NFL

The Denver Broncos are another football team who have experienced the highs and lows of the NFL throughout their history. Founded in 1959 in the AFL, then merged with the NFL in 1970, the Broncos had the worst record of the original eight teams of the AFL with a dismal 39-97-4. The franchise didn’t begin on the right foot. Bow Howsam was struggling financially so he gave his new football used, worn jerseys from the Copper Bowl in Tuscan, AZ with vertical striped socks. The socks were so bad, two years later they were burned in a public ceremony. The support of the team influenced the decision to keep the Broncos in Denver with offers to move the team to Atlanta.It wasn’t until 1973 the Denver Broncos had their first winning season of 7-5-2. This was the turning point for th Broncos franchise which would lead to more successful seasons to come. In 1977 the Broncos won the AFC Division title starting a streak of seven division titles in fourteen years.
Mile High Stadium which held its last season in 2000 was home to record sellouts and was one of the bright spots for the team despite there mediocre success in the early years. Opposing teams found playing at Mile High to be difficult do to the high altitude in Denver.

The 1980′s brought new founded success Bronco fans were not use to. John Elway who was drafted in by the Baltimore Colts in 1983 never played for them but traded to the Broncos. During the 1980′s John Elway would lead the Broncos to three Super Bowls XXI, XXII, and XXIV but losing everyone. John Elway was on the verge of going down in football history as the greatest quarterback never to win the Super Bowl. Nearly ten years after the Broncos last Super Bowl loss they reached football supremacy reaching Super Bowls XXXII, and XXXIII, winning both. Elway ended his Hall of Fame career as the Super Bowl XXXIII Most Valuable Player. Elway lead the Broncos to many fourth quarter comebacks and holds every significant quarterback record for the Broncos. John Elways is famous for “The Drive” against the Cleveland Browns in the 1987 AFC Championship game. The scoring drive was 15 plays covering 98 yards in leading to a overtime field goal for the win.

Following the Elway Era the Broncos have had fleeting success. The Broncos have made the plaoffs but never made it back to the Super Bowl and only one AFC Championship game, only winning one playoff game since Elway’s retirement. The Broncos have been a good team during the 2000′s but have been eliminated by better teams in the AFC including the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers, teams who eventually won the Super Bowl this decade.

The Denver Broncos have only had one Hall of Fame player to date which is John Elway. While John Elway might have spoiled Bronco fans with his success leading the team to many victories, the Broncos have a optimistic view of their future.