Starting Up: Bob Howsman owned the minor league baseball team the Denver Bears, and in 1959 expanded Bears Stadium to 34,000 seats in preparation for hosting a team for the upstart Continental League. But as I mentioned in the Mets profile, the Continental League went tits up before it even started. So Howsman now had a stadium fit for a major league team that didn't have a major league tenant and was too big for a minor league team like the Bears. So how do you fix that mess? Get in the football business apparently.
Howsman lobbied the NFL to bring an expansion team to Denver, but George Halas rejected him. Halas wouldn't let Howsman in the club, so Howsman got his friends together and started his own club. Howsman was one of the original owners in what wound up being the American Football League, and the Denver Broncos, Howsman's team, was one of its charter franchises. So yeah, the Broncos, and by extension an entire professional sports league, was started up because of rich people essentially getting in dick measuring contests with each other.
Greatest Runs
The Orange Crush Era (1976-1981): The Broncos adopted the 3-4 defense before the 1976 season (where there are three defensive linemen and four linebackers on the field) and laid waste to opposing offenses. Led by players like Lyle Alzado, Randy Gadishar, Tom Jackson and Louis Wright, the Broncos' D secured the team it's first playoff berth, division title and Super Bowl appearance, all in the 1977 season.
Elway Comes to Mile High (1983-1989): John Elway was selected with the number one overall pick in the 1983 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts. Elway, however, wanted nothing to do with playing in a crappy stadium while on a crappy team owned by an acerbic drunk. So the Colts traded him to the Broncos in exchange for offensive lineman Chris Hinton (who was the Broncos' first round pick that year), backup quarterback Mark Herrmann and a first round pick in the following year's draft. Elway, to put it mildly, completely justified his first overall selection by leading the Broncos to the playoffs in his rookie season and the following year rocketed the Broncos to their first division title since 1978. To close the 80s out, the team went to three Super Bowls in four years.
The Most Dominant Team in Football (1996-1998): Coach Mike Shanahan took over an extremely talented Broncos team in 1995, and by the following year, turned the team into one of the best of the decade. The Broncos won 39 games between 1996 and 1998, the most ever over a three year span. Led by a now much older and savvy John Elway and an historically dominant running game, the Broncos finally won their first Super Bowl after the 1997 season. Then they did it again the next year. The 1998 Broncos were one of the best teams of the Super Bowl era, winning a team high 14 games in the regular season and thoroughly dominating its competition in the postseason (the team's smallest margin of victory in their three postseason games was 13, and they outscored their opponents 95-32).
Manning Comes to Mile High (2012-Present): Upon being released by the Indianapolis Colts following the 2011 season, Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos (hall of fame quarterbacks seem to have a habit of falling into the Broncos' laps by way of the Colts). Manning was coming off of major neck surgery and had missed the entire 2011 season. There was no telling if he'd be as good as once was, or even league average due to the injury. After the team went 2-3 to start his Broncos career, Manning proceeded to go into beast mode and shattered NFL records while the team has gone 24-3 in the regular season since the first five games of 2012. The Broncos gambled on Manning returning to his pre-injury form and won big time. If they win the Super Bowl or not, this era of the team must be considered a tremendous success.
Leanest Years
The AFL Years And A Bit After As Well (1960-1972): The Broncos were a charter member of the AFL and never caught a break in its ten year history. The Broncos accumulated an appallingly bad 39-97-4 (.287) record during their time in the AFL, far and away the worst record among the original eight AFL teams (the Boston Patriots had the second worst record, but had 24 more wins than the Broncos). Things didn't improve upon entering the NFL- if anything, it got worse because the Broncos flirted with respectability. The Broncos started the 1970 season with a 4-1 record. They finished the year off in last place in the AFC West with a record of 5-8-1. Over the next few seasons, the Broncos were merely bad or mediocre with no other pretensions suggesting otherwise.
The Post Elway Era (1999-2008): This one is kind of cheap, because the Broncos were actually one of the more successful teams in the NFL during this period, give or take a couple of seasons. But it must be mentioned due to the sheer amount of tension that existed in the locker room during the last ten years of Mike Shanahan's stay as head coach. After John Elway retired, the next ten years in the mile high city consisted of Shanahan finding a quarterback, replacing that quarterback with a new one, then going back to the first one, then the second one, rinse, repeat. As such, just about every Broncos signal caller had a public feud with Shanahan. Yes the team still won games, but it wasn't nearly as successful as it was in Shanahan's first years as head coach, and that was mainly due to the fact that Shanahan was the oil to the Broncos' quarterback's water.
