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John Elway

Joshua Silvia
2–3 minutes
John Elway in his Denver Broncos uniform — 1987 NFL MVP, two-time Super Bowl champion, and the architect of more 4th-quarter game-winning drives than any quarterback before him
Photo: Photograph: staff sergeant Bradley Lail, United States Air Force Derivative work: Gogus · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
NFL · Hall of Fame

John Elway

John Albert Elway Jr.

2× Super Bowl champion. 1987 NFL MVP. 9× Pro Bowl. 47 career 4th-quarter comebacks (record at retirement). The Drive. The Helicopter.

Position
Quarterback
Size
6'3" · 215 lb
Born
Jun 28, 1960 · Port Angeles, Washington
Drafted
1983 · pick 1
51,475
Passing Yards
300
Touchdowns
226
Interceptions
56.9
Completion Pct
79.9
Passer Rating

John Elway spent his entire 16-year NFL career with the Denver Broncos after publicly refusing to play for the Baltimore Colts (who drafted him #1 overall in 1983) and being traded one week later. He's a two-time Super Bowl champion (XXXII and XXXIII, both at the end of his career), the 1987 NFL MVP, and the holder of 47 career 4th-quarter comebacks at his 1998 retirement — the all-time record for any quarterback to that point, surpassed only by Peyton Manning in 2010 and now by Brady. The 1983 Draft class he headlined included Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, and Tony Eason — three of whom became Hall of Famers. Elway later served as Broncos GM (2011-2020), drafting Von Miller and trading for Peyton Manning.

Career

1983-1998Denver Broncos16 seasons in Denver after refusing to play for the Colts (who drafted him #1 overall in 1983). Five Super Bowl appearances; lost the first three (XXI, XXII, XXIV) by lopsided margins, won the last two (XXXII, XXXIII) back-to-back to close his career. Retired in 1999 with two rings, an MVP, and the all-time records for QB wins (148) and 4th-quarter comebacks (47).

Honors & Awards

2× Super Bowl Champion (XXXII, XXXIII) Super Bowl XXXIII MVP 1987 NFL MVP 9× Pro Bowl 1× All-Pro First Team Pro Football Hall of Fame (2004, first ballot) NFL 1990s All-Decade Team Broncos retired #7 jersey (1999)

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