John Elway‘s entry to the NFL was controversial.
He was drafted by the Baltimore Colts but chose not to play there.
Instead, the Stanford alumnus used his leverage of playing baseball instead of football.
Eventually, Elway was traded to the Denver Broncos in exchange for offensive lineman Chris Hinton, quarterback Mark Hermann, and a 1984 first-rounder which turned out to be Ron Solt.
It was in the Mile High City that Elway established a career that led to his enshrinement to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
NFL insider Dov Kleiman took note of his achievements on his 62nd birthday.
The most notable of which was his two Super Bowl victories during the 1997 and 1998 seasons.
Early in his career, it looked like he couldn’t win the big one after losing his first three appearances in the big game.
However, it took a special group of players to help him win the title he deserved.
Former Broncos owner Pat Bowlen was right when he said, “This one’s for John,” before handing the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Elway.
Since then, Elway has contributed to the Broncos’ front office as general manager and executive vice president of football operations.
Currently, he is the team’s president of football operations.
Leaving An Imprint On The Current Squad
Elway has an opportunity to lead the current group of Broncos who could stay toe-to-toe with the NFL’s best.
Russell Wilson‘s addition is key to their emergence because he could maximize their underperforming offense.
They have the talent to become one of the league’s top teams.
Aside from his role in the front office, Elway can give the players some pointers on how to win a championship.
If the Broncos do win Super Bowl LVII, it would be the best post-birthday gift that he will receive.
More must-reads: