John Elway facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
John Elway

Elway in 2021

No. 7

Position:

Quarterback

Personal information

Born:

June 28, 1960 (age 64)
Port Angeles, Washington, U.S.

Height:

6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)

Weight:

215 lb (98 kg)

Career information

High school:

Granada Hills
(Los Angeles, California)

College:

Stanford (1979–1982)

NFL Draft:

1983 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1

Career history

As player:

Denver Broncos (1983)

As executive:

Denver Broncos (2011)
General manager/Executive VP of football operations
Denver Broncos (2021)
President of football operations
Denver Broncos (2022)
Consultant

As administrator:

Colorado Crush (2003–2008)
Co-owner/CEO

Career highlights and awards

As a player

2× Super Bowl champion (XXXII, XXXIII)
Super Bowl MVP (XXXIII)
NFL Most Valuable Player (1987)
NFL Man of the Year (1992)
3× Second-team All-Pro (1987, 1993, 1996)
9× Pro Bowl (1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996–1998)
NFL passing yards leader (1993)
NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
Denver Broncos Ring of Fame
Denver Broncos No. 7 retired
Sammy Baugh Trophy (1982)
Unanimous All-American (1982)
Third-team All-American (1980)
2× Pac-10 Player of the Year (1980, 1982)
Pop Warner Trophy (1982)
2× First-team All-Pac-10 (1980, 1982)
Second-team All-Pac-10 (1981)
Stanford Cardinal No. 7 retired

As an executive

Super Bowl champion (50)
ArenaBowl champion (XIX)

Career NFL statistics

Passing attempts:	7,250
Passing completions:	4,123
Completion percentage:	56.9%
TD–INT:	300–226
Passing yards:	51,475
Passer rating:	79.9
Rushing yards:	3,407
Rushing touchdowns:	33

Player stats at PFR

Pro Football Hall of Fame

College Football Hall of Fame

John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is a famous American former football quarterback. He played his entire 16-year career with the Denver Broncos in the National Football League (NFL). After retiring as a player, he worked for the Broncos in different leadership roles, even becoming their general manager. John Elway and former coach Gary Kubiak are the only people connected to all three of the Broncos' Super Bowl wins.

Many people think Elway is one of the best quarterbacks ever. When he retired in 1999, he had the most wins as a starting quarterback. He was also the second-best passer in NFL history by statistics. Elway was also good at running with the ball. He is one of only two players to score a rushing touchdown in four different Super Bowls. He is the only quarterback to do this.

While playing college football at Stanford University, Elway set many records for passing. He was also named an unanimous All-American, which means he was recognized as one of the best college players by all major selectors. He was the very first player picked in the 1983 NFL draft, a draft famous for its many talented quarterbacks. The Baltimore Colts picked him first, but then traded him to the Denver Broncos. In 1987, Elway made one of the most amazing plays in NFL history. He led a 98-yard drive to tie the AFC Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns. This play is now known as "The Drive". After that game, Elway and the Broncos lost Super Bowl XXI to the New York Giants.

After losing two more Super Bowls, the Broncos had a tough time for a while. But in the 1997 season, Elway led Denver to their first Super Bowl title. They beat the Green Bay Packers 31–24 in Super Bowl XXXII. The Broncos won again the next season in Super Bowl XXXIII, beating the Atlanta Falcons 34–19. Elway was named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of that Super Bowl. This was the last game of his playing career. He set a record by starting in five Super Bowls, which was later broken by Tom Brady in 2015. After he stopped playing, Elway became a general manager for the Broncos. During his time as an executive, the Broncos won four division titles and Super Bowl 50. This made Elway a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Broncos: two as a player and one as an executive. Elway was added to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

John Elway's Early Life
Playing Football in College
- College Stats
John Elway's NFL Career
John Elway's Career Stats
Beyond the Field: Business and More
Leading the Broncos: Executive Role
Images for kids
See also

John Elway's Early Life

John Elway and his twin sister, Jana, were born on June 28, 1960. They were born in Port Angeles, Washington. Their father, Jack Elway, was a football coach. The family moved several times because of his father's coaching jobs. John lived in places like Missoula, Montana, and Pullman, Washington.

