John Elway was the type of player that people will continue to talk about for generations to come. He had what it takes to mount frantic last-minute comebacks, and he could quickly get out of the pocket to buy overtime and avoid dismissal. Not only was he a great rushing quarterback, Elway had one of the strongest arms of any quarterback in history. To give you an example of the kind of player John Elway was, let me take you to the 1986 AFC championship game. The Broncos were down 20-13 and were stuck at their own two-yard line. What did you have to tell your teammates at the meeting? Elway said, “We have them right where we want them.” A trip to the Super Bowl was on the line, and he had to work against the weather, the cold, the wind, the crowd, the clock and the Cleveland Browns.
With everything stacked against him, John Elway went the length of the field in 15 plays, finishing with a Mark Jackson touchdown catch to tie the game. With just one possession in overtime, he got the Broncos into scoring position to set up the game-winning field goal. The Browns had just been “Elwayed”
4 years earlier, no one would have imagined that Elway would be in this situation. After being drafted No. 1 in the NFL by the Colts, Elway turned down his offers and signed a contract with the Broncos. The fans immediately expected miracles. Reality set in and the young Elway produced too many late game penalties and threw too many interceptions at critical moments in the game. Soon Elway was benched.
That offseason he had the offensive playbook with him night and day. In fact, he slept with his playbook. From that offseason, Elway began producing more than any other quarterback in his era.
Interesting facts about John Elway
- At the age of 16, he starred on his high school’s baseball and football teams. He throws to the right as a quarterback, but scores goals to the left as a baseball player.
- At the age of 20, Elway became an All American at Stanford. He was also drafted by the Kansas City Royals the same year.
- Drafted by the New York Yankees at the age of 21
- He’s over .318 in the minors. Drafted by the Colts but traded to the Denver Broncos.
- Elway was one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the NFL. He set a record when he passed for more than 3,000 yards and also rushed for more than 200 yards each year from 1984-1991.
Timeline Biography
- 1982 – Loss .318 for the NY Yankees field team. Named All American QB for the second time.
- 1985 – Throws for 3,891 yards and 22 touchdowns
- 1987 – Records 83.4 QB Rating
- 1992 – Obtains his 30,000th passing yard and his 150th touchdown.