Denver Broncos
Current season
Established 1960 Play in Sports Authority Field at Mile High Denver, Colorado Headquartered in the Paul D. Bowlen Memorial Centre Englewood, Colorado
Denver Broncos logo Logo
League/conference affiliations
American Football League (1960–69) Western Division (1961–69) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference (1970–present) AFC West (1970–present)
Current uniform
275px
Team colors	Orange, Navy, White
Mascot	"Thunder II" (live horse) "Miles" (costume suit)
Personnel
Owner(s)	Pat Bowlen
Chairman	Pat Bowlen
CEO	Pat Bowlen
President	Joe Ellis
General manager	Vacant
Head coach	John Fox
Team history
Denver Broncos (1960–present)
Team nicknames
Orange Crush (1977–79 defense)
Championships
League championships (2) Super Bowl Championships (2) 1997 (XXXII), 1998 (XXXIII)
Conference championships (6) AFC: 1977, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1997, 1998
Division championships (11) AFC West: 1977, 1978, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2011
Playoff appearances (18)
NFL: 1977, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2011
Home fields
Mile High Stadium (1960–2000) Sports Authority Field at Mile High (2001–present) AKA INVESCO Field at Mile High (2001–11)

The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League. The Broncos began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League and joined the NFL as part of the AFL–NFL merger of 1970.

The Broncos have been a successful franchise, having won 2 Super Bowls and 6 AFC Championships. They play at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, and have 4 players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: John Elway, Floyd Little, Gary Zimmerman, and Shannon Sharpe.

Franchise history[link]

1960–69: AFL era[link]

The Denver Broncos were founded on August 14, 1959 when minor league baseball owner Bob Howsam was awarded an American Football League charter franchise.^[1] The Broncos won the first-ever AFL game over the Boston Patriots 13–10, on September 9, 1960. On August 5, 1967, they became the first ever AFL team to defeat an NFL team after beating the Detroit Lions 13–7, in a preseason game.^[1] However, the Broncos were not successful in the 1960s, compiling a record of 39–97–4 in the league.^[2]

Denver came close to losing its franchise in 1965, but a local ownership group took control and rebuilt the team.^[3] The team's first superstar, "Franchise" Floyd Little, due to his signing in 1967 and his Pro Bowl efforts on and off the field, was instrumental in keeping the team in Denver. They were the only original AFL team never to have played in the title game, as well as the only original AFL team never to have a winning season while a member of the AFL during the upstart league's 10-year history.^[4]

1970–82: "Orange Crush"[link]

In 1972, the Broncos hired former Stanford University coach John Ralston as their head coach.^[5] In 1973, he was UPI's AFC Coach of the Year after Denver achieved its first winning season at 7–5–2. In 5 seasons with the Broncos, Ralston guided the team to winning seasons three times, the franchise's only three winning seasons up to that time. Even though Ralston finished the 1976 season with a 9-5 record, the team, as was the case in Ralston’s previous winning seasons, still missed the playoffs. Following the season, several prominent players publicly voiced their discontent with Ralston, which soon led to his dismissal by the team owner.

Rookie coach Red Miller, along with the Orange Crush Defense (a nickname originating in the early '70s, also the brand of a popular orange-flavored soft drink) and aging quarterback Craig Morton, promptly took the Broncos to their first playoff appearance in 1977, and ultimately first Super Bowl, where they were defeated by the Dallas Cowboys, 27–10.^[6]

In 1981 Broncos owner Gerald Phipps, who had purchased the team in May 1961 from the original owner Bob Howsam, sold the team to Canadian Financier, Edgar Kaiser, Jr., grandson of shipbuilding industrialist Henry J. Kaiser.^[7][8]

1983–98: John Elway era[link]

Quarterback John Elway, who played college football at Stanford, arrived in 1983. Originally drafted by the Baltimore Colts as the first pick of the draft, Elway proclaimed that he would shun football in favor of baseball (he was drafted by the New York Yankees to play center field and was also a pitching prospect), unless he was traded to a selected list of other teams, which included Denver.^[9] Prior to Elway, Denver had over 24 different starting quarterbacks in its 23 seasons to that point.^[10] Elway remained the quarterback through 5 Super Bowls, with the Broncos winning two of them. The Broncos lost Super Bowl XXI to the New York Giants, 39–20; Super Bowl XXII to the Washington Redskins, 42–10; and Super Bowl XXIV to the San Francisco 49ers, 55–10, the latter of which is, to date, the most lopsided scoring differential in Super Bowl history.