Elway (number 11) playing for Granada Hills in 1978

In 1976, his family moved to Southern California. John played his last three years of high school at Granada Hills High School. Even though he missed five games due to a knee injury in his senior year, he still had 5,711 passing yards and 49 passing touchdowns. He was named to the Parade All America High School Football Team. Future NFL stars like quarterback Dan Marino were also on this team.

Elway was known as a dual-threat quarterback. This means he was good at both running and passing the ball. He was one of the most sought-after high school players in the country. He received many scholarship offers. He was also a talented baseball player. The Kansas City Royals picked him in the 1979 Major League Baseball draft.

Playing Football in College

In 1979, Elway went to Stanford University. He played for both the football and baseball teams. At Stanford, Elway's powerful passes were famous. Some players even said his passes left a "cross" mark on their chests from the ball's seams.

Elway was a backup quarterback in his first year. In his second year, he became the starting quarterback. He threw 27 touchdown passes, which was second-best in the NCAA. In his senior year in 1982, Stanford needed to win their last game to get into a bowl game. Elway led an amazing drive to set up what looked like the winning field goal. However, the other team, Cal, scored a touchdown on a wild play with many laterals. This play is now simply known as "The Play". Elway was very upset, saying the officials "ruined my last game."

Even though Elway never led his team to a bowl game, he had a great college career. In his four seasons (1979–1982), he completed 774 passes for 9,349 yards and 77 touchdowns. He also scored 5 rushing touchdowns. Stanford had a 20–23 record during his time there. Elway led the nation with 24 touchdown passes in 1982. He also held many Pacific-10 records for passing. He won the Pac-10 Player of the Year award twice. He was a unanimous All-American and finished second for the Heisman Trophy as a senior. In 2000, Elway was added to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Elway was also a great baseball player. The New York Yankees picked him in the 1981 Major League Baseball draft. He played outfield for a Yankees minor league team in 1982. Many scouts thought he was a good baseball player. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner even wanted him to be the Yankees' starting right fielder by 1985. Elway earned a degree in economics.

College Stats

Season	GP	Passing
Season	GP	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	AY/A	TD	Int	Rtg
1979	9	50	96	52.1	544	5.7	5.5	6	3	114.1
1980	11	248	379	65.4	2,889	7.6	7.7	27	11	147.2
1981	11	214	366	58.5	2,674	7.3	6.8	20	13	130.8
1982	11	262	405	64.7	3,242	8.0	7.9	24	12	145.6
Career	42	774	1,246	62.1	9,349	7.5	7.3	77	39	139.3

John Elway's NFL Career

The 1983 NFL Draft

The Baltimore Colts had the first pick in the 1983 NFL draft. This draft was called the "Quarterback class of 1983" because so many good quarterbacks were available. Elway was the first of six quarterbacks picked in the first round. Elway did not want to play for the Colts because they were one of the worst teams. He even said he would play baseball full-time for the Yankees if the Colts didn't trade him.

The Colts decided to draft Elway anyway. But then, they traded him to the Denver Broncos. In return, the Colts received offensive lineman Chris Hinton, backup quarterback Mark Herrmann, and a future first-round draft pick.

Playing for the Denver Broncos

1986 Jeno's Pizza - 48 - Sammy Winder (John Elway crop)

Elway pictured during his second NFL season with the Broncos in 1984

Elway joined the Denver Broncos as one of the most exciting new players in NFL history. Local newspapers even had a section called "The Elway Watch." He played his first game for the Broncos against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In his second game, he played against the Baltimore Colts, the team he had refused to play for.

