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John Elway
refer to caption
Elway in 2021
No. 7
Position: Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1960-06-28) June 28, 1960 (age 65)
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:
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
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 for 11 years. He eventually became their general manager.

Many people think Elway is one of the best quarterbacks ever. When he retired in 1999, he had won the most games 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, meaning all major selectors agreed he was the best. He was the very first player picked in the 1983 NFL draft. This draft was famous for having many great quarterbacks. The Baltimore Colts picked him first, but then traded him to the Denver Broncos.

In 1987, Elway had 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 called "The Drive". After that game, Elway and the Broncos lost in Super Bowl XXI.

After two more Super Bowl losses, the Broncos struggled for a while. But in the 1997 season, Elway led Denver to their first Super Bowl win. They beat the Green Bay Packers 31–24 in Super Bowl XXXII. The Broncos won again the next season in Super Bowl XXXIII. They defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34–19. Elway was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of that Super Bowl. This was the last game of his playing career.

After he stopped playing, Elway became the general manager for the Broncos. During his time as an executive, the Broncos won four division titles and two AFC Championships. They also won Super Bowl 50. This made Elway a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Broncos. He won two as a player and one as an executive. Elway was added to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. He was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

Early Life and High School Football

John Elway was born on June 28, 1960, in Port Angeles, Washington. His twin sister is Jana, and he has an older sister named Lee Ann. His father, Jack Elway, was a football coach. The family moved several times because of his father's coaching jobs.

As a kid, Elway lived in places like Missoula, Montana, and Pullman, Washington. He played his last three years of high school football at Granada Hills High School in California. Even though he missed five games due to a knee injury in his senior year, he had amazing stats. He finished his high school career with 5,711 passing yards and 49 passing touchdowns. He was named to the Parade All-America High School Football Team. Other future NFL stars like Dan Marino were also on that team.

Johnelwayhighschool
Elway (number 11) playing for Granada Hills in 1978.

Elway was known as a "dual-threat quarterback". This means he was good at both running with the ball and throwing it. He was one of the most wanted 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.

College Career at Stanford

In 1979, Elway went to Stanford University. He played for both the Stanford Cardinal football and baseball teams. At Stanford, Elway quickly showed how strong his passes were. Receivers sometimes caught his passes with their bodies instead of their hands. This left a mark on their chests from the ball's seams, which became known as the "Elway cross."

Elway became the starting quarterback in his second year. 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. In that game, known as "The Big Game" against Cal, Elway led a great drive. But then, the Cal players made a crazy play with many rugby-style lateral passes. They scored a touchdown to win the game, 25–20. This play is now simply called "The Play". Elway was very upset, saying the officials "ruined my last game as a college football player."

Even though his team never played in a bowl game, Elway had a great college career. He completed 774 passes for 9,349 yards and 77 touchdowns. He also scored 5 rushing touchdowns. He won the Pac-10 Player of the Year award twice. He was also a unanimous All-American and finished second for the Heisman Trophy. In 2000, Elway was put into 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 even played for a Yankees minor league team in 1982. Many scouts thought he could have been a star in baseball if he focused on it.

College Statistics

Season GP Passing
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

Professional Football Career

The 1983 NFL Draft and Trade

The Baltimore Colts had the first pick in the 1983 NFL draft. This draft was nicknamed the "Quarterback class of 1983" because so many good quarterbacks were available. Elway was the first of six quarterbacks chosen in the first round.

Elway did not want to play for the Colts. They were one of the worst teams at the time. He publicly said he would play baseball for the Yankees instead if the Colts didn't trade him. Many NFL teams tried to trade for Elway. The Colts eventually traded Elway to the Denver Broncos on May 2, 1983. In return, the Colts received offensive lineman Chris Hinton, quarterback Mark Herrmann, and a future draft pick.

Playing for the Denver Broncos

1986 Jeno's Pizza - 48 - Sammy Winder (John Elway crop)
Elway (number 7) playing for the Broncos in 1984.

Elway joined the Denver Broncos as one of the most anticipated athletes in NFL history. He quickly became the starting quarterback. In the 1986 season, Elway led the Broncos to Super Bowl XXI. They got there after beating the Cleveland Browns in a famous game. Elway led his team 98 yards down the field to tie the game with only 37 seconds left. This play is known as "The Drive". The Broncos won that game in overtime. However, they lost the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.

1987 Atlanta Falcons Pocket Schedule (crop)
Elway (center) being tackled by the Atlanta Falcons in 1985.

In the 1987 season, Elway was named the NFL Most Valuable Player. He led the Broncos to another Super Bowl, Super Bowl XXII, but they lost to the Washington Redskins. The Broncos started strong, but the Redskins scored 35 points in the second quarter. Elway did have a record-setting 56-yard touchdown pass early in the game. He also became the first quarterback to catch a pass in a Super Bowl.

