John Elway - wikipedia John Elway John Elway Elway in December 2004 Denver Broncos Position : General manager President of football operations Born : ( 1960 - 06 - 28 ) June 28, 1960 ( age 58 ) Port Angeles, Washington Height : 6 ft 3 in ( 1.91 m ) Weight : 215 lb ( 98 kg ) Career information High school : Granada Hills ( CA ) College : Stanford NFL Draft : 1983 / Round : 1 / Pick : 1 Career history As player : Denver Broncos ( 1983 -- 1998 ) As administrator : Colorado Crush ( 2003 -- 2008 ) CEO & co-owner Denver Broncos ( 2011 -- present ) General manager & executive vice president of football operations Career highlights and awards As a player : 2 × Super Bowl champion ( XXXII, XXXIII ) Super Bowl MVP ( XXXIII ) 9 × Pro Bowl ( 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996 -- 1998 ) First - team All - Pro ( 1987 ) 2 × Second - team All - Pro ( 1993, 1996 ) NFL Most Valuable Player ( 1987 ) 2 × AFC Offensive Player of the Year ( 1987, 1993 ) NFL Man of the Year ( 1992 ) NFL passing yards leader ( 1993 ) NFL 1990s All - Decade Team Denver Broncos Ring of Fame Denver Broncos No. 7 retired Pac - 10 Player of the Year ( 1982 ) Unanimous All - American ( 1982 ) Stanford Cardinal No. 7 retired As a general manager : Super Bowl champion ( 50 ) Career NFL statistics TD -- INT : 300 -- 226 Passing yards : 51,475 Completion percentage : 56.9 Passer rating : 79.9 Rushing yards : 3,407 Rushing touchdowns : 33 Player stats at NFL.com Pro Football Hall of Fame College Football Hall of Fame John Albert Elway Jr. ( born June 28, 1960 ) is a former American football quarterback who is currently general manager and president of football operations of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League ( NFL ). Elway played college football at Stanford and his entire 16 - year professional career with the Denver Broncos. At the time of his retirement in early 1999, Elway recorded the most victories by a starting quarterback and statistically was the second most prolific passer in NFL history. He was also a prolific rusher of the ball, being one of only two players ever to score a rushing touchdown in four different Super Bowls ( the other being Thurman Thomas ) and the only quarterback to do so. Elway set several career records for passing attempts and completions while at Stanford and also received All - American honors. He was the first selection in the 1983 NFL Draft, famously known as the quarterback class of 1983, where he was taken by the Baltimore Colts before being traded to the Denver Broncos. In January 1987, Elway embarked on one of the most notable performances in sports and in NFL history, helping engineer a 98 - yard, game - tying touchdown drive in the AFC Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns. The moment is known in National Football League lore as `` The Drive. '' Following that game in Cleveland, Elway and the Broncos lost in Super Bowl XXI to the New York Giants. After two more Super Bowl losses, the Broncos entered a period of decline ; however, that ended during the 1997 season, as Elway and Denver won their first Super Bowl title by defeating the Green Bay Packers 31 -- 24 in Super Bowl XXXII. The Broncos repeated as champions the following season in Super Bowl XXXIII by defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34 -- 19. Elway was voted MVP of that Super Bowl, which was the last game of his career, and in doing so Elway set a then - record five Super Bowl starts which was broken in February 2015 when Tom Brady of the New England Patriots started Super Bowl XLIX. As Denver 's quarterback, Elway led his teams to six AFC Championship Games and five Super Bowls, winning two. After his retirement as a player, he served as general manager and executive vice president of football operations of the Broncos, which won four division titles, two AFC Championships, and Super Bowl 50 during his tenure. Elway has been a member of the Broncos organization for all three of their Super Bowl victories, two as a player and one as an executive. Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 in his first year of eligibility and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. Contents 1 Early life 2 College career 3 Professional career 3.1 1983 NFL Draft 3.2 Denver Broncos 3.3 Legacy 3.4 Notable statistics 3.5 Hall of Fame 3.6 Career highlights 4 NFL career statistics 4.1 Regular season 4.2 Playoffs 5 Business activities 6 Executive career 7 Family 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 External links Early life Elway and his twin sister were born in Port Angeles, Washington, to Janet ( née Jordan ) and Jack Elway, then the head coach at Port Angeles High School on the Olympic Peninsula. The family of five included sister Lee Ann, a year older than the twins. They moved the following year to southwestern Washington, where Jack was the junior college head football coach at Grays Harbor Community College in Aberdeen for five seasons. As a youth, Elway lived primarily in Missoula, Montana, and Pullman, Washington, when his father was an assistant coach at Montana and Washington State, respectively. In February 1976, Jack joined the staff at Palouse neighbor Idaho, but a month later became the head coach at Cal State - Northridge, a Division II program in Southern California. The family moved after John 's freshman year at Pullman High School to the San Fernando Valley, where he played his final three years of football at Granada Hills High School in Granada Hills, under head coaches Jack Neumeier and Tom Richards. Despite missing five games with a knee injury as a senior, he ended his high school career with 5,711 passing yards and 49 passing touchdowns, and was named to the PARADE All America High School Football Team, along with future NFL stars, quarterback Dan Marino and running back Eric Dickerson. Known as a dual - threat quarterback, meaning he was accomplished at running and escaping pressure and had impressive passing ability, he was the number - one recruited high school player in the country, receiving over 60 scholarship offers. ( One of those offers was from his father, who became the head coach at San Jose State following the 1978 season. ) Also an accomplished baseball player, Elway was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 18th round of the 1979 Major League Baseball draft. ( The Royals also selected Marino