In the 1986 season, Elway led the Broncos to Super Bowl XXI. They beat the Cleveland Browns in a famous play called "The Drive". Elway led his team 98 yards down the field in just over 5 minutes. They tied the game with 37 seconds left, and the Broncos won in overtime. However, the Broncos lost the Super Bowl to the New York Giants 39–20.

1987 Atlanta Falcons Pocket Schedule (crop)

Elway (center) getting tackled by the Atlanta Falcons in 1985

In the 1987 season, Elway was chosen for the American Football Conference's (AFC) Pro Bowl team. He also won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award. He led the Broncos to another win over the Browns in the AFC title game. This sent them to their second Super Bowl in a row, this time against the Washington Redskins. Denver started strong, leading 10–0 in the first quarter. But the Redskins scored 35 points in the second quarter and won Super Bowl XXII 42–10. Elway did have some highlights, like a 56-yard touchdown pass that set a record for the fastest touchdown in Super Bowl history at the time.

After an 8–8 record in 1988, Elway led his team to the Super Bowl again after the 1989 season. They beat the Browns again in the AFC championship game. This time, they faced the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV. This game was even tougher for the Broncos. San Francisco won 55–10, which was the biggest difference in score in Super Bowl history. Even though Elway's performance wasn't his best, he didn't hide from the media. When asked if he wanted to go back to the Super Bowl after three losses, he said he wanted to go back every year, even if his team kept losing.

It took Elway eight more years, but he finally led his team back to the Super Bowl after the 1997 season. The team reached Super Bowl XXXII, Elway's fourth Super Bowl. They played against the Green Bay Packers, who were the champions from the year before. Even though Elway didn't throw any touchdowns in this game, the Broncos beat the Packers 31–24. This was their first Super Bowl win, after three tries for Elway.

In the 1998 season, the Broncos won again. Elway was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII. He threw for 336 yards and a touchdown. He also scored a rushing touchdown in Denver's 34–19 win over the Atlanta Falcons. This was his last game as a player.

A Football Legend: John Elway's Legacy

Elway (second from right) at Super Bowl XLIII with Lynn Swann, Roger Craig, Roger Goodell, and General David Petraeus

On May 2, 1999, John Elway announced he was retiring from professional football at age 38. He is known as one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. He has one of the best winning records in league history (148 wins, 82 losses, 1 tie). When he retired, he was tied for the second-most Pro Bowl selections for a quarterback (nine). Elway played in 22 playoff games and led the team to 14 wins. In those games, he threw for 4,964 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also ran for 461 yards and 6 more touchdowns. He is currently 9th all-time in passing yards. His four rushing touchdowns in Super Bowls are the most by any quarterback.

On September 13, 1999, the Denver Broncos retired Elway's number 7 jersey. This means no other Broncos player will wear that number. He was also added to the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame that night. In 1999, he was also inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.

In 2005, The Sporting News ranked Elway third among the 50 Greatest Quarterbacks. Only Johnny Unitas and Joe Montana were ranked higher. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wore number 7 in honor of Elway throughout his career.

Amazing Records and Stats

Elway ended his career with 148 victories. This record has since been passed by Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady. He is one of only two players to score a rushing touchdown in four different Super Bowls (the other is Thurman Thomas). He is the only quarterback to do so.

As of 2017, Elway held at least 33 Broncos team records, including:

Most Completions: career (4,123), playoffs (355)
Most Pass Attempts: career (7,250), playoffs (651)
Most Passing Yards: career (51,475), playoffs (4,964)
Most Passing Touchdowns: career (300), playoffs (27)
Most Interceptions: career (226), playoffs (21)
Most Sacks taken: career (516), playoffs (39)
Most 300+ yard passing games: career (40), playoffs (4)
Most Total Offensive Yards: 54,882 yards (51,475 passing, 3,407 rushing)
Most Total Touchdowns: 334 (300 passing, 33 rushing, 1 receiving)
Best Winning Percentage: .641 (148–82–1)

Hall of Fame Honors

On August 8, 2004, Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was chosen in his very first year of eligibility. His oldest daughter, Jessica, presented him at the ceremony. He was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Top Moments in His Career

