plays and came up empty after kicker
Rich Karlis
Richard John Karlis (born May 23, 1959) is a former American football placekicker who played nine seasons for the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions in the National Football League from 1982 to 1990. He played college football a ...
missed the field goal attempt. From that point on, the rest of the game went downhill for the Broncos. Elway was sacked in the end zone for a safety on the Broncos ensuing possession, cutting their lead to 10–9. Then in the second half, the Giants scored 30 points and ended up winning the game 39–20. Still, Elway had an impressive performance, throwing 304 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, while also leading Denver in rushing with 27 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
In the
1987 season, Elway was selected to start in the
American Football Conference's (AFC)
Pro Bowl team and won the
NFL Most Valuable Player Award. He went on to once again lead the Broncos to a victory over the Browns in the AFC title game, earning their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, this one against the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
. The game started out very well for Denver, and they built up a 10–0 lead by the end of the first quarter. At the time, no team had overcome a 10–0 deficit in the Super Bowl. But in the second quarter, the Redskins suddenly stormed back with a record 35 points, and ended up winning
Super Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins and American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...
42–10. Elway did have a few highlights. His 56-yard touchdown pass to
Ricky Nattiel
Ricky Rennard Nattiel ( ; born January 25, 1966), nicknamed "Ricky the Rocket", is an American former college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons during the 1980s and 19 ...
after just 1:57 had elapsed in the game set a record for the fastest touchdown in Super Bowl history, at the time. He also became the first quarterback to catch a pass in the Super Bowl, recording a 23-yard reception from halfback
Steve Sewell on a
halfback option play. With a porous defense unable to stop the Redskins offense, Elway was forced to take more risks on the offensive end. As a result, Elway's performance was rather disappointing: just 14 out of 38 completions for 257 yards and one touchdown, with three interceptions.
After recording an 8–8 record in 1988, Elway once again led his team to the Super Bowl after the
1989 season, with yet another win over the Browns in the AFC championship game, going on to face the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's Nationa ...
in
Super Bowl XXIV. However, this game ended even worse for the Broncos than their previous Super Bowl losses. San Francisco blew out Denver 55–10, the most lopsided score in Super Bowl history. Although Elway scored the only touchdown for his team on a three-yard run, his performance was abysmal: 10 out of 26 completions for 108 yards with no touchdown passes and two interceptions. But he didn't try to hide from the media after the game or downplay his dismal performance. And when he was asked if he wanted to go back to the Super Bowl after three losses, he responded that he wanted to go back every year, even if his team kept losing. However, many doubted that he would win a Super Bowl in his career.
It took Elway another eight years, but he eventually led his team back to the Super Bowl, following the
1997 season. During the preseason
American Bowl game in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, Elway ruptured his right (throwing arm)
biceps
The biceps or biceps brachii ( la, musculus biceps brachii, "two-headed muscle of the arm") is a large muscle that lies on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. Both heads of the muscle arise on the scapula and join t ...
tendon. It was treated non-surgically, and he returned to play 19 days later, and the team advanced to
Super Bowl XXXII, Elway's fourth, where they faced the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
, the
defending champions. Despite Elway completing only 11 of 22 passes, throwing no touchdowns, but one interception, the Broncos defeated the Packers 31–24, winning their first Super Bowl, after three failed attempts for Elway (and four for the team).
In the
1998 season, the Broncos repeated this feat and Elway was named
MVP of
Super Bowl XXXIII, throwing 336 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, while also scoring a rushing touchdown in Denver's 34–19 win over the
Atlanta Falcons. It was his last game, other than the
1999 Pro Bowl
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoo ...
.
Legacy
On May 2, 1999, at age 38, Elway announced his retirement from professional football. Elway is regarded as one of the top quarterbacks to play the game. He has one of the best winning percentages in league history (148–82–1), and was tied for the second-most
Pro Bowl selections for a quarterback (nine) at the time of his retirement. Elway played in 22 postseason games with the Broncos, 21 as a starter, and led the team to victory in 14 of them. In those games he threw 4,964 yards and 27 touchdowns, with 21 interceptions, while also rushing for 461 yards and 6 more scores. He is currently 9th all time in passing yards, 10th in passes completed, and 12th in passing touchdowns. His four total rushing 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
Thurman Lee Thomas (born May 16, 1966) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He was selected by the Bills in the second round of th ...
was the first).
On September 13, 1999, Elway's number 7 jersey was retired by the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
during halftime of a
Monday Night game against the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
; that same night he was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.
Craig Morton, his direct predecessor in Denver, also wore number 7 and is in the Ring of Fame alongside Elway. He was the first Broncos player to have the five-year waiting period waived. Also in 1999 he was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.