in the fourth round of the same draft. ) College career In 1979, he enrolled at Stanford University, where he played football and baseball. In his senior season in 1982, Stanford was 5 - 5 and needed to win its final game, the Big Game against California, to secure an invitation to the Hall of Fame Classic bowl game. With two minutes remaining in the game, Stanford was down 19 - 17 and had 4th - and - 17 on their own 13 - yard line. Elway completed a 29 - yard pass and drove the ball downfield to the 35 - yard line, where Mark Harmon kicked what appeared to be the winning field goal. However, the clock had four seconds remaining, so Stanford had to kick off. What followed is now simply known as `` The Play '', in which Cal players lateraled the ball, rugby - style, five times -- two of them controversial -- and scored a touchdown to win the game, 25 - 20. Elway was bitter about the game afterward, stating that the officials `` ruined my last game as a college football player. '' Stanford athletics director Andy Geiger said the loss cost Elway the Heisman Trophy. Twenty years later, Elway came to terms with The Play, saying that `` each year it gets a little funnier. '' Although Elway never led his team to a bowl game, he had an accomplished college career. In his four seasons ( 1979 -- 1982 ) at Stanford, he completed 774 passes for 9,349 yards and 77 touchdowns. Stanford had a 20 -- 23 record during his tenure. Elway 's 24 touchdown passes in 1982 led the nation, and at the conclusion of his career, he held nearly every Pacific - 10 record for passing and total offense. He won the Pac - 10 Player of the Year honors in 1980 and 1982, was a consensus All - American, and finished second in Heisman Trophy balloting as a senior. In 2000, Elway was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. In 2007, Elway was ranked # 15 on ESPN 's Top 25 Players In College Football History list. He passed for over 200 yards in 30 of his 42 collegiate games. Elway also excelled as a baseball player. He was selected by the New York Yankees in the second round of the 1981 Major League Baseball draft ( 52nd overall, six spots ahead of future Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn ), and received $150,000 for playing for the Yankees ' short season affiliate Oneonta Yankees in the New York -- Penn League in the summer of 1982. Yankees scout Gary Hughes believed that had Elway concentrated on baseball `` the sky was the limit... he would 've been off the charts ''. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner -- who aggressively sought Elway 's services -- reportedly planned to make him the Yankees ' starting right fielder by 1985, which Elway -- aware of Steinbrenner 's opinion -- later described as `` a tremendous ( and ) exciting thought ''. Elway graduated with a bachelor 's degree in economics, and he is a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Already age 19 when he entered as a freshman, Elway did not use a redshirt year at Stanford. Professional career 1983 NFL Draft In the 1983 NFL Draft, Elway was selected as the first overall pick by the Baltimore Colts. Elway was wary of playing for the Colts, among the worst teams in the league at the time, and his father advised him against playing for head coach Frank Kush, who had a reputation as a harsh taskmaster. While Elway preferred football, his agent Marvin Demoff later stated that baseball was `` a true option '' for him at the time. The possibility gave Elway leverage in negotiations with the Colts. After unsuccessfully attempting to negotiate a private agreement with the Colts in which Elway would cite his alleged desire to remain on the West coast to explain the team trading him, Elway publicly threatened to join the Yankees full - time if the Colts did not trade him ; Demoff wrote in his journal, published three decades later, that `` he would be a garbage collector before he 'd play for Baltimore. '' Elway 's refusal to join the Colts was controversial -- Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw denounced him, stating `` you should play baseball... he 's not the kind of guy you win championships with '' -- but many other NFL teams began negotiations with the Colts for the quarterback. One possibility was trading Elway for the San Francisco 49ers ' Joe Montana, whose team had had a poor season in 1982. Another was a trade with the San Diego Chargers, which was negotiating a new contract with its star quarterback Dan Fouts. The New England Patriots were interested, but the Colts did not wish to trade Elway to a team in the same division. The Colts ' general manager Ernie Accorsi wanted Elway as, Accorsi later said, he did not foresee the 1984 Draft as producing any first - round quarterbacks. Accorsi announced Elway as the team 's choice as soon as possible during the 15 - minute window on draft day, surprising observers. Elway that day reiterated his wish to not play for the Colts at a press conference, saying `` As I stand here right now, I 'm playing baseball ''. ( When a reporter pointed out that the Yankees were not based on the West coast, Elway replied `` They play baseball during the summertime ''. ) The Colts, however, were interested in offensive lineman Chris Hinton, who the Denver Broncos had chosen as the fourth pick in the first round. On May 2, Colts owner Robert Irsay and Accorsi agreed to trade Elway for Hinton, backup quarterback Mark Herrmann, and a first - round pick in the 1984 Draft. The Colts controversial relocation to Indianapolis the following year would later prove to somewhat vindicate Jack Elway 's concerns, and that franchise would largely struggle until the arrival of Peyton Manning during Elway 's last season as a player. Denver Broncos Elway joined Denver as one of the most highly anticipated athletes in the history of the NFL. The local newspapers ran a section that was called `` The Elway Watch. '' Elway debuted for the Broncos in the 1983 season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium. He was sacked for the first time in his NFL career at the hands of linebacker and fellow Hall of Famer Jack Lambert. In his first game, Elway was relieved by veteran quarterback Steve DeBerg, who led the Broncos to a victory. Elway 's second game was also on the road at Baltimore, and was spirited by his rejection of the franchise. In what would turn out to be