In 1995, the Broncos debuted a new head coach, Mike Shanahan, and a new rookie running back, Terrell Davis. In 1996, the Broncos were the top seed in the AFC with a 13–3 record, dominating most of the teams that year. The fifth-seeded Jacksonville Jaguars, however, upset the Broncos 30–27 in the divisional round of the playoffs, ending the Broncos' 1996 run.

During the 1997 season, both Elway and Davis helped guide the Broncos to their first Super Bowl victory, a 31–24 win over the defending champion Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII. Although Elway completed only 12 of 22 passes, throwing one interception and no touchdowns (he did, however, have a rushing touchdown), Davis rushed for 157 yards and a Super Bowl–record 3 touchdowns to earn the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award – this while overcoming a severe migraine that caused him blurred vision.^[11] The Broncos repeated as Super Bowl champions the following season, defeating the Atlanta Falcons (led by Elway's longtime head coach Dan Reeves) in Super Bowl XXXIII, 34–19. Elway was named Super Bowl MVP, completing 18 of 29 passes for 336 yards, with an 80-yard touchdown to wide receiver Rod Smith and one interception.

1999–present: post-Elway and Manning era[link]

John Elway retired following the 1998 season, and Brian Griese started at quarterback for the next 4 seasons. After a 6–10 record in 1999, the Broncos recovered in 2000, earning a Wild Card playoff berth, but losing to the Baltimore Ravens. After missing the playoffs the following two seasons, former Arizona Cardinals' quarterback Jake Plummer replaced Griese in 2003, and led the Broncos to two straight 10–6 seasons, earning Wild Card playoff berths both years. However, the Broncos went on the road to face the Indianapolis Colts in back-to-back seasons and were blown out by more than 20 points in each game, allowing a combined 90 points.

After losing the 2005 season opener, the Broncos won five straight games. Plummer and the Broncos clinched their first AFC West division title since 1998 on December 24, and finished with an 8–0 home record and a 13–3 overall record. The Broncos entered the playoffs for the third consecutive year with the momentum of a four-game winning streak. After a first round bye, the Broncos defeated the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, 27–13, denying New England from becoming the first NFL team ever to win three consecutive Super Bowl championships. The Broncos' playoff run came to an end next week, after losing at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game, 34–17. Denver turned the ball over four times and were outscored in the first half, 24–3. The Steelers went on to win Super Bowl XL.

The Broncos' defense began the first five games of the 2006 season allowing only one touchdown, an NFL record, but struggled down the season stretch. Plummer led the team to a 7–2 record, only to lose two straight and be replaced by rookie quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler went 2–3 as a starter, and the Broncos finished with a 9–7 record, losing the tiebreaker to the Kansas City Chiefs for the final playoff spot. Cutler's first full season as a starter in 2007 became the Broncos' first losing season since 1999, with a 7–9 record.

The 2008 season ended in a 52–21 loss at the San Diego Chargers, giving the Broncos an 8–8 record and their third straight season out of the playoffs. Shanahan, the longest-tenured and most successful head coach in Broncos' franchise history, was fired on December 30, 2008, after 14 seasons.^[12]

On January 11, 2009, two weeks after Shanahan was fired, the Broncos hired former New England Patriots' offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as the team's new head coach.^[13] Three months later, the team acquired quarterback Kyle Orton as part of a trade that sent Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears.

Under McDaniels and Orton, the Broncos jumped out to a surprising 6–0 start in 2009. However, the team lost eight of their next ten games, finishing 8–8 for a second consecutive season and missing the playoffs. After the season, Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall was traded to the Miami Dolphins, and the Broncos set a new franchise record for losses in a single season, with a 4–12 record in 2010.^[14] On December 6, 2010, McDaniels was fired following a combination of the team's poor record and the fallout from a highly-publicized videotaping scandal. Running backs coach Eric Studesville was named interim coach for the remaining four games of the 2010 season.^[15] He chose to start rookie first-round draft choice Tim Tebow at quarterback for the final three games.