Also in 1999, Elway was ranked number 16 on ''
The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the only player to have spent the majority of his career with the Broncos to make the list;
Willie Brown, who began his career with the Broncos but spent more of it with the
Oakland Raiders, also made the list. In 2005, ''TSN'' published another special feature honoring the 50 Greatest Quarterbacks. Elway was ranked third behind
Johnny Unitas and
Joe Montana.
Elway was named the greatest athlete wearing the #7 by ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence tw ...
''.
Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger, who grew up idolizing Elway and Joe Montana, wore number 7 in honor of Elway during his entire 18-year career.
Notable statistics
Elway ended his career with a record 148 victories, since surpassed by Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady for
most wins by a starting quarterback. He finished his career with 774 rushing attempts, currently fourth in league history behind
Cam Newton (934),
Michael Vick (873), and
Randall Cunningham
Randall Wade Cunningham Sr. (born March 27, 1963) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles and is also known ...
(775). Elway's 3,407 rushing yards ranks seventh all-time among NFL QB's behind Cunningham, Vick, Newton,
Steve Young,
Fran Tarkenton, and
Steve McNair.
Elway threw 1,128 yards in his five Super Bowls, fourth 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 broken by
Tom Brady. He is one of only two players to score a rushing touchdown in four different Super Bowls (the other being
Thurman Thomas
Thurman Lee Thomas (born May 16, 1966) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He was selected by the Bills in the second round of th ...
) and the only quarterback to do so, with 156 attempts.
As of the 2017 NFL off-season, Elway held at least 33 Broncos franchise records, including:
* Completions: career (4,123), playoffs (355), rookie season (123)
* Pass Attempts: career (7,250), game (59 on 1993-10-10 @GNB; with
Peyton Manning), playoffs (651), rookie season (259 in 1983), rookie game (44 on 1983-12-11 BAL)
* Passing Yards: career (51,475), playoffs (4,964), rookie game (345 on 1983-12-11 BAL)
* Passing Touchdowns: career (300), playoffs (27), playoff season (6 in 1987), playoff game (3 on 1988-01-17 CLE, 1990-01-14 CLE, and 1994-01-09 @RAI; with
Peyton Manning)
* Intercepted: career (226), playoffs (21), playoff season (5 in 1987)
* Sacked: career (516), game (7 on 1989-10-29 PHI and 1993-10-18 RAI; with
Tim Tebow), playoffs (39), playoff game (5 on 1988-01-31 NWAS; with
Tim Tebow and
Peyton Manning), rookie season (28 in 1983)
* Yds/Pass Att: playoffs (7.63), rookie game (11.83 on 1983-12-04 CLE)
* Rush Yds/Att: playoff season (6.73 in 1986)
* 300+ yard passing games: career (40), playoffs (4), rookie season (1; with
Marlin Briscoe
Marlin Oliver Briscoe (September 10, 1945 – June 27, 2022), nicknamed "the Magician", was an American professional football player who was a quarterback and wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football Leagu ...
and
Tim Tebow)
* Most Total Offensive Yards: 54,882 yards (51,475 passing, 3,407 rushing)
* Most Total Touchdowns: 334 (300 passing, 33 rushing, 1 receiving)
* Most Total Plays: 8,027
* Winning Percentage: .641 (148–82–1)
Hall of Fame
On August 8, 2004, Elway was inducted into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...
. He was elected in his first year of eligibility. He was presented by his eldest daughter Jessica. He was inducted into the
College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
Career highlights
* In 1979, Elway was drafted out of high school by the
Kansas City Royals to play
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
.
George Brett
George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player who played all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a third baseman for the Kansas City Royals.
Brett's 3,154 career hits are second- ...
, the future
Hall of Fame third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system u ...
for the Royals, is said to have remarked, "I hope this guy plays football."
* In the 1981 MLB Draft, Elway was selected by the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
in the second round. The following year, he played
outfield in 42 games for the
Oneonta Yankees
Oneonta may refer to several places:
Communities
*Oneonta, New York, A small city and inspiration for some of the other "Oneontas"
*Oneonta (town), New York, a town that surrounds the City of Oneonta
*Oneonta, Alabama, Blount County
* Oneonta, Ke ...
of the Class A
New York–Penn League.
He had a .318
batting average, with four
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s, 13 stolen bases, and a team-high 25
RBI.
* In the
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983, at the New York S ...
, Elway was selected as the first overall pick by the
Baltimore Colts, and on May 2 was traded to the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
.
* On January 11, 1987, Elway executed "The Drive"—a last-ditch, five-minute, 15-play, 98-yard touchdown drive in the AFC Championship against the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conferenc ...
to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, leading to an overtime win by field goal (by
Rich Karlis
Richard John Karlis (born May 23, 1959) is a former American football placekicker who played nine seasons for the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions in the National Football League from 1982 to 1990. He played college football a ...