Elway 's only professional game in Baltimore, Elway was again relieved in a close game by DeBerg, who led the Broncos to another win. In early October, DeBerg was named the starter by third - year head coach Dan Reeves for the remainder of the season, but a shoulder injury brought Elway back a month later. Although the Broncos were playoff contenders for his early years, Elway went through the normal growing pains of a young NFL quarterback. In the 1986 season, Elway led the Broncos to Super Bowl XXI, after defeating the Cleveland Browns on a famous possession at the end of the fourth quarter that became known as `` The Drive. '' ( In a span of 5 minutes and 2 seconds, Elway led his team 98 yards to tie the game with 37 seconds left in regulation. The Broncos went on to win the game in overtime. ) Elway and the Broncos started out the Super Bowl against the New York Giants very well, building a 10 -- 7 lead and then driving to the Giants 1 - yard line in the second quarter. However, the Broncos lost five yards on their next three plays and came up empty after kicker Rich Karlis missed the field goal attempt. From that point on, the rest of the game went downhill for the Broncos. Elway was sacked in the end zone for a safety on the Broncos ensuing possession, cutting their lead to 10 -- 9. Then in the second half, the Giants scored 30 points and ended up winning the game 39 -- 20. Still, Elway had an impressive performance, throwing for 304 yards and a touchdown, with one interception, while also leading Denver in rushing with 27 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Elway ( center ) getting tackled by the Atlanta Falcons in 1985. In the 1987 season, Elway was selected to start in the American Football Conference 's ( AFC ) Pro Bowl team and won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award. He went on to once again lead the Broncos to a victory over the Browns in the AFC title game, earning their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, this one against the Washington Redskins. The game started out very well for Denver, and they built up a 10 -- 0 lead by the end of the first quarter. At the time, no team had ever overcome a 10 -- 0 deficit in the Super Bowl. But in the second quarter, the Redskins suddenly stormed back with a record 35 points, and ended up winning Super Bowl XXII 42 -- 10. Elway did have a few highlights. His 56 - yard touchdown pass to Ricky Nattiel after just 1 : 57 had elapsed in the game set a record for the fastest touchdown in Super Bowl history, at the time. He also became the first quarterback ever to catch a pass in the Super Bowl, recording a 23 - yard reception from halfback Steve Sewell on a halfback option play. With a porous defense unable to stop the Redskins offense, Elway was forced to take more risks on the offensive end. As a result, Elway 's performance was rather disappointing : just 14 out of 38 completions for 257 yards and one touchdown, with three interceptions. After recording an 8 -- 8 record in 1988, Elway once again led his team to the Super Bowl after the 1989 season, with yet another win over the Browns in the AFC championship game, going on to face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV. However this game ended even worse for the Broncos than their previous Super Bowl losses. San Francisco blew out Denver 55 -- 10, the most lopsided score in Super Bowl history. Although Elway scored the only touchdown for his team on a three - yard run, his performance was abysmal : 10 out of 26 completions for 108 yards with no touchdown passes and two interceptions. But he did n't try to hide from the media after the game or downplay his dismal performance. And when he was asked if he wanted to go back to the Super Bowl after three losses, he responded that he wanted to go back every year, even if his team kept losing. Still by this point, many doubted that he would ever win a Super Bowl in his career. It took Elway another eight years, but he eventually led his team back to the Super Bowl, following the 1997 season. During the preseason American Bowl game in Mexico City, Elway ruptured his right ( throwing arm ) biceps tendon. It was treated non-surgically, and he returned to play 19 days later, and the team advanced to Super Bowl XXXII, Elway 's fourth, where they faced the Green Bay Packers, the defending champions. Despite Elway completing only 11 of 22 passes, throwing no touchdowns, but one interception, the Broncos defeated the Packers 31 -- 24, winning their first Super Bowl, after three failed attempts for Elway ( and four for the team ). In the 1998 season, the Broncos repeated this feat and Elway was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII, throwing for 336 yards and one touchdown with one interception, while also scoring a rushing touchdown in Denver 's 34 -- 19 win over the Atlanta Falcons. It was his last game, other than the 1999 Pro Bowl. Legacy Elway ( second from right ) at Super Bowl XLIII with Lynn Swann, Roger Craig, Roger Goodell, and General David Petraeus. On May 2, 1999, at the age of 38, Elway announced his retirement from professional football. Elway is regarded as one of the top quarterbacks ever to play the game. He has one of the best winning percentages in league history ( 148 -- 82 -- 1 ), and is tied for second most Pro Bowl selections for a quarterback ( nine ). As of 2016, he is sixth to Brett Favre, Dan Marino, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady in career passing attempts, passing yards, and completions. He also ranks seventh in career passing touchdowns, with 300. His four total rushing touchdowns in his Super Bowl games are the most ever by a quarterback. As of 2012, Elway and Tom Brady are the only quarterbacks to start in 5 Super Bowls. He is also the second player ever to score a rushing touchdown in four different Super Bowls ( running back Thurman Thomas was the first ). On September 13, 1999, Elway 's number 7 jersey was retired by the Denver Broncos during halftime of a Monday Night game against the Miami Dolphins ; that same night he was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame. ( Craig Morton, his direct predecessor in Denver, also wore number 7 and is in the Ring of Fame alongside Elway ). He was the first Broncos player to have the five - year waiting period waived. Also in 1999 he