The Josh McDaniels "Era" (2009-2010): Shanahan was fired after the 2008 season and was replaced with New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Any hope that McDaniels would not bring baggage to Denver were quickly dashed when McDaniels, in a remarkable display of shortsighted hubris, drove starting quarterback Jay Cutler, star receiver Brandon Marshall and running back Peyton Hillis out of town. However, all the animosity fans may have had towards the Broncos' new coach were quelled when the team started the 2009 season 6-0. The animosity came screaming back when the team collapsed after returning from their bye week and finished the season 8-8 and missed the playoffs, making them just the second team since 1990 to start a season 6-0 and miss the playoffs. But not to worry! McDaniels had the solution to the team's troubles: Florida quarterback and P.R. lightning rod Tim Tebow! Despite the addition of DeMaryius Thomas earlier in the first round, the Broncos still struggled (even with Tebow's enviable ability of throwing wildly inaccurate passes). (To be fair, Tebow only started three games that season and the team tanked mostly due to having statically the worst defense in the league that year. Still, Tebow? Really?) One 3-9 start and a videotaping scandal later, McDaniels was fired and the Broncos finished the year 4-12, the worst record during a full 16 game schedule in team history. One more indignity- there are only three players currently on the Broncos' roster from McDaniels' 2009 draft. Out of ten. No good.
Names You Should Know
Floyd Little: The Franchise! Little was drafted by the Broncos in the 1967 common draft between the NFL and AFL. Little immediately made an impact by being named as a team captain during his rookie season. When he retired, his 6,323 rushing yards, while unimpressive today, was the seventh most ever gained by a running back to that point. It must be stated that Little was a huge deal for the Broncos, as he was the team's first real star, giving fans a reason to go to games. His number 44 was retired by the club (he was just the second player to receive that honor after inaugural quarterback Frank Tripuka's number 18) and he was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
Tom Jackson: Before you ask, yes, as in "ESPN's Tom Jackson." Before he babbled incessantly on television screens, Tom Jackson kicked the shit of people as part of the Broncos' famed Orange Crush defense. Jackson played for a long time and was one of just four players that played for the Broncos in both Super Bowl XII and Super Bowl XXI. All in all, Jackson was very durable, playing in 191 of a possible 207 games (92.3%). No defensive player has played more games for the Broncos than Jackson.
Randy Gradishar: The best linebacker from the Orange Crush era of Broncos teams. Gradishar played ten seasons and went to seven Pro Bowls (do the math) and was selected 1st Team All-Pro twice. He was one of the most respected linebackers of his day (if his Wikipedia page is to be believed; that's a LONG legacy section) and is one of the best eligible players that isn't in the hall of fame. There's no way I did him justice with this blurb. Seriously, look him up.
Dan Reeves: The guy on the left. Reeves coached the team from 1981 to 1992 and crafted them into one of the most consistently good teams in the league. The Broncos under Reeves won five division titles and earned six playoff appearances while posting double digit wins seven times and just two losing records. Reeves guided the Broncos to three Super Bowls in four years in 1986, 1987 and 1989, although, the Broncos were usually handled in embarrassing fashion in the big game. Reeves coached uninterrupted from '81 until 2003, and currently ranks ninth all-time in coaching wins with 190.
John Elway: THE Denver Bronco. Elway spent his entire 16 year career with the Broncos after orchestrating his way out of Baltimore as detailed above. In that time, he cemented himself as one of the best quarterbacks in football history and is still in the top ten in most relevant quarterback records. Elway suffered terrible defeats in his first three Super Bowls and often played terribly on the biggest stage. However, his career ended in Cinderella fashion when the Broncos won back to back Super Bowls from 1997 to 1998 and Elway was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII, the final meaningful game of his career (he played in the 1999 Pro Bowl a week later). His number 7 was retired by the team and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004. And now he's the president of the whole damn team! It's good to be John Elway.
Karl Mecklenburg: Arguably the best defensive player during the Elway era. Mecklenburg was the AFC's equivalent of Mike Singletary- he was an absolute beast that tackled everyone in sight and picked his teeth with the bones of orphans. I can't confirm that last one though. Mecklenburg also compiled 79 sacks, an unusually high total for a middle linebacker (EDIT: It's actually the most ever recorded by an inside linebacker since the sack became an official statistic in 1982). He was selected to six Pro Bowls (second most of any linebacker in team history behind only Randy Gradishar) and was 1st Team All-Pro three times (the most of any Broncos linebacker).
