Located in the mile high city of Denver, CO, the
Denver Broncos are one of the NFL's most successful football
franchises. They began play in 1960 as an original member of the old
AFL and became part of the NFL when the two leagues merged. This
storied football team is a member of the AFC Western Division and has
been a part of 6 Super Bowls during this time, winning 2 of them. Let's
take a brief look at the history of the Denver Broncos football team.
Success
wasn't always with the Broncos. During their first 13 years, the team
never had a winning record. Then beginning in the late 70s this
football team began a run of Super Bowl appearances. Although their
first 4 Super Bowls resulted in lopsided defeats, they were able to win
back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997 and 98. The team continues to this day
to be among the NFL's elite.
Playing their football games in Mile
High Stadium, the team had a distinct home field advantage. Mile High
Stadium was the loudest stadium in all of football with good reason.
The flooring was made of steel instead of concrete. The sound was
deafening to opposing players and coaches. And with their nicknamed
"Orange Crush" defense, it's little wonder why this team was so
dominant. Mile High Stadium lasted from 1960 until 2000 and was then
replaced by the new Invesco Field at Mile High.
Although Denver
had begin to experience a little success in the late 70s, it wasn't
until 1983 when they truly became a powerful organization with the
arrival of the great John Elway at quarterback. Under his leadership
the team went on to 5 Super Bowls. As talented as John Elway was in
football, he was also drafted at the same time by the New York Yankees
to play baseball. John made the decision to stick with football and the
rest is history.
Hall of Fame
The Broncos have only 3
football Hall of Fame players. The first one was Willie Brown, who
played with the team from 1963-66 at CB. Next is Tony Dorsett, who
played his only season with the team in 1988. Finally, there is John
Elway, who played from 1983-1998.
Other very good football
players for the Broncos over the years include: Gene Mingo (the first
African-American kicker in the NFL in 1960) Floyd Little Lionel Taylor
Rich Jackson Charley Johnson Frank Tripucka Paul Smith Billy Thompson
Craig Morton Jim Turner Haven Moses Tom Jackson Randy Gradishar Louis
Wright Dennis Smith Steve Atwater Karl Mecklenburg Gary Zimmerman
Terrell Davis Shannon Sharpe Jason Elam
Mike Shanahan, who has
also guided the team to their 2 Super Bowl wins, coaches the Broncos.
The Denver football team is also known for their prolific running
backs, including two who surpassed the 1,000 yard mark in the same
season.
With another strong draft in 2006, the Denver Broncos
should continue to experience success in the NFL for years to come.
Cheered on by a fan base that is among the most loyal in all of
football, this team has come to expect this success, year after year.
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