was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. Also in 1999, Elway was ranked number 16 on The Sporting News ' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the only player to have spent the majority of his career with the Broncos to make the list ( Willie Brown, who began his career with the Broncos but spent more of it with the Oakland Raiders, also made the list ). In 2005, TSN published another special feature honoring the 50 Greatest Quarterbacks. Elway was ranked third behind Johnny Unitas and Joe Montana. Elway was named the greatest athlete wearing the # 7 by Sports Illustrated. Current Pittsburgh Steelers ' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who grew up idolizing Elway and Joe Montana, wears number 7 in honor of Elway. Notable Statistics Elway ended his career with a record 148 victories, since surpassed by Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady for most wins by a starting quarterback. He finished his career with 774 rushing attempts, currently third in league history behind Randall Cunningham ( 775 ) and Michael Vick ( 873 ). Elway 's 3,407 rushing yards ranks sixth all - time among NFL QB 's behind Cunningham, Vick, Steve Young, Fran Tarkenton, and Steve McNair. Elway threw for 1,128 yards in his five Super Bowls, fourth most behind Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, and Joe Montana. His 76 Super Bowl pass completions rank fifth, and his 152 attempts were a Super Bowl record before being broken by Tom Brady. He is one of only two players ever to score a rushing touchdown in four different Super Bowls ( the other being Thurman Thomas ) and the only quarterback to do so. ( 156 attempts ) As of 2017 's NFL off - season, Elway held at least 33 Broncos franchise records, including : Completions : career ( 4,123 ), playoffs ( 355 ), rookie season ( 123 ) Pass Attempts : career ( 7,250 ), game ( 59 on 1993 - 10 - 10 @ GNB ; with Peyton Manning ), playoffs ( 651 ), rookie season ( 259 in 1983 ), rookie game ( 44 on 1983 - 12 - 11 BAL ) Passing Yards : career ( 51,475 ), playoffs ( 4,964 ), rookie game ( 345 on 1983 - 12 - 11 BAL ) Passing Touchdowns : career ( 300 ), playoffs ( 27 ), playoff season ( 6 in 1987 ), playoff game ( 3 on 1988 - 01 - 17 CLE, 1990 - 01 - 14 CLE, and 1994 - 01 - 09 @ RAI ; with Peyton Manning ) Intercepted : career ( 226 ), playoffs ( 21 ), playoff season ( 5 in 1987 ) Sacked : career ( 516 ), game ( 7 on 1989 - 10 - 29 PHI and 1993 - 10 - 18 RAI ; with Tim Tebow ), playoffs ( 39 ), playoff game ( 5 on 1988 - 01 - 31 NWAS ; with Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning ), rookie season ( 28 in 1983 ) Yds / Pass Att : playoffs ( 7.63 ), rookie game ( 11.83 on 1983 - 12 - 04 CLE ) Rush Yds / Att : playoff season ( 6.73 in 1986 ) 300 + yard passing games : career ( 40 ), playoffs ( 4 ), rookie season ( 1 ; with Marlin Briscoe and Tim Tebow ) Most Total Offensive Yards : 54,882 yards ( 51,475 passing, 3,407 rushing ) Most Total Touchdowns : 334 ( 300 passing, 33 rushing, 1 receiving ) Most Total Plays : 8,027 Winning Percentage :. 641 ( 148 -- 82 -- 1 ) Hall of Fame On August 8, 2004, Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was elected in his first year of eligibility. He was presented by his eldest daughter Jessica. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. Career highlights In 1979, Elway was drafted out of high school by the Kansas City Royals to play baseball in Major League Baseball. George Brett, the future Hall of Fame third baseman for the Royals, is said to have remarked, `` I hope this guy plays football. '' In the 1981 MLB Draft, Elway was selected by the New York Yankees in the second round. The following year, he played outfield in 42 games for the Oneonta Yankees of the Class A New York -- Penn League. He had a. 318 batting average, with four home runs, 13 stolen bases, and a team - high 25 RBI. In the 1983 NFL Draft, Elway was selected as the first overall pick by the Baltimore Colts, and on May 2, was traded to the Denver Broncos. On January 11, 1987, Elway executed `` The Drive '' -- a last - ditch, five - minute, 15 - play, 98 - yard touchdown drive in the AFC Championship against the Cleveland Browns to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, leading to an overtime win by field goal ( by Rich Karlis ) for the Broncos. It included six passes made ( nine attempted ), five rushes and an eight - yard sack. He was named the NFL Most Valuable Player and the AFC Offensive MVP. Elway is the only player to throw for over 3,000 yards and rush for over 200 yards in seven straight seasons ( 1985 -- 91 ). Elway was named the AFC Offensive MVP in 1993 when he passed for 4,030 yards and 25 touchdowns. He had a quarterback rating of 92.8. In 1997, Elway led the Broncos to their first ever Super Bowl win in Super Bowl XXXII. His three previous attempts in Super Bowls XXI, XXII and XXIV were unsuccessful. Elway is one of only two players to rush for a touchdown in four Super Bowls ( XXI, XXIV, XXXII, XXXIII ). Thurman Thomas is the other. On January 31, 1999, in Super Bowl XXXIII, Elway passed for 336 yards in a 34 - 19 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. He was named the Super Bowl MVP. Elway was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times during his 16 seasons with the Broncos, a franchise record. Over his professional career, Elway led Denver to 35 comeback wins in the 4th quarter & overtime, tied for third with Johnny Unitas. Elway 's 148 wins place him fourth behind Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and Tom Brady for career wins among quarterbacks. Elway was sacked 516 times, second to Favre for most times sacked in NFL history. Elway 's 300 career touchdown passes places him tenth behind Favre, Dan Marino, Fran Tarkenton, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger. Elway is one of six quarterbacks to pass for at least 3,000 yards in 12 seasons ; Favre, Marino, Brees, Brady and Manning are the others. 