Denver Broncos

 

The Denver Broncos have always been a top rival team for those of the AFC, and ever since they joined the NFL in 1970, they have been part of the AFC West. They were originally established in 1959 by a man named Bob Howsam, a minor league baseball owner with high hoped of creating a football franchise in Denver. The team headquarters are located in the Paul D. Bowlen Memorial Broncos Centre in Dove Valley, Colorado. They play their home game at the Sports Authority Field at Mile High, also known as the INVESCO Field. Their team colors are and have been easy to recognize, Orange, Navy, and White. The Broncos had a great lineage of mascots, as they use real horses; the current horse is called Thunder II, in memory of his predecessor. The Broncos go a step further and have a second mascot, Miles, a huge horse with all of the Bronco equipment on and has been pumping up fans since 1999.

 

Broncos Brief Team History

The Broncos started up in 1959 with the help and vision of minor league team owner Bob Howsam. They first joined the AFL, and played with them until the NFL – AFL merger happened in 1970, where the Broncos shifted over to the NFL. During their time with the AFL, the Broncos were not as good as they would come to be in the NFL; having a record of 39 – 97 – 4 during their time in the AFL. When they finally did join the NFL, there was a huge surge from 1970 until 1982, where the team got extremely better and where they got the nickname of “Orange Crush”, as their defense was something to look at in awe. During that time, they made their first playoff and Super Bowl appearance in 1977; they were defeated by the Dallas Cowboys in the end. The team underwent several ownership changes throughout the years, and the current owner is Pat Bowlen, a great business man that saved the Broncos from bankruptcy in 1984.

A great quarterback would come to play for the Broncos from 1983 until 1998, that man was John Elway. He became a strong foundation for the team, as he led them to five Super Bowls, and actually winning two in consecutive years; 1997 and 1998, the year he decided to retire. Times began to change without Elway at the head of the team, but the Broncos managed fine. They did have a dry spell where they were not able to get into the playoffs, but by 2011 that had changed; especially since they have just acquired Peyton Manning to play for them during the 2012 season.

 

Notable Broncos Figures

From just the Broncos history, we can already see several players and important people that helped shape and influence the team.

 

Past Broncos Figures

 

Red Miller was the head coach that replaced John Ralston, and went on to take the Broncos and their amazing defense on to their first NFL playoffs and Super Bowl appearance in 1977. Even though they did not win the Super Bowl that year, Miller certainly left the impression that the Broncos would be a tough team to beat.

 

John Elway became the Broncos starting QB in 1983; after the team had 24 starting QB’s for its past 23 seasons.  Elway was an excellent leader and very efficient athlete, both of which are aspects one looks for in a quarterback. He led the Broncos to 5 Super Bowls, where he won 2 of the Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998, right before he retired. This man cemented the Broncos into the NFL and its records books forever.

 

Terrell Davis started his career as a Running Back for the Broncos in 1995, where he played a crucial part in their two Super Bowl wins. During the 1998 Super Bowl, he managed to become the NFL MVP and the Super Bowl MVP, as well as winning the Offensive Player of the Year award in 1997 and 1998. He was even the first player in Super Bowl history to score three rushing touchdowns.

 

Present Broncos Figures

 

Peyton Manning was an amazing quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, so when he moved to the Broncos, were all expecting the same great skills. As with every new player, it takes time for them to adjust, and Manning is already starting to be a great asset for the Broncos. Let’s hope that his laser-rocket arm will help the Broncos get into the playoffs and possibly win the Super Bowl.

 

Willis McGahee is the Broncos current Running Back after getting traded from the Ravens in 2010. His 2011 season was excellent, being able to rush for over 1,000 yards, and it looks like during the 2012 season he will be able to get even better stats and scores. McGahee also acts a receiver, making him a versatile player.

 

Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker are both Wide Receivers for the Broncos and are on their third season playing for the team. Both of these players are surpassing expectations, as they have and will beat their previous playing records during the 2012 season. They have both been able to catch for great lengths, as well as prove their worth by the many touchdown catches they have.

 

Present Team Personnel

As mentioned before, the Broncos owner is Pat Bowlen, who along with his two brothers and sister, managed to buy the team from Edgar Kaiser, Jr. It was a great move for both Bowlen and the Broncos, as they were facing certain bankruptcy with the previous ownership. We have all seen the many great feats that this combination has achieved for the Broncos. Former QB, John Elway is currently part of their administrative team. The current head coach for the Broncos is John Fox, who started with the team in 2011.