In 1979, the Kansas City Royals drafted Elway out of high school to play baseball.
In the 1981 MLB Draft, the New York Yankees selected Elway. He played outfield for a Yankees minor league team in 1982. He had a .318 batting average.
In the 1983 NFL draft, Elway was the first player picked by the Baltimore Colts. On May 2, he was traded to the Denver Broncos.
On January 11, 1987, Elway performed "The Drive." This was a 98-yard touchdown drive in the AFC Championship against the Cleveland Browns. It tied the game late in the fourth quarter, and the Broncos won in overtime. He was named the NFL Most Valuable Player.
Elway is the only player to throw over 3,000 yards and run for over 200 yards in seven straight seasons (1985–1991).
In 1993, Elway was named the AFC Offensive MVP. He passed for 4,030 yards and 25 touchdowns that year.
In 1997, Elway led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl win in Super Bowl XXXII. His three previous Super Bowl appearances were losses.
Elway is one of only two players to rush for a touchdown in four Super Bowls (XXI, XXIV, XXXII, XXXIII).
On January 31, 1999, in Super Bowl XXXIII, Elway passed for 336 yards in a 34–19 win over the Atlanta Falcons. He was named the Super Bowl MVP.
Elway was chosen for the Pro Bowl nine times during his 16 seasons with the Broncos. This is a team record.
Elway led Denver to 35 comeback wins in the 4th quarter and overtime. This is tied for third all-time with Johnny Unitas.
Elway's 148 wins place him fourth among quarterbacks for career wins.
Elway was sacked 516 times, which is second most in NFL history.
Elway's 300 career touchdown passes place him twelfth all-time.
On January 31, 2004, Elway was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Elway's No. 7 Stanford Cardinal jersey was retired on November 7, 2013.

John Elway's Career Stats

Legend
	AP NFL MVP
	Super Bowl MVP
	Won the Super Bowl
	NFL record
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

Regular Season Games

Year	Team	Games			Passing								Rushing
Year	Team	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Avg	TD
1983	DEN	11	10	4−6	123	259	47.5	1,663	6.4	7	14	54.9	28	146	5.2	1
1984	DEN	15	14	12−2	214	380	56.3	2,598	6.8	18	15	76.8	56	237	4.2	1
1985	DEN	16	16	11−5	327	605	54.0	3,891	6.4	22	23	70.2	51	253	5.0	0
1986	DEN	16	16	11−5	280	504	55.6	3,485	6.9	19	13	79.0	52	257	4.9	1
1987	DEN	12	12	8−3−1	224	410	54.6	3,198	7.8	19	12	83.4	66	304	4.6	4
1988	DEN	15	15	8−7	274	496	55.2	3,309	6.7	17	19	71.4	54	234	4.3	1
1989	DEN	15	15	10−5	223	416	53.6	3,051	7.3	18	18	73.7	48	244	5.1	3
1990	DEN	16	16	5−11	294	502	58.6	3,526	7.0	15	14	78.5	50	258	5.2	3
1991	DEN	16	16	12−4	242	451	53.7	3,253	7.2	13	12	75.4	55	255	4.6	6
1992	DEN	12	12	8−4	174	316	55.1	2,242	7.1	10	17	65.7	34	94	2.8	2
1993	DEN	16	16	9−7	348	551	63.2	4,030	7.3	25	10	92.8	44	153	3.5	0
1994	DEN	14	14	7−7	307	494	62.1	3,490	7.1	16	10	85.7	58	235	4.1	4
1995	DEN	16	16	8−8	316	542	58.3	3,970	7.3	26	14	86.4	41	176	4.3	1
1996	DEN	15	15	13−2	287	466	61.6	3,328	7.1	26	14	89.2	50	249	5.0	4
1997	DEN	16	16	12−4	280	502	55.8	3,635	7.2	27	11	87.5	50	218	4.4	1
1998	DEN	13	12	10−2	210	356	59.0	2,806	7.9	22	10	93.0	37	94	2.5	1
Career		234	231	148−82−1	4,123	7,250	56.9	51,475	7.1	300	226	79.9	774	3,407	4.4	33