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, at halftime during the Stanford - Oregon game. NFL career statistics Regular season Year Team Games Passing Rushing GS Comp Att Yards TD Int Rtg Att Yards Avg TD DEN 11 10 123 259 1,663 7 14 54.9 28 146 5.2 1984 DEN 15 14 214 380 2,598 18 15 76.8 56 237 4.2 1985 DEN 16 16 327 605 3,891 22 23 70.2 51 253 5.0 0 1986 DEN 16 16 280 504 3,485 19 13 79.0 52 257 4.9 DEN 12 12 224 410 3,198 19 12 83.4 66 304 4.6 1988 DEN 15 15 274 496 3,309 17 19 71.4 54 234 4.3 1989 DEN 15 15 223 416 3,051 18 18 73.7 48 244 5.1 1990 DEN 16 16 294 502 3,526 15 14 78.5 50 258 5.2 1991 DEN 16 16 242 451 3,253 13 12 75.4 55 255 4.6 6 1992 DEN 12 12 174 316 2,242 10 17 65.7 34 94 2.8 1993 DEN 16 16 348 551 4,030 25 10 92.8 44 153 3.5 0 1994 DEN 14 14 307 494 3,490 16 10 85.7 58 235 4.1 1995 DEN 16 16 316 542 3,970 26 14 86.4 41 176 4.3 DEN 15 15 287 466 3,328 26 14 89.2 50 249 5.0 1997 DEN 16 16 280 502 3,635 27 11 87.5 50 218 4.4 1998 DEN 13 12 210 356 2,806 22 10 93.0 37 94 2.5 Career 234 231 4,123 7,250 51,475 300 226 79.9 774 3,407 4.4 33 Playoffs Year Team Games Passing Rushing GS Comp Att Yards TD Int Att Yards Avg TD DEN 0 10 15 123 0 16 5.3 0 1984 DEN 19 37 184 16 4.0 0 1986 DEN 57 107 805 15 101 6.7 DEN 42 89 797 6 5 18 76 4.2 1989 DEN 42 82 732 16 91 5.7 1991 DEN 30 54 378 10 49 4.9 0 1993 DEN 29 47 302 5 23 4.6 0 DEN 25 38 226 0 5 30 6.0 0 1997 DEN 56 96 726 9 25 2.8 1998 DEN 45 86 691 9 34 3.8 Career 22 21 355 651 4,964 27 21 94 461 4.9 6 Business activities Elway was co-owner of the Arena Football team Colorado Crush, from their inception in 2002 until the cancellation of the Arena Football League after the 2008 season. In February 2007, Elway was elected chairman of the AFL 's executive committee. On August 4, 2009, the Arena Football League announced an indefinite suspension of operations. Elway was one of the 17 remaining franchise owners that voted to suspend operations indefinitely. Elway is the owner of two steakhouse restaurants, each named `` Elway 's '' : One is located in the upscale Cherry Creek shopping district, and the other is in the Ritz - Carlton Hotel in downtown Denver. Elway owned five auto dealerships, called John Elway Autos, in the Denver area. He sold them to AutoNation Inc. in 1997 for $82.5 million. In December 2006, Elway ended a nine - year licensing agreement with AutoNation, removing his name from Denver - area dealerships. At the time, Elway said the move could allow him to get back into the auto business under his own name. He still owns two Toyota Scion dealerships, one in Manhattan Beach, California and another in Ontario, California, a Chevrolet dealership in Englewood, Colorado, and a Chrysler Jeep dealership in Greeley, Colorado. In September 2008, Elway became the spokesperson for OpenSports.com. Elway had LASIK eye surgery and endorsed Icon LASIK in the Denver area in November 2008. Elway currently offers his commentary on the Broncos and the NFL season as a whole Friday mornings during the football season on 87.7 The Ticket in Denver. Executive career In December 2010, Elway expressed interest in working as the Broncos ' top football executive, after having dinner with Broncos owner Pat Bowlen. However, he expressed no interest in being a head coach or general manager after Josh McDaniels ' firing, saying, `` I 'm not interested in being a head coach. I 'm not interested in being a general manager. I do n't have that kind of experience to be able to pick those players day in and day out and such. '' On January 5, 2011, Elway was named general manager and executive vice president of football operations of the Broncos, with the final say in all football matters. In this capacity, he reports to team president Joe Ellis and is the immediate supervisor for head coach Gary Kubiak and the former head coach John Fox, who left the team in 2015 and currently the head coach for the Chicago Bears. General manager Brian Xanders was retained, but served mostly in an advisory role to Elway. Xanders left the team after the 2011 season, and Elway assumed the role of general manager which gave him complete control over the football side of the Broncos operation. Under Elway 's management, the team signed free agent quarterback Peyton Manning who had just been released by the Indianapolis Colts. In four seasons from 2012 to 2015, the Broncos won four division titles, two AFC Championships, and reached Super Bowl XLVIII where they were soundly defeated 43 - 8 by the Seattle Seahawks despite holding the regular season 's top offense. Elway responded to the Super Bowl loss by signing defensive end DeMarcus Ware, cornerback Aqib Talib, and safety T.J. Ward for the 2014 season. After losing in the divisional playoffs to the Indianapolis Colts, Elway dismissed John Fox, who had won four divisional championships in his four years as Broncos head coach. Elway hired Gary Kubiak, his former backup quarterback and former Broncos offensive coordinator, as the new head coach for the 2015 season. Elway and Kubiak also brought back Wade Phillips, a former Broncos head coach, for his second stint as the team 's defensive coordinator. Elway won a third Super Bowl as part of the Broncos franchise, when on February 7, 2016 Denver defeated the Carolina Panthers 24 - 10 in Super Bowl 50. This gave him his first Super Bowl win as Executive VP / GM, to go along with the two he won as the team 's quarterback. Family Elway married Janet Buchan, who attended Stanford University and competed on its swimming team, in 1984. They separated in 2002 and divorced in 2003. They have four children : Jessica, Jordan, Jack, and Juliana. Jessica Gwen Elway was a student at Stanford University. During her freshman year, she was a member of the Stanford women 's basketball team. However, she did not rejoin the team for her sophomore year. Jessica gave an introduction speech for her father at his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, becoming the first daughter to ever introduce her father as an inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. John Albert `` Jack '' Elway III played quarterback at Cherry Creek High School in Colorado, receiving All - State honors his senior year, graduating in 2008. John worked as the quarterback coach for Cherry Creek for Jack 's senior year. Jack signed to play quarterback for Arizona State University but left the team in April 2009. ASU 's head coach Dennis Erickson was his grandfather Jack 's first offensive coordinator, from 1979 -- 81, at San José State, the elder Jack 's first Division I head coaching job. Elway 's twin sister, Jana, developed lung cancer and died at the age of 42 in the summer of 2002. John 's father, Jack, died of an apparent heart attack a year earlier. Elway proposed marriage to former