After the season, Joe Ellis was promoted from Chief Operating Officer to team president, while John Elway was named the team's Executive Vice President of Football Operations on January 5, 2011. In this capacity, Elway will report to Ellis and will oversee the position held by the General Manager (Brian Xanders) and head coach positions. On January 13, 2011, the Broncos hired former Carolina Panthers' coach John Fox as the team's 14th head coach.^[16][17]

After a 1–4 start to the 2011 season, it was announced on October 11, 2011, that Tebow would replace Kyle Orton as the Broncos' starting quarterback. In his first start, Tebow would lead the Broncos in a come-from-behind 18–15 overtime victory over the Dolphins, after being down 15–0 with under three minutes to go in the game.^[18] On November 22, 2011, Kyle Orton was waived and since the quarterback change, the Broncos went 7–4, including four consecutive game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime against the Jets in Week 11, the Chargers in Week 12, the Vikings in Week 13 and the Bears in Week 14. Despite losing their last three games of the 2011 season, the Broncos clinched their first playoff berth and division title since 2005 (the Broncos finished in a 3-way tie with the Raiders and Chargers, but won tiebreakers over both teams).^[19]

In the Wild Card round of the 2011–12 NFL Playoffs, the Broncos defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime 29–23. After Denver built an early lead, the Steelers managed to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. The Broncos set the NFL overtime record (regular season or playoffs) for the fastest overtime ever, winning in 11 seconds with only one 80-yard play, following a 20-yard touchback. This was also the first overtime win under the new rules that allow for sudden death only in touchdown or defensive point scenarios.^[20] In addition, this game became known as the 3:16 Game due to the wide range of stats that correlated with the verse John 3:16. The following week, the Broncos were blown out 45–10 by the Patriots in the Divisional round.^[21]

On March 20, 2012, the Broncos and Peyton Manning reached an agreement on a 5-year contract worth $96 million. ^[22][23] The following day, the Broncos traded Tim Tebow and a seventh round draft pick to the New York Jets in exchange for fourth and sixth round draft picks.^[24]

Rivalries[link]

Kansas City Chiefs[link]

• First met in 1960 (with the Chiefs based in Dallas from 1960–62 and named the Dallas Texans)
• 55–47 Kansas City leads series (Denver leads playoffs 1–0)
• Signature moment: The Kansas City Chiefs were victimized by 8 of John Elway's legendary fourth quarter game-winning drives, the most he had against one NFL team. Perhaps the most notable comeback occurred on October 4, 1992, at Mile High Stadium. The Broncos trailed 19–6 late in the 4th quarter, and hadn't scored a touchdown in the last 12 quarters. After the 2-minute warning, Elway threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Mark Jackson to make it 19–13 with 1:55 left. After the Chiefs subsequently went three-and-out, the Broncos returned a punt to the Chiefs' 27-yard line. 3 plays later, Elway threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Vance Johnson with 38 seconds left for a 20–19 comeback win. However, the Chiefs got revenge in the season finale with a 42–20 win at Arrowhead Stadium to deny Denver a playoff berth.
• Signature moment: Former San Francisco 49ers' quarterback Joe Montana finished his career in Kansas City, and led the Chiefs to a memorable comeback at Mile High Stadium on October 17, 1994.
• Signature moment: After suffering a last-second loss at Arrowhead Stadium in the 1997 regular season, Denver redeemed themselves with a 14–10 win there in the playoffs, eventually winning Super Bowl XXXII.
• Signature moment: November 14, 2010 – The Broncos stormed to a 35–0 lead against the visiting Chiefs before the second half, leading to a 49–29 victory. Todd Haley, the Chiefs head coach at the time, was distraught enough after the game that he refused to shake the hand of then-Broncos coach, Josh McDaniels. Tim Tebow threw his first NFL pass for a touchdown.

Oakland Raiders[link]

• First met in 1960
• 59–42–2 Oakland leads series (Playoffs tied 1–1) (from 1982–94, the Raiders were based in Los Angeles)
• Signature moment: The Broncos beat Oakland in 1977 to win their first AFC Championship.
• Signature moment: September 26, 1988 – The Broncos led 24–0 at halftime on Monday Night Football, but the Raiders sparked one of the largest comebacks in NFL history, winning 30–27 in OT. After serving as an offensive assistant under Dan Reeves in the mid-80s (and again in the early-90s), Mike Shanahan's first season as an NFL head coach was with Oakland in 1988, before he was fired 4 games into the 1989 season.^[25]
• Signature moment: In the 1993 season finale, the Raiders beat the Broncos in overtime to make the playoffs and set up another game between them in L.A. the following week. Outspoken Raiders' owner Al Davis said before the playoff game that Denver was "scared to death of us."^[26] Despite the Broncos' protests, the Raiders won 42–24.
• Signature moment: In 1995, former Raiders coach Mike Shanahan, who was at the time in an ongoing contract dispute with Al Davis, became the Broncos' new head coach, heightening an already contentious AFC West rivalry. Prior to his arrival in Denver, the Broncos had lost 13 out of 15 games against Oakland from 1988–94, but during Shanahan's 14 seasons as their head coach, the Broncos went 21–7 against the Raiders.
• Signature moment: September 16, 2007 – As Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski kicked what would have been a game-winning field goal in OT, Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan called timeout right before he made it. After the timeout, Janikowski attempted the field goal again, but it hit the upright and missed. Denver then won on a field goal by Jason Elam.^[27]
• Signature moment: October 24, 2010 – The Raiders scored 38 points in the first half in Denver. Oakland beat the Broncos 59–14, not only making it the most points scored in a single game in franchise history, but also tying the highest point total that the Broncos have allowed in a single game, since a 59–7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963.^[28]
• Signature moment: January 1, 2012 – Tied with the Broncos for first in the AFC West, the Raiders needed a win over the Chargers and a Denver loss to Kansas City in order to clinch the AFC West Division Title and a playoff berth. The Broncos lost 7-3 to the Chiefs, while Oakland also lost 38–26, leaving both teams, along with the Chargers, tied with 8–8 records. Due to tiebreakers, the loss knocked the Raiders out of the playoffs and propelled the Broncos to the AFC West division title.

San Diego Chargers[link]

• First met in 1960 (with the Chargers based in Los Angeles in 1960 prior to relocating to San Diego in 1961)
• 55–48–1 Denver leads series (No playoff matches)
• Signature moment: November 17, 1985 – Dennis Smith blocks 2 straight field goal attempts, and San Diego takes the ball to the Broncos 24 in the first overtime possession. Dennis Smith blocks a Bob Thomas field goal attempt only to see it brought back by a time-out Denver had mistakenly called. Thomas tries a second attempt and this was also blocked by Smith and returned by Louis Wright for a 60 yard touchdown and the win.^[29]
• Signature moment: September 14, 2008 – With 52 seconds left, the Chargers were leading 38–31. The Broncos hiked the ball on 2nd & Goal from the Chargers 1-yard line. Jay Cutler rolled out to the right and fumbled before he brought his arm forward, which was recovered by the Chargers' Tim Dobbins. However, referee Ed Hochuli called the play dead as he believed it to be an incomplete pass, so the ball was returned to the Broncos at the 10 yard line (the spot where the ball hit the ground). Two plays later, on 4th & Goal from the 4, Cutler threw a touchdown pass to rookie Eddie Royal to make it 38–37. Instead of kicking a PAT to tie the game and send it to OT, Coach Mike Shanahan opted for a 2-point conversion. Cutler completed the conversion with another pass to Royal, giving Denver a controversial 39–38 victory. However, San Diego had their revenge with an emphatic 52–21 win in the 2008 season finale, denying the Broncos a place in the playoffs.^[30]

Cleveland Browns[link]

• First met in 1971
• 18–5 Denver leads series (Denver leads playoffs 3–0)
• Signature moment: Over three playoffs in four years, Cleveland lost to Denver in the AFC Championship Game. On January 11, 1987, after the 1986 season, John Elway led The Drive to secure a tie in the waning moments at Cleveland Municipal Stadium; the Broncos went on to win in OT 23–20.
• Signature moment: On January 17, 1988, at Mile High Stadium, after the 1987 season, the Broncos and Browns met up in the AFC Championship Game again. Denver took a 21–3 lead, but Bernie Kosar threw 4 touchdown passes to tie it up at 31 halfway through the 4th quarter. After a long drive, John Elway threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Sammy Winder to give Denver a 38–31 lead. Cleveland advanced to Denver's 8-yard line with 1:12 left, but Jeremiah Castille stripped Earnest Byner at the 2-yard line, a play that has been called The Fumble by Browns fans. The Broncos recovered it, gave Cleveland an intentional safety, and went on to win 38-33. The game after the 1989 season was not as close, easily won by the Broncos.

New England Patriots[link]

• Met in the first-ever AFL regular season game on September 9, 1960, with the Broncos defeating the Boston Patriots 13–10.^[31]
• 25–17 Denver leads series (Denver leads playoffs 2–1)
• Signature moment: January 4, 1987 – In the divisional round of the 1986–87 NFL playoffs, the Broncos defeated the Patriots 22–17 at Mile High Stadium, in John Elway's first career playoff win.^[32][33] During the John Elway era, the Broncos went 11–0 against the Patriots, including the playoffs.
• Signature moment: November 17, 1996 – The Broncos routed the Patriots 34–8 at Foxboro Stadium. Shannon Sharpe infamously said "Mr. President, call in the National Guard! Send as many men as you can spare! Because we are killing the Patriots! They need emergency help!"^[34]
• Signature moment: November 3, 2003 – The Patriots were trailing 24–23 with 2:49 left. Backed up to their own 1-yard line and facing a punt, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick ordered an intentional safety that gave the Broncos a 26–23 lead. After a free kick backed up the Broncos to their own 15-yard line, they immediately went three and out. After a Broncos punt gave the Patriots great field position at their own 42-yard line with 2:15 left, New England drove 58 yards in 6 plays, culminating in an 18-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to David Givens with 35 seconds left that gave the Patriots a 30–26 win.^[35]
• Signature moment: January 14, 2006 – In the divisional round of the 2005–06 NFL playoffs, Champ Bailey made a game-changing 100-yard interception off Tom Brady that gave the Broncos a 27–13 win over the Patriots. This not only gave the Broncos their first playoff win since John Elway's retirement, but this also ended the Patriots' NFL-record 10-game postseason winning streak, and gave Tom Brady his first playoff loss as well.^[36]
• Signature moment: October 11, 2009 – The Broncos were trailing 17–10 with 9:59 left in the 4th quarter. Backed up to their own 2-yard line, Kyle Orton led the Broncos on a 12-play, 98-yard drive, culminating in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Orton to Brandon Marshall to tie the game at 17 with 5:21 left. The Broncos won the overtime coin toss, and subsequently marched down the field, with Matt Prater kicking a game-winning 41-yard field goal for a Broncos 20–17 overtime win. This was then-head coach Josh McDaniels' first game against his former team and mentor, Bill Belichick.^[37] This game also dropped Tom Brady's personal record against Denver to 1–6.
• Signature moment: December 18, 2011 – In Tim Tebow's first game against the Patriots as a starter, the Patriots won 41–23. Tebow and the Broncos started off strong leading the Patriots at one point by a score of 16–7, but New England fought back to score 27 unanswered points to take the lead. Tebow's late game heroics that became the trademark of the previous four games fell short, as New England's defense forced multiple turnovers and stopped the Broncos from extending their winning streak to seven games. The game received a lot of hype from many sports networks, citing Tebow's record of 7–1 as a starter going into the game, and the quarterback duel between Tebow and Brady.^[38] The two teams met again four weeks later in the divisional round of the 2011–12 NFL Playoffs, won by the Patriots.

Logos and uniforms[link]

When the Broncos debuted in 1960, their original uniforms drew as much attention as their play on the field. It featured white and mustard yellow jerseys, with contrasting brown helmets, brown pants, and vertically striped socks.^[39]

Two years later, the team unveiled a new logo featuring a bucking horse, and changed their team colors to orange, royal blue and white. The 1962 uniform, designed by Laura North-Allen, consisted of white pants, orange helmets, and either orange or white jerseys.

In 1968, the Broncos debuted a design that became known as the "Orange Crush." Their logo was redesigned so that the horse was coming out of a "D." Additionally, the helmets were changed to royal blue, with thin stripes placed onto the sleeves, and other minor modifications were added. From 1969–71, and again from 1978–79, the team wore orange pants with their white jerseys.