) for the Broncos. It included six passes made (nine attempted), five rushes and an eight-yard sack. He was named the NFL Most Valuable Player and the AFC Offensive MVP.
* Elway is the only player to throw over 3,000 yards and rush for over 200 yards in seven straight seasons (1985–1991).
* Elway was named the AFC Offensive MVP in 1993 when he passed for 4,030 yards and 25 touchdowns. He had a quarterback rating of 92.8.
* In 1997, Elway led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl win in
Super Bowl XXXII. His three previous attempts in Super Bowls
XXI,
XXII
22 (twenty-two) is the natural number following 21 and preceding 23.
In mathematics
22 is a palindromic number and the eighth semiprime; its proper divisors are 1, 2, and 11. It is the second Smith number, the second Erdős–Woods numbe ...
, and
XXIV were unsuccessful.
* Elway is one of only two players to rush for a touchdown in four Super Bowls (XXI, XXIV, XXXII, XXXIII). Thurman Thomas is the other.
* On January 31, 1999, in
Super Bowl XXXIII, Elway passed for 336 yards in a 34-19 victory over the
Atlanta Falcons. He was named the
Super Bowl MVP.
* Elway was selected to the
Pro Bowl nine times during his 16 seasons with the Broncos, a franchise record.
* Over his professional career, Elway led Denver to 35 comeback wins in the 4th quarter & overtime, tied for third with
Johnny Unitas.
["Quarterbacks and fourth quarter comebacks, Part 1"](_blank)
, Pro-Football-Reference.com
* Elway's 148 wins place him fourth behind
Peyton Manning,
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 2010 ...
, and
Tom Brady for career wins among quarterbacks.
* Elway was sacked 516 times, second to Favre for most times sacked in NFL history.
* Elway's 300 career touchdown passes places him twelfth behind Favre,
Dan Marino,
Fran Tarkenton,
Peyton Manning,
Tom Brady,
Drew Brees,
Eli Manning,
Philip Rivers,
Aaron Rodgers,
Matt Ryan, and
Ben Roethlisberger.
* Elway is one of six quarterbacks to pass for at least 3,000 yards in 12 seasons; Favre, Marino, Brees, Brady, and Manning are the others.
* On January 31, 2004, Elway was elected into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...
.
* Elway's No. 7 Stanford Cardinal jersey was retired on November 7, 2013 at halftime during the Stanford-Oregon game.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
Super Bowl
Business activities
Elway was co-owner of the Arena Football team
Colorado Crush from their inception in 2002 until the cancellation of the
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
after the
2008 season. In February 2007, Elway was elected chairman of the AFL's executive committee. On August 4, 2009, the Arena Football League announced an indefinite suspension of operations. Elway was one of the 17 remaining franchise owners that voted to suspend operations indefinitely.
Elway is the owner of four steakhouse
restaurants, each named "Elway's": One is located in the upscale Cherry Creek shopping district, one in the
Ritz-Carlton Hotel in downtown Denver, one in
Vail
Vail is a home rule municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,835 in 2020. Home to Vail Ski Resort, the largest ski mountain in Colorado, the town is known for its hotels, dining, and for the numer ...
, and one in the
Denver International Airport.
[espn.com]
Elway expands business empire, opening new steakhouse
/ref>
Elway owned five auto dealerships, called John Elway Autos, in the Denver area. He sold them to AutoNation
AutoNation is an American automotive retailer based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which provides new and pre-owned vehicles and associated services in the United States. The company was founded by Wayne Huizenga in 1996, starting with twelve A ...
Inc. in 1997 for $82.5 million. In December 2006, Elway ended a nine-year licensing agreement with AutoNation, removing his name from Denver-area dealerships. At the time, Elway said the move could allow him to get back into the auto business under his own name. He still owns two Toyota Scion dealerships, one in Manhattan Beach, California and another in Ontario, California, a Chevrolet dealership in Englewood, Colorado, and a Chrysler
Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automotiv ...
Jeep dealership in Greeley, Colorado. Elway acquired a Cadillac franchise from Sonic Automotive
Sonic Automotive is a Fortune 500 company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is the fifth largest automotive retailer in the United States as measured by total revenues. The company was founded by O Bruton Smith and completed its initial p ...
in 2014.
In September 2008, Elway became the spokesperson for OpenSports.com.
Elway had LASIK
LASIK or Lasik (''laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis''), commonly referred to as laser eye surgery or laser vision correction, is a type of refractive surgery for the correction of myopia, hyperopia, and an actual cure for astigmatism (eye), ...
eye surgery and endorsed Icon LASIK in the Denver area in November 2008.
Elway currently offers his commentary on the Broncos and the NFL season as a whole Friday mornings during the football season on 87.7 The Ticket in Denver.
Elway is part of a national awareness campaign about Dupuytren's contracture, with which he was diagnosed in 2004.