Playoff Games

Year	Team	Games			Passing								Rushing
Year	Team	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Avg	TD
1983	DEN	1	0	—	10	15	66.7	123	8.2	0	1	64.0	3	16	5.3	0
1984	DEN	1	1	0−1	19	37	51.4	184	5.0	2	2	61.1	4	16	4.0	0
1986	DEN	3	3	2−1	57	107	53.3	805	7.5	3	4	71.6	15	101	6.7	2
1987	DEN	3	3	2−1	42	89	47.2	797	9.0	6	5	77.8	18	76	4.2	1
1989	DEN	3	3	2−1	42	82	51.2	732	8.9	4	3	83.0	16	91	5.7	1
1991	DEN	2	2	1−1	30	54	55.6	378	7.0	1	2	68.3	10	49	4.9	0
1993	DEN	1	1	0−1	29	47	61.7	302	6.4	3	1	92.7	5	23	4.6	0
1996	DEN	1	1	0−1	25	38	65.8	226	5.9	2	0	99.2	5	30	6.0	0
1997	DEN	4	4	4−0	56	96	58.3	726	7.6	3	2	83.9	9	25	2.8	1
1998	DEN	3	3	3−0	45	86	52.3	691	8.0	3	1	85.9	9	34	3.8	1
Career		22	21	14−7	355	651	54.5	4,964	7.6	27	21	79.7	94	461	4.9	6

Super Bowl Appearances

Game	Opp.	Passing								Rushing				Result
Game	Opp.	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	Result
XXI	NYG	22	37	59.5	304	8.2	1	1	83.6	6	27	4.5	1	L 39−20
XXII	WAS	14	38	36.8	257	6.8	1	3	36.8	3	32	10.7	0	L 42−10
XXIV	SF	10	26	38.5	108	4.2	0	2	19.4	4	8	2.0	1	L 55−10
XXXII	GB	10	22	45.5	123	5.6	0	1	51.9	5	17	3.4	1	W 31−24
XXXIII	ATL	18	29	62.1	336	11.6	1	1	99.2	3	2	0.7	1	W 34−19
Total		74	152	48.7	1,128	7.4	3	8	58.2	21	86	4.1	4	W−L 2−3

Beyond the Field: Business and More

Elway was a co-owner of the Colorado Crush, an Arena Football team, from 2002 until the league stopped playing in 2008. He also owns several steakhouse restaurants called "Elway's" in Colorado. For a time, he owned car dealerships, but later sold them.

Leading the Broncos: Executive Role

In December 2010, Elway showed interest in working as a top football executive for the Broncos. He said he wasn't interested in being a head coach or general manager at that time.

On January 5, 2011, Elway was named general manager and executive vice president of football operations for the Broncos. This meant he had the final say in all football decisions. Under Elway's leadership, the team signed free agent quarterback Peyton Manning. From 2012 to 2015, the Broncos won four division titles and two AFC Championships. They reached Super Bowl XLVIII but lost to the Seattle Seahawks.

After that Super Bowl loss, Elway signed strong defensive players like DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, and T. J. Ward for the 2014 season. After losing in the playoffs, Elway hired Gary Kubiak, his former backup quarterback, as the new head coach for the 2015 season. Elway won a third Super Bowl as part of the Broncos organization on February 7, 2016. Denver beat the Carolina Panthers 24–10 in Super Bowl 50. This was his first Super Bowl win as an executive, adding to the two he won as a player.

In 2017, Elway received an award for his generous contributions to Denver and Colorado. After the 2020 season, Elway announced he would step down as general manager. He continued to serve as the Broncos' president of football operations. In 2022, Elway took on a new role as an outside consultant for the team.

Images for kids

Elway (11) playing for Granada Hills in 1978