The Broncos wore their white jerseys at home throughout the 1971 season, as well as for 1980 home games vs. the San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys, the latter in hopes to bring out the "blue jersey jinx" which has followed the Cowboys for decades (it worked, Denver won 41–20). Denver wore its white jerseys for 1983 home games vs. the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals, but would not wear white at home again for two decades (see below).^[40][41]

In 1994, in honor of the 75th anniversary season of the NFL, the Broncos wore their 1965 throwback uniforms for two games—a Week 3 home game against the Raiders, as well a road game at the Buffalo Bills the following week.^[40]

The Broncos then radically changed their logo and uniforms in 1997, a design that the team continues to use to this day. Navy blue replaced royal blue on the team's color scheme. The current logo is a profile of a horse's head, with an orange mane and navy blue outlines. They began wearing navy blue jerseys, replacing their longtime orange jerseys that had been the team's predominant home jersey color since 1962. This new uniform design also features a new word mark, numbering font and a streak that runs up and down the sides of both the jerseys and the pants. On the navy blue jerseys, the streak is orange, with an orange collar and white numerals trimmed in orange, while on the road white jerseys, the streak is navy blue, with a thin orange accent strip on both sides, a navy collar and navy numerals trimmed in orange. When they debuted, these uniforms were, once again, vilified by the press and fans, until the Broncos won their first ever Super Bowl in the new design that same season. The navy blue jerseys served as the team's primary home jersey until the end of the 2011 season (see next paragraph).

In 2002, the Broncos introduced an alternate orange jersey that is a mirror image of the aforementioned navy blue jerseys, but with orange and navy trading places. Like the road white jerseys, the white pants with the navy blue streaks running down the sides are worn with this uniform. This jersey was used only once in the 2002 and 2004 seasons, and were used twice per season from 2008–11. Former head coach Mike Shanahan was not a big fan of the alternate orange jerseys.^[42] The Broncos previously wore orange jerseys as a throwback uniform in a Thanksgiving Day game at the Dallas Cowboys in 2001. Beginning in 2012, the modern orange jerseys will become the team's new primary home jersey, while the aforementioned navy blue jerseys will be designated as the new alternate jersey. The move was made due to overwhelming fan support to return to orange as the team's primary home jersey color.^[43]

The team also introduced navy blue pants in 2003, with orange streaks to be worn with the navy blue jerseys. Though they were part of the uniform change in 1997 and most players wanted to wear them, the only player who vetoed wearing them was John Elway, thereby delaying their eventual introduction. From 2003–11, these pants were primarily used for select prime time and late-season home games. With the navy blue jerseys switching to alternate designation in 2012, it is unknown as to whether the team will wear these pants or the white pants (with the orange side stripes) with the navy jerseys.

On November 16, 2003, the Broncos wore their white jerseys at home for the first time since 1983, in a game vs. the San Diego Chargers. This was compensation for a uniform mix-up, after the teams' first meeting at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium in Week 2 earlier that season, when the Chargers were the team that was supposed to declare their uniform color. The Chargers were planning to wear their white jerseys, but the visiting Broncos came to the stadium in white, and were fined $25,000 by the NFL as a result. When the two teams met at INVESCO Field at Mile High later that season (Week 11), the NFL allowed the visiting Chargers to choose their uniform color in advance, and they chose navy blue, forcing the Broncos to wear their white jerseys at home.^[44]

In 2009, in honor of their 50th anniversary season as one of the 8 original American Football League teams, the Broncos wore their 1960 throwback uniforms (brown helmets, mustard yellow and brown jerseys) for games against two fellow AFL rivals—a Week 5 home game vs. the New England Patriots, as well as the following week at the San Diego Chargers.^[45][46]

Home field[link]

Sports Authority Field at Mile High, when it was known as INVESCO Field at Mile High

For most of their history, they played in Mile High Stadium. The AFL Broncos played at the University of Denver's Hilltop Stadium from time to time, including the first-ever victory of an AFL team over an NFL team: The Broncos beat the Detroit Lions on August 5, 1967, in a preseason game.