Executive career
In December 2010, Elway expressed interest in working as the Broncos' top football executive, after having dinner with Broncos owner Pat Bowlen. However, he expressed no interest in being a head coach or general manager after Josh McDaniels' firing, saying, "I'm not interested in being a head coach. I'm not interested in being a general manager. I don't have that kind of experience to be able to pick those players day in and day out and such."
On January 5, 2011, Elway was named general manager and executive vice president of football operations of the Broncos, with the final say in all football matters. In this capacity, he reports to team president Joe Ellis
Josiah Wear Ellis (born November 16, 1957) is a former American football executive who was the president and CEO of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL).
College
Ellis received his bachelor's degree from Colorado College ...
and is the immediate supervisor for the head coach of the team. General manager Brian Xanders
Brian Xanders (born April 10, 1971) is an American football executive and former Florida State football player. He is the former general manager for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL), and currently is a Senior Personnel E ...
was actually retained, but served mostly in an advisory role to Elway. Xanders left the team after the 2011 season, and Elway assumed the role of general manager which gave him complete control over the football side of the Broncos operation.
Under Elway's management, the team signed free agent quarterback Peyton Manning, who was just released by the Indianapolis Colts. In four seasons from 2012 to 2015, the Broncos won four division titles, two AFC Championships, and reached Super Bowl XLVIII where they were soundly defeated 43-8 by the Seattle Seahawks despite holding the regular season's top offense.
Elway responded to the Super Bowl loss by signing defensive end DeMarcus Ware
DeMarcus Omar Ware (born July 31, 1982) is an American former football outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Troy University and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 11th overall pick in th ...
, cornerback Aqib Talib, and safety T. J. Ward
Terrell Ray "T. J." Ward Jr. (born December 12, 1986) is a former American football safety who played for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oregon, and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the s ...
for the 2014 season. After losing in the divisional playoffs to the Indianapolis Colts, Elway dismissed John Fox, who won four divisional championships in his four years as Broncos head coach.
Elway hired Gary Kubiak, his former backup quarterback and former Broncos offensive coordinator, as the new head coach for the 2015 season. Elway and Kubiak also brought back Wade Phillips, a former Broncos head coach, for his second stint as the team's defensive coordinator. Elway won a third Super Bowl as part of the Broncos franchise, on February 7, 2016, when Denver defeated the Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
24-10 in Super Bowl 50. This gave him his first Super Bowl win as Executive VP/GM, to go along with the two he won as the team's quarterback.
In 2017, Elway received the Mizel Institute Award for his philanthropic contributions to Denver and the state of Colorado.
Elway tested positive for COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
in November 2020, and returned to the team on November 12. Following the 2020 season, Elway announced that he would step down as general manager but continue to serve as the Broncos' president of football operations. He was succeeded as general manager by George Paton.
In February 2022, Elway would take on a new position as an outside consultant that reports directly to Paton.
Family
Elway married Janet Buchan, who attended Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
and competed on its swimming team, in 1984. They separated in 2002 and divorced in 2003. They have four children: Jessica, Jordan, Jack, and Juliana.
Elway's twin sister, Jana, developed lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, mali ...
and died at the age of 42 in the summer of 2002. John's father, Jack, died of an apparent heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
a year earlier.
Elway met former Oakland Raiders cheerleader Paige Green in 2005 at a celebrity golf tournament held by former Raiders running back Marcus Allen in Los Angeles. They were engaged in Italy in September 2008, and married in August 2009.
See also
* Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame
* List of gridiron football quarterbacks passing statistics
* List of multi-sport athletes
* List of NCAA major college football yearly passing leaders
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
ESPN Sportscentury bio
Elway's Restaurant
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elway, John
1960 births
Living people
All-American college football players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
American football quarterbacks
American philanthropists
American restaurateurs
Arena Football League executives
Baseball players from California
Baseball players from Denver
Baseball players from Washington (state)
Businesspeople from California
Businesspeople from Denver
Businesspeople from Washington (state)
College Football Hall of Fame inductees
Colorado Republicans
Denver Broncos executives
Denver Broncos players
Ed Block Courage Award recipients
Granada Hills Charter High School alumni
National Football League first-overall draft picks
National Football League general managers
National Football League Most Valuable Player Award winners
National Football League players with retired numbers
Oneonta Yankees players
People from Englewood, Colorado
People from Granada Hills, Los Angeles
People from Las Animas County, Colorado
People from Port Angeles, Washington
People from the San Fernando Valley
Players of American football from California
Players of American football from Denver
Players of American football from Washington (state)
Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
Sportspeople from Denver
Sportspeople from Los Angeles County, California
Sportspeople from Missoula, Montana
Stanford Cardinal baseball players
Stanford Cardinal football players
Super Bowl MVPs
American twins
Twin sportspeople