Shannon Sharpe: When he retired, Shannon Sharpe was, at least from a statistical standpoint, the greatest tight end in football history. Then Tony Gonzalez went and obliterated all of his records. Such is life for a pro athlete. But that shouldn't diminish what an amazing career he had. He retired as the Broncos' all-time receptions leader (which is pretty freaking remarkable for a tight end) and is one of only two tight ends to record at least eleven 50 reception seasons (you'll be shocked, but the only other one is Tony Gonzalez, although Antonio Gates and Jason Witten are creeping up on the record themselves). Sharpe is also tied with Lionel Taylor for the most 1st Team All-Pro selections in Broncos history with four. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Mike Shanahan: The winningest coach in Broncos history with 138 wins. Shanahan feuded with just about every quarterback he ever coached either publicly (Bubby Brister, Brian Griese, Jake Plummer, and most recently Robert Griffin III in Washington), or privately (Elway). Another quirk of his was a seemingly innate ability to be able to turn late-round or undrafted running backs into 1,000 yard rushers (most famously and effectively with Terrell Davis). Despite his control freak tenancies, Shanahan is one of only six coaches to win back-to-back Super Bowls and has the twelfth most wins for a coach in football history with 170.
Tom Nalen: A cornerstone on the offensive line for over a decade, Nalen played in 194 of a possible 224 games (pretty good for an offensive lineman). He also has two 1st Team All-Pro (tied with Ryan Clady for the most for a Broncos O-lineman) and five Pro Bowl selections (the most for an O-lineman). Nalen also personified the Broncos O-line of the time with chippy play that was occasionally called dirty by other teams.
Terrell Davis: He only played seven seasons, but he's one of the best running backs in NFL history. Davis was scary dominant from 1996 to 1998. He won an MVP, two Offensive Player of the Year awards, a Super Bowl MVP, and rushed for 5,296 yards and 49 touchdowns. The Broncos offense went through TD, and without him, I doubt very much that those Broncos teams could've made those Super Bowls, let alone win them. His career was tragically cut short when he destroyed his knee making a routine tackle in 1999, and he only had four seasons of spectacular play. Despite this, he was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame every year for his first seven years of eligibility and will likely go in at some point. Rightfully so.
Five Current Guys You Should Know
Five Current Guys You Should Know
Champ Bailey: A cornerstone in the Broncos' secondary for a decade and almost guaranteed future-hall-of-famer. Bailey was traded to the Broncos from the Washington Redskins after the 2003 season and preceded to have some of the best seasons of his career. All three of his 1st Team All-Pro selections came in his first three seasons with the Broncos and he intercepted 21 passes in that span. His twelve Pro Bowl selections are the most ever for a cornerback and he is one of just 39 players to have intercepted 50 or more passes in his career (he currently has 52).
Knowshon Moreno: Taken in the first round of Josh McDaniel's much maligned 2009 draft, Moreno was thought of as a bust before this season. He had never rushed for 1,000 yards in a season and had gained just 2,430 yards in four seasons. However, Moreno had a good season this year, starting 15 games, rushing for 1,038 yards at 4.3 yards a pop, and scoring ten touchdowns, all career highs (his Y/A in 2011 was 4.8, but he only had 37 rushing attempts the whole year). Moreno made the Broncos' offense more balanced and thus, far more dangerous.
DeMaryius Thomas: The Broncos' first selection in the 2010 draft, and it was a good one. Thomas didn't really make a peep in the NFL until the 2011 playoffs, when he caught the game winning touchdown in the Broncos' overtime home victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. While sadly making people forget that Tim Tebow is a terrible quarterback, the play showed how talented a receiver Thomas truly is. With the arrival of Peyton Manning the following season, Thomas' career numbers were more than doubled. He's had back-to-back 90+ catch seasons and has hauled in 24 TDs (four times his career total over his first two seasons). He's made the Pro Bowl each of the last two seasons and so long as there's a viable quarterback in the Broncos' huddle, Thomas will likely continue to have success.
Von Miller: For the five current players list, I wanted to limit my selections to people who will directly participate in the Super Bowl. But I'm making an exception for this exceptional player. The second overall pick in the 2011 draft, Miller has steamrolled his way into opposing quarterbacks ever since. He has 35 sacks in his first three seasons. I'm too lazy to see how high he ranks on the sacks list since 2011, but I've got to assume he's pretty high. Miller also has the rare distinction for being selected to a Pro Bowl in his rookie season while also being named the 2011 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Miller was suspended for the first six games of the 2013 season for trying to cheat a drug test and played in nine games before tearing his ACL. The injury was a real blow to the Broncos' defense, as he's easily the team's best player on that side of the ball.
Peyton Manning: Arguably the greatest quarterback in football history. Manning has played just as well as he did with the Colts in these last two seasons despite coming off of what was believed to be career ending neck surgery. Manning's 2013 season was one of the greatest single-season performances for a quarterback in history. He threw for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns, both NFL records. In his two seasons as a Bronco, Manning has thrown 92 touchdowns to just 21 interceptions. He will very likely win his record fifth NFL MVP this year, which would be yet another notch in his hall of fame belt.
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That does it for the Broncos. Swing by the blog on Thursday to read up on their Super Bowl opponents, the Seattle Seahawks.
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