The team has sold out every home game (including post-season games) since the NFL merger in 1970, with the exception of 2 replacement games during the 1987 strike (but both were sold out before the strike). During home games, the attendance is announced to the crowd, along with the number of no-shows (the fans subsequently boo the no-shows). The fans are also known to chant "IN-COM-PLETE" every time the visiting team throws an incomplete pass.

The stadium's legendary home-field advantage is regarded as one of the best in the NFL, especially during the playoffs. The Broncos have had the best home record in pro football over the past 32 years (1974–2006, 191–65–1). Mile High Stadium was one of the NFL's loudest stadiums, with steel flooring instead of concrete, which may have given the Broncos an advantage over opponents.

In 2001, the team moved into INVESCO Field at Mile High, built next to the former site of the since demolished old Mile High Stadium. Sportswriter Woody Paige, along with many of Denver's fans, however, often refuse to call the new stadium by its full name, preferring to use "Mile High Stadium" because of its storied history and sentimental import. Additionally the Denver Post had an official policy of referring to the stadium as simply "Mile High Stadium" in protest, but dropped this policy in 2004.

On August 16, 2011, Colorado-based sporting goods retailer Sports Authority claimed the naming rights of Invesco Field, which became known as Sports Authority Field at Mile High.^[47]

The Colorado altitude has also been attributed as part of the team's home success. The stadium displays multiple references to the stadium's location of 5,280 feet (1.00 mi) above sea level, including a prominent mural just outside the visiting team's locker room.

Statistics[link]

Season-by-season records[link]

Players of note[link]

Current roster[link]

Pro Football Hall of Famers[link]

• 24, Willie Brown, CB, (1963–66) Class of 1984
• 33, Tony Dorsett, RB, (1988) Class of 1994
• 7, John Elway, QB, (1983–98) Class of 2004
• 65, Gary Zimmerman, OL, (1993–97) Class of 2008
• 44, Floyd Little, RB, (1967–75) Class of 2010
• 84, Shannon Sharpe, TE, (1990–99, 2002–03) Class of 2011

Retired numbers[link]

• John Elway – #7
• Frank Tripucka – #18 (unretired for Peyton Manning in 2012)^[48]
• Floyd Little – #44

Ring of Fame[link]

The Broncos have a Ring of Fame on the Level 5 facade of Sports Authority Field at Mile High, which honors the following:

• 23 Goose Gonsoulin, S, 1960–66, inducted 1984
• 87 Rich Jackson, DE, 1967–72, inducted 1984
• 44 Floyd Little, RB, 1967–75, inducted 1984
• 87 Lionel Taylor, WR, 1960–66, inducted 1984
• – Gerald Phipps, Owner, 1961–81, inducted 1985
• 12 Charley Johnson, QB, 1972–75, inducted 1986
• 70 Paul Smith, DE, 1968–78, inducted 1986
• 18 Frank Tripucka, QB, 1960–63, inducted 1986
• 36 Billy Thompson, S, 1969–81, inducted 1987
• 7 Craig Morton, QB, 1977–82, inducted 1988
• 25 Haven Moses, WR, 1972–81, inducted 1988
• 15 Jim Turner, K, 1971–79, inducted 1988
• 53 Randy Gradishar, LB, 1974–83, inducted 1989
• 57 Tom Jackson, LB, 1973–86, inducted 1992
• 20 Louis Wright, S, 1975–86, inducted 1993
• 7 John Elway, QB, 1983–98, inducted 1999
• 77 Karl Mecklenburg, LB, 1983–95, inducted 2001
• 49 Dennis Smith, S, 1981–94, inducted 2001
• 65 Gary Zimmerman, OT, 1993–97, inducted 2003
• 27 Steve Atwater, S, 1989–98, inducted 2005
• 30 Terrell Davis, RB, 1995–2001, inducted 2007
• 84 Shannon Sharpe, TE, 1990–99, 2002–03, inducted 2009
• 80 Rod Smith, WR, 1994–2006, inducted 2012

Colorado Sports Hall of Fame[link]