After another Super Bowl loss in Super Bowl XXIV to the San Francisco 49ers, many people doubted if Elway would ever win a Super Bowl. The 55–10 loss was the most lopsided score in Super Bowl history. But Elway never gave up. He said he wanted to go back to the Super Bowl every year, even if his team kept losing.

It took eight more years, but Elway finally led his team back to the Super Bowl after the 1997 season. In Super Bowl XXXII, the Broncos faced the Green Bay Packers, who were the defending champions. Even though Elway didn't throw any touchdowns, the Broncos won 31–24. This was their first Super Bowl victory, and Elway's first after three tries.

In the 1998 season, the Broncos won the Super Bowl again. Elway was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII. He threw for 336 yards and a touchdown, and also scored a rushing touchdown. The Broncos beat the Atlanta Falcons 34–19. This was the last game of Elway's amazing playing career.

Elway's Legacy as a Player

David Petraeus, Lynn Swann, Roger Craig, John Elway, Roger Goodell at Super Bowl 43
Elway (second from right) at Super Bowl XLIII in 2009.

On May 2, 1999, John Elway announced his retirement from professional football at age 38. He is considered one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. He had a great winning record (148 wins, 82 losses, 1 tie). He was also chosen for the Pro Bowl nine times.

Elway played in 22 playoff games, leading the Broncos to 14 victories. He threw for 4,964 yards and 27 touchdowns in those games. He also ran for 461 yards and 6 touchdowns. He is currently among the top players in NFL history for passing yards, completions, and passing touchdowns. 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. In 2004, Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Notable Statistics

  • Elway finished his career with 148 wins as a starting quarterback. 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 player is Thurman Thomas.
  • Elway holds many Broncos franchise records, including:
    • Most career completions (4,123)
    • Most career passing yards (51,475)
    • Most career passing touchdowns (300)
    • Most total offensive yards (54,882)
    • Most total touchdowns (334)

Career Highlights

  • In 1979, Elway was drafted by the Kansas City Royals to play baseball.
  • In 1981, he was drafted by the New York Yankees and played minor league baseball for them.
  • In the 1983 NFL draft, he was the first overall pick by the Baltimore Colts, but was traded to the Denver Broncos.
  • On January 11, 1987, he led "The Drive" against the Cleveland Browns. This was a 98-yard touchdown drive to tie the game.
  • He was named the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1987.
  • Elway is the only player to throw for over 3,000 yards and rush for over 200 yards in seven straight seasons (1985–1991).
  • In 1997, Elway led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl win in Super Bowl XXXII.
  • On January 31, 1999, he was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII.
  • He was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times.
  • Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
  • His number 7 Stanford Cardinal jersey was retired in 2013.

NFL Career Statistics

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
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

Postseason Games

Year Team Games Passing Rushing
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 Games

Game Opp. Passing Rushing Result
Cmp Att Pct Yds Avg TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD
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 21 86 4.1 4 W−L 2−3

Business Ventures and Executive Role

Elway has been involved in many business activities. He was a co-owner of the Colorado Crush, an Arena Football team, from 2002 until the league stopped operations in 2008.

He also owns several steakhouse restaurants called "Elway's" in Colorado. For a time, he owned car dealerships called John Elway Autos, which he later sold. He still owns some car dealerships today.

In 2011, Elway became the general manager and executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos. This meant he had the final say in all football decisions. Under his leadership, the Broncos signed star quarterback Peyton Manning. From 2012 to 2015, the Broncos won four division titles and two AFC Championships. They reached Super Bowl XLVIII but lost.

Elway then made some big changes to the team. He hired Gary Kubiak, his former backup quarterback, as the new head coach. He also brought back Wade Phillips as the defensive coordinator. These changes led to the Broncos winning Super Bowl 50 in 2016. They defeated the Carolina Panthers 24–10. This was Elway's third Super Bowl win with the Broncos, adding to his two as a player.

In 2020, Elway tested positive for COVID-19. After the 2020 season, he stepped down as general manager. He continued to work for the Broncos as president of football operations. In 2022, he took on a new role as an outside consultant. As of 2023, his official role with the Broncos ended.

Personal Life

John Elway married Janet Buchan in 1984. They later divorced in 2003. They have four children: Jessica, Jordan, Jack, and Juliana.

Elway faced personal tragedies. His twin sister, Jana, passed away from lung cancer in 2002. His father, Jack, died a year earlier.

In 2005, Elway met Paige Green, a former cheerleader. They got engaged in 2008 and married in 2009. Elway is also a Freemason. In 2025, his longtime friend and former agent, Jeff Sperbeck, passed away.

See also

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