Oakland Raiders cheerleader Paige Green in Italy in September 2008. Elway and Green were married in August 2009. Elway met Green in 2005 at a celebrity golf tournament held by former Raiders running back Marcus Allen in Los Angeles. See also Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame List of gridiron football quarterbacks passing statistics List of multi-sport athletes List of NCAA major college football yearly passing leaders Notes ^ Jump up to : `` Super Bowl Records : Individual Passing '', NFL.com ^ Jump up to : `` Super Bowl Leaders '', Pro-Football-Reference.com ^ Jump up to : Pierce, Oliver ( January 23, 1987 ). `` From Pullman to Pasadena ''. Idahonian. Moscow. p. 17. Jump up ^ `` Jack Elway joins Idaho grid staff ''. Spokesman - Review. February 18, 1976. p. 16. Jump up ^ `` Idaho staff adds Elway ''. Kingman Daily Miner. Arizona. Associated Press. February 18, 1976. p. 14. Jump up ^ `` Cal - Northridge names new coach ''. Tuscaloosa News. Alabama. Associated Press. March 25, 1976. p. 18. Jump up ^ LYNCH, JOHN ( October 12, 1986 ). `` THE HIGH SCHOOLS : Hampton Does Unto Defenses Before They Can Do Unto Him '' -- via LA Times. ^ Jump up to : Reilly, Rick ( May 10, 1983 ). `` Elway 's ' just one of the boys ' ''. Eugene Register - Guard. ( Denver Post ). p. 1C. Jump up ^ Rich, Tosches ( July 26, 1979 ). `` Jack Elway now a troubled man ''. Ellensburg Daily Record. UPI. p. 10. Jump up ^ Van Sickel, Charlie ( December 5, 1980 ). `` Walden : ' That 's great ' ''. Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 28. Jump up ^ Cohen, Haskell ( December 31, 1978 ). `` Parade 's All American High School Football Team ''. Spokesman - Review. Parade magazine. p. 12, Parade. Jump up ^ `` 18th Round of the 1979 MLB June Amateur Draft ''. baseballreference.com. Retrieved October 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` 4th Round of the 1979 MLB June Amateur Draft ''. baseballreference.com. Retrieved January 6, 2011. Jump up ^ Hecht, Steve ( June 28, 1979 ). `` NCAA ruling spurs Marino to choose Pitt over pros ''. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 10. Jump up ^ Miller, Johnny ( November 18, 2007 ). `` Stanford 's Elway bitter after Big Game loss to Cal in 1982 ''. San Francisco Chronicle. Jump up ^ Krentzman, Jackie ( Nov -- Dec 2002 ). `` And The Band Played On ''. Stanford Alumni Magazine. Jump up ^ Elway finished second to Herschel Walker, Sports-Reference.com : 1982 Heisman Trophy Voting Archived January 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Rotto, Ray ( October 17, 1982 ). `` the delicious dilemma of John Elway ''. Tuscalsoosa News. Family Weekly magazine. p. 6, Family Weekly. ^ Jump up to : `` Elway to Marino ''. 30 for 30. Season 2. 2013 - 04 - 23. ESPN. Jump up ^ `` Delta Tau Delta : Beta Rho Chapter -- Stanford University ''. Retrieved September 22, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Looney, Douglas S. ( August 15, 1983 ). `` In Denver, delirium Is spelled E-l-w-a-y '' ( PDF ). Sports Illustrated. p. 21. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on October 18, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Elway hurt ; DeBerg directs Broncos win ''. Gadsden Times. Alabama. Associated Press. September 5, 1983. p. B4. Jump up ^ The Colts moved to Indianapolis prior to the 1984 season. Although Baltimore received a new franchise that commenced play in 1996, that team ( the Ravens ) only played the Broncos once, in Denver, during Elway 's final three professional seasons. Jump up ^ `` Denver 's DeBerg keeps rescuing $5 million man ''. Palm Beach Post. wire services. September 13, 1983. p. D6. Jump up ^ `` Struggling Broncos bench Elway, DeBerg starter for rest of season ''. Montreal Gazette. UPI. October 6, 1983. p. D - 14. Jump up ^ `` Elway back as starter after Broncos lose DeBerg ''. Montreal Gazette. news services. November 8, 1983. p. D10. Jump up ^ Cour, Jim ( December 23, 1983 ). `` Broncos to bench Elway, start DeBerg ''. Evening News. Newburgh - Beacon, New York. Associated Press. p. 2B. Jump up ^ `` NFL Career Passes Completed Leaders ''. Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on November 3, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Football 's 100 Greatest Players ''. The Sporting News. Archived from the original on November 5, 2005. Retrieved September 22, 2009. Jump up ^ Wilbon, Michael ( January 23, 2006 ). `` Big Ben, Already Like Clockwork ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved May 6, 2010. Jump up ^ `` College Football Hall of Fame -- John Elway Member Biography ''. Collegefootball.org. June 28, 1960. Retrieved October 11, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Six QBs picked in first round shared history ''. CNN. Retrieved May 6, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` John Elway : Master of the Drive ''. CNN. Retrieved May 6, 2010. Jump up ^ `` John Elway Minor League Statistics & History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. June 28, 1960. Retrieved October 11, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Sporting News -- NFL -- NCAA -- NBA -- MLB -- NASCAR -- UFC -- WWE ''. Sporting News. Archived from the original on September 20, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Broncos Official Website, Ring of Fame page ''. Denverbroncos.com. Retrieved October 11, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Quarterbacks and fourth quarter comebacks, Part 1 '', Pro-Football-Reference.com Jump up ^ `` Hall of Famers '' JOHN ELWAY ``. Profootballhof.com. Retrieved October 11, 2010. Jump up ^ Kurt Svoboda. `` Stanford to Retire Elway 's No. 7 ''. Archived from the original on October 13, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2013. Jump up ^ espn.com Elway to chair Arena League executive committee Jump up ^ `` Sports -- CBSSports.com Sports News, Fantasy Scores, Sports Video ''. Cbssports.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2010. Jump up ^ Irv Moss, `` Arena Football League suspended indefinitely '', The Denver Post, August 4, 2009 http://www.denverpost.com/crush/ci_12986514 ^ Jump up to : espn.com, Elway expands business empire, opening new steakhouse Jump up ^ Manhattan Beach Toyota, John Elway 's Manhattan Beach Toyota Jump up ^ Manhattan Beach Scion, Manhattan Beach Scion Jump up ^ Crown Toyota, John Elway 's Crown Toyota Jump up ^ Crown Scion, John Elway 's Crown Scion Jump up ^ John Elway Chevrolet, John Elway Chevrolet Jump up ^ John Elway Chrysler, John Elway Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Jump up ^ `` John Elway signs with OPEN Sports.com ''. Reuters. September 3, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2010. Jump up ^ John Elway LASIK John Elway selected ICON LASIK in Denver Jump up ^ `` John Elway expresses interest in joining Broncos ' executive staff ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ Klis, Mike ; Legwold, Jeff ( January 5, 2011 ). `` Broncos officially announce Elway hire, promote Ellis to president ''. Denver Post. Jump up ^ `` John Fox 's role on Broncos not forgotten, but much about Super Bowl will be ''. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 9, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Wild Ride : Tale of Super Bowl 50 champs Broncos ''. Sports Illustrated. ^ Jump up to : Husted, Bill ( September 26, 2008 ). `` John Elway to marry ex-Raiders cheerleader ''. The Denver Post. Retrieved October 11, 2010. Jump up ^ `` John Elway Joins Cherry Creek as QB Coach -- 23 Aug 2007 ''. kdrv.com. August 23, 2007. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Jack Elway Signs Letter of Intent with ASU -- 6 Feb 2008 ''. kdvr.com. February 6, 2008. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Jack Elway, son of John Elway, leaving Arizona State Sun Devils football team ''. espn.go.com. ESPN. April 7, 2009. Retrieved October 11, 2010. Jump up ^ `` John Elway engaged to former Raiders cheerleader : Broncos ''. The Rocky Mountain News. September 26, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2010. References The Associated Press, `` Clock runs out on Elway '', Arizona Daily Wildcat, May 3, 1999. Ivan Carter, `` KC helped make Elway a star '', The Kansas City Star, August 8, 2004, p. C8. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to John Elway. Official website ESPN Sportscentury Bio Elway 's Restaurant Elway 's John Elway on IMDb Career statistics and player information from NFL.com ESPN Yahoo ! Sports Pro-Football - Reference Career statistics and player information from Baseball - Reference ( Minors ) Current general managers of the National Football League American Football Conference AFC East AFC North AFC South AFC West Brandon Beane ( Buffalo Bills ) Chris Grier ( Miami Dolphins ) Bill Belichick * ( New England Patriots ) Mike Maccagnan ( New York Jets ) Ozzie Newsome ( Baltimore Ravens ) Mike Brown * ( Cincinnati Bengals ) John Dorsey ( Cleveland Browns ) Kevin Colbert ( Pittsburgh Steelers ) Brian Gaine ( Houston Texans ) Chris Ballard ( Indianapolis Colts ) David Caldwell ( Jacksonville Jaguars ) Jon Robinson ( Tennessee Titans ) John Elway ( Denver Broncos ) Brett Veach ( Kansas City Chiefs ) Tom Telesco ( Los Angeles Chargers ) Reggie McKenzie ( Oakland Raiders ) National Football Conference NFC East NFC North NFC South NFC West Jerry Jones ( Dallas Cowboys ) Dave Gettleman ( New York Giants ) Howie Roseman * ( Philadelphia Eagles ) Bruce Allen * ( Washington Redskins ) Ryan Pace ( Chicago Bears ) Bob Quinn ( Detroit Lions ) Brian Gutekunst ( Green Bay Packers ) Rick Spielman ( Minnesota Vikings ) Thomas Dimitroff ( Atlanta Falcons ) Marty Hurney ( Carolina Panthers ) Mickey Loomis ( New Orleans Saints ) Jason Licht ( Tampa Bay Buccaneers ) Steve Keim ( Arizona Cardinals ) Les Snead ( Los Angeles Rams ) John Lynch ( San Francisco 49ers ) John Schneider ( Seattle Seahawks ) Asterisk ( * ) denotes a de facto general manager, performing GM duties either under a different title or in addition to other duties. Italics denote an interim general manager. John Elway -- awards, championships, and honors Awards and achievements Preceded by Fran Tarkenton ( 124 ) Wins as a starting quarterback in the NFL ( 148 ) 1996 -- 2007 Succeeded by Brett Favre ( 186 ) Stanford Cardinal starting quarterbacks Code Harrelson Tarpey Walker Bogue Lewis Alustiza Paulman Albert Bell Shaw Kerkorian Garrett Brodie Douglas Nicolet Norman Sears Thurlow Berg DeSylvia Lewis Washington Williams Plunkett Bunce Boryla Cordova Benjamin Dils Schonert Elway Cottrell Paye Johnson Palumbis Stenstrom Frost Butterfield Hutchinson Husak Fasani Matter Lewis Edwards Ostrander Pritchard Luck Nunes Hogan Burns Chryst Costello Pac - 12 Player of the Year winners Overall ( 1975 -- 1982 ) 1975 Muncie 1976 Bell 1977 Benjamin and Moon 1978 White 1979 White 1980 Elway 1981 Allen 1982 Elway and Ramsey Offensive ( 1983 -- present ) 1983 Pelluer 1984 Mayes 1985 Mayes 1986 Muster 1987 Aikman 1988 Peete 1989 Broussard 1990 G. Lewis 1991 Pawlawski and M. Bailey 1992 Bledsoe 1993 Stokes 1994 Kaufman 1995 K. Johnson 1996 Plummer 1997 Leaf 1998 McNown and A. Smith 1999 Walters 2000 Tuiasosopo 2001 Harrington 2002 Gesser and Palmer 2003 Leinart 2004 Bush and Leinart 2005 Bush 2006 Lynch 2007 Dixon 2008 Rodgers 2009 Gerhart 2010 Luck 2011 Luck 2012 Lee 2013 Carey 2014 Mariota 2015 McCaffrey 2016 Browning 2017 Love Defensive ( 1983 -- present ) 1983 Hunley and Rivera 1984 Bickett 1985 Walen 1986 Evans 1987 Cecil 1988 Wells 1989 Seau 1990 Emtman and D. Lewis 1991 Emtman 1992 Hoffmann 1993 Waldrop 1994 Fields 1995 Bruschi 1996 Chorak 1997 Tillman 1998 Claiborne 1999 O'Neal 2000 Archuleta 2001 R. Thomas 2002 Suggs 2003 Ball 2004 Cody and Swancutt 2005 Ngata and Robinson 2006 Hughes 2007 Ellis 2008 Maualuga 2009 Price 2010 Paea 2011 Kendricks 2012 Sutton 2013 Sutton 2014 Wright 2015 Buckner 2016 Jackson 2017 Vea Freshman ( 1999 -- 2008 ) 1999 Kelly 2000 Suggs 2001 T. Johnson and R. Williams 2002 M. Williams 2003 Browner 2004 Miller 2005 Perry and M. Thomas 2006 Byrd, Mays and Verner 2007 Locker 2008 Rodgers Freshman Offensive ( 2009 -- present ) 2009 James 2010 Woods 2011 D. Thomas and Lee 2012 Mariota 2013 Jack 2014 Freeman 2015 Rosen 2016 Darnold 2017 Taylor and Little Freshman Defensive ( 2009 -- present ) 2009 Burfict 2010 Onyeali 2011 D. Bailey 2012 L. Williams 2013 Jack 2014 Jackson 2015 C. Smith 2016 Rapp 2017 Schooler Pop Warner Trophy winners 1950 Pomeroy 1952 Sears 1953 B. Garrett 1954 Shaw 1955 Davenport 1956 Arnett 1957 Francis 1958 Kapp 1959 Burford 1960 Kilmer 1962 Baker 1963 Burke 1964 Morton 1965 M. Garrett 1966 Pifer 1967 Beban 1968 Simpson 1969 Parish 1970 Plunkett 1971 Siemon 1972 Rae 1973 Swann 1974 Davis 1975 Muncie 1976 Bell 1977 Benjamin 1978 Robinson 1979 White 1980 Margerum 1981 Allen 1982 Elway 1983 Rivera 1984 Del Rio 1985 Mayes 1986 Wyman 1988 Peete 1989 Ryan 1990 Lewis 1991 Vardell 1992 Milburn 1993 Morton 1994 Stenstrom 1995 Johnson 1996 Plummer 1997 Hicks 1998 McNown 1999 O'Neal 2000 Tuiasosopo 2002 Palmer 2003 Ball 2004 Arrington 1982 College Football All - America Team consensus selections Offense QB John Elway RB Eric Dickerson RB Mike Rozier RB Herschel Walker WR Anthony Carter TE Gordon Hudson OT Jim Covert OT Don Mosebar G Steve Korte G Bruce Matthews C Dave Rimington Defense DL George Achica DL Rick Bryan DL Wilber Marshall DL Vernon Maxwell DL Mike Pitts DL Gabriel Rivera DL Billy Ray Smith Jr. LB Ricky Hunley LB Marcus Marek LB Darryl Talley DB Terry Hoage DB Terry Kinard DB Mike Richardson Special teams K Chuck Nelson P Jim Arnold FWAA 1969 -- 1994 Quarter - century All - America Team Offense : QB John Elway RB Tony Dorsett RB Herschel Walker WR Jerry Rice WR Anthony Carter TE Keith Jackson G John Hannah G Dean Steinkuhler T Jerry Sisemore T Bill Fralic C Dave Rimington Defense : DE Jack Youngblood DE Lee Roy Selmon DT Steve Emtman DT Randy White OLB Hugh Green OLB Lawrence Taylor MLB Mike Singletary CB Deion Sanders CB Jack Tatum SS Kenny Easley FS Ronnie Lott Special Teams P Ray Guy PK Tony Franklin KR Johnny Rodgers National Football League Draft number one overall picks Berwanger Francis C. Davis Aldrich Cafego Harmon Dudley Sinkwich Bertelli Trippi Dancewicz Fenimore Gilmer Bednarik Hart Rote Wade Babcock B. Garrett Shaw Glick Hornung Hill Duncan Cannon Mason E. Davis Baker Parks Frederickson Nobis Bu. Smith Yary Simpson Bradshaw Plunkett Patulski Matuszak Jones Bartkowski Selmon Bell Campbell Cousineau B. Sims Rogers K. Sims Elway Fryar Br. Smith Jackson Testaverde Bruce Aikman George Maryland Emtman Bledsoe Wilkinson Carter Johnson Pace P. Manning Couch Brown Vick Carr Palmer E. Manning A. Smith Williams Russell Long Stafford Bradford Newton Luck Fisher Clowney Winston Goff M. Garrett Mayfield 1983 NFL draft first - round selections John Elway Eric Dickerson Curt Warner Chris Hinton Billy Ray Smith Jr. Jimbo Covert Todd Blackledge Michael Haddix Bruce Matthews Terry Kinard Tim Lewis Tony Hunter James Jones Jim Kelly Tony Eason Mike Pitts Leonard Smith Willie Gault Joey Browner Gary Anderson Gabriel Rivera Gill Byrd Jim Jeffcoat Ken O'Brien Dave Rimington Don Mosebar Dan Marino Darrell Green Baltimore / Indianapolis Colts first - round draft picks Vessels Davidson Shaw Ameche Moore Parker Lyles Burkett Mix Matte Harris Vogel Woodson Curtis Ball Smith Detwiler Williams Hinton Bulaich McCauley Dunlap Drougas Jones Ehrmann Dutton Carr Huff Novak Burke McCall Krauss Dickey Hatchett McMillan Thompson Cooks Schlichter Elway Coleman Solt Bickett Hand Bennett Rison George Emtman Coryatt Dawkins Faulk Alberts Ellis Johnson Harrison Glenn Manning James Morris Wayne Freeney Clark Jackson Addai Gonzalez Brown Hughes Castonzo Luck Werner Dorsett Kelly Hooker Nelson Baltimore Colts 1983 NFL draft selections John Elway Vernon Maxwell George Achica Phil Smith Sid Abramowitz Grant Feasel Alvin Moore Jim Mills Chris Rose Ronald Hopkins Jim Bob Taylor Carl Williams Denver Broncos starting quarterbacks Frank Tripucka ( 1960 -- 1963 ) George Herring ( 1961 ) George Shaw ( 1962 ) Mickey Slaughter ( 1963 -- 1966 ) John McCormick ( 1963, 1965 -- 1966, 1968 ) Don Breaux ( 1963 ) Jacky Lee ( 1964 -- 1965 ) Max Choboian ( 1966 ) Scotty Glacken ( 1966 ) Steve Tensi ( 1966 -- 1970 ) Jim LeClair ( 1966 -- 1967 ) Marlin Briscoe ( 1968 ) Pete Liske ( 1969 -- 1970 ) Alan Pastrana ( 1970 ) Don Horn ( 1971 ) Steve Ramsey ( 1971 -- 1972, 1974 -- 1976 ) Charley Johnson ( 1972 -- 1975 ) John Hufnagel ( 1975 ) Craig Penrose ( 1976, 1978 ) Craig Morton ( 1977 -- 1982 ) Norris Weese ( 1978 -- 1979 ) Matt Robinson ( 1980 ) Steve DeBerg ( 1981 -- 1983 ) Mark Herrmann ( 1982 ) John Elway ( 1983 -- 1998 ) Gary Kubiak ( 1983 -- 1984, 1988 -- 1989 ) Ken Karcher ( 1987 ) Tommy Maddox ( 1992 ) Hugh Millen ( 1994 ) Bill Musgrave ( 1996 ) Bubby Brister ( 1998 ) Brian Griese ( 1999 -- 2002 ) Chris Miller ( 1999 ) Gus Frerotte ( 2000 -- 2001 ) Steve Beuerlein ( 2002 -- 2003 ) Jake Plummer ( 2003 -- 2006 ) Danny Kanell ( 2003 ) Jarious Jackson ( 2003 ) Jay Cutler ( 2006 -- 2008 ) Kyle Orton ( 2009 -- 2011 ) Chris Simms ( 2009 ) Tim Tebow ( 2010 -- 2011 ) Peyton Manning ( 2012 -- 2015 ) Brock Osweiler ( 2015, 2017 ) Trevor Siemian ( 2016 -- 2017 ) Paxton Lynch ( 2016 -- 2017 ) Case Keenum ( 2018 -- present ) Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Award winners 1957 : J. Brown 1958 : J. Brown 1959 : Unitas 1960 : Van Brocklin 1961 : Hornung 1962 : J. Taylor 1963 : Tittle 1964 : Unitas 1965 : J. Brown 1966 : Starr 1967 : Unitas 1968 : Morrall 1969 : Gabriel 1970 : Brodie 1971 : Page 1972 : L. Brown 1973 : Simpson 1974 : Stabler 1975 : Tarkenton 1976 : Jones 1977 : Payton 1978 : Bradshaw 1979 : Campbell 1980 : Sipe 1981 : Anderson 1982 : Moseley 1983 : Theismann 1984 : Marino 1985 : Allen 1986 : L. Taylor 1987 : Elway 1988 : Esiason 1989 : Montana 1990 : Montana 1991 : Thomas 1992 : Young 1993 : Smith 1994 : Young 1995 : Favre 1996 : Favre 1997 : Favre & Sanders 1998 : Davis 1999 : Warner 2000 : Faulk 2001 : Warner 2002 : Gannon 2003 : Manning & McNair 2004 : Manning 2005 : Alexander 2006 : Tomlinson 2007 : Brady 2008 : Manning 2009 : Manning 2010 : Brady 2011 : Rodgers 2012 : Peterson 2013 : Manning 2014 : Rodgers 2015 : Newton 2016 : Ryan 2017 : Brady Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award 1970 : Unitas 1971 : Hadl 1972 : Lanier 1973 : Dawson 1974 : Blanda 1975 : Anderson 1976 : Harris 1977 : Payton 1978 : Staubach 1979 : Greene 1980 : Carmichael 1981 : Swann 1982 : Theismann 1983 : Benirschke 1984 : Lyons 1985 : Stephenson 1986 : Williams 1987 : Duerson 1988 : Largent 1989 : Moon 1990 : Singletary 1991 : Muñoz 1992 : Elway 1993 : Thomas 1994 : Seau 1995 : Esiason 1996 : Green 1997 : Aikman 1998 : Marino 1999 : Carter 2000 : Flanigan & Brooks 2001 : Bettis 2002 : Vincent 2003 : Shields 2004 : Dunn 2005 : P. Manning 2006 : Brees & Tomlinson 2007 : Taylor 2008 : Warner 2009 : Waters 2010 : Williams 2011 : Birk 2012 : Witten 2013 : Tillman 2014 : Davis 2015 : Boldin 2016 : Fitzgerald & E. Manning 2017 : Watt Denver Broncos Super Bowl XXXII champions 1 Jason Elam 6 Bubby Brister 7 John Elway 8 Jeff Lewis 16 Tom Rouen 21 Randy Hilliard 22 Vaughn Hebron 23 