• Pat Bowlen, Team Owner, 1983-Present (Class of 2007)
• 23 Goose Gonsoulin, S, 1960–66
• 44 Floyd Little, RB, 1967–75
• 87 Lionel Taylor, WR, 1960–66
• 87 Rich Jackson, DE, 1967–72
• Gerald Phipps, team owner, 1961–81
• 18 Frank Tripucka, QB, 1960–63
• 36 Billy Thompson, CB, 1969–81
• 7 Craig Morton, QB, 1977–82
• 25 Haven Moses, WR, 1972–81
• 53 Randy Gradishar, LB, 1976–83
• 57 Tom Jackson, LB, 1973–86
• 80 Rick Upchurch, WR, 1975–83
• 20 Louis Wright, S, 1975–86
• Red Miller, Head Coach, 1977–80
• Dan Reeves, Head Coach, 1981–92
• 7 John Elway, QB, 1983–98
• 77 Karl Mecklenburg, LB, 1983–94
• 84 Shannon Sharpe, TE, 1990–99, 2002–03
• 30 Terrell Davis, RB, 1995–2001
• Mike Shanahan, Head Coach, 1995–2008
• 91 Alfred Williams, DE-LB, 1996–99

Staff[link]

Head coaches[link]

Current staff[link]

Radio and television[link]

As of 2010^[update], the Broncos' flagship radio station was KOA, 850AM, a 50,000-watt station owned by Clear Channel Communications. Dave Logan is the play-by-play announcer, with former Broncos' quarterback Brian Griese serving as the color commentator. Until 2010, preseason games not selected for airing on national television were shown on KCNC, channel 4, which is a CBS owned-and-operated station, as well as other CBS affiliates around the Rocky Mountain region. On May 26, 2011, the Broncos announced that KUSA channel 9, an NBC affiliate also known as 9NEWS in the Rocky Mountain region, will be the team's new television partner for preseason games.^[49]

Notable fans and in the media[link]

• Tim McKernan, a.k.a. Barrel Man, began wearing a barrel in 1977 after making a $10 bet with his brother, Scott, that by wearing one he could get on television. McKernan won the bet, and the barrel he had painted to look like an Orange Crush soda can became his signature costume, and resulted in him becoming one of the Broncos' most recognized fans and a popular mascot. McKernan died on December 5, 2009.^[50]
• The animated television show South Park, set in Park County, Colorado, often mentions the Denver Broncos; show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone both grew up in Colorado as devout Broncos fans.^[51]
• In The Simpsons episode "You Only Move Twice", Hank Scorpio gives Homer Simpson the Denver Broncos as a thank-you gift for helping him. Homer complains that he wanted to own the Dallas Cowboys (the Broncos are playing very sloppy football on his front lawn while he says this). Incidentally, the Broncos were 13–3 that year, and won the Super Bowl the next 2 seasons. In another episode, Homer picks the Broncos to win the Super Bowl (the second of which aired on Fox, home of The Simpsons).
• Many former Broncos are now in broadcasting, including Shannon Sharpe, Mark Schlereth, Alfred Williams, Tom Jackson and Terrell Davis.

Notes and references[link]

Further reading[link]

• Denver Broncos: The Complete Illustrated History (2009), by Jim Saccomano & John Elway, MBI Publishing Company, ISBN 0-7603-3476-5
• Then Morton Said to Elway...: The Best Denver Broncos Stories Ever Told (2008), by Craig Morton & Adrian Dater, Triumph Books, ISBN 1-60078-121-7
• Game of My Life: Denver Broncos: Memorable Stories of Broncos Football (2007), by Jim Saccomano, Sports Publishing LLC, ISBN 1-59670-091-2
• The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Denver Broncos: Heart-Pounding, Jaw-Dropping, and Gut-Wrenching Moments from Denver Broncos History (2007), By Adrian Dater – Triumph Books, ISBN 1-57243-975-0
• John Elway and the Denver Broncos: Super Bowl XXXIII (2007), by Michael Sandler, Bearport Pub Company, ISBN 1-59716-536-0
• The Denver Broncos (2006), by Mark Stewart – Norwood House Press, ISBN 1-59953-066-X
• Denver Broncos: Colorful Tales of the Orange and Blue (2004), by Larry Zimmer, Globe Pequot Press, ISBN 0-7627-2766-7

External links[link]

• Official website
• Denver Broncos on Facebook
• Denver Broncos on Twitter
• The Denver Post – Complete Broncos Coverage
• Pro Football Hall of Fame – Denver Broncos team history
• Sports E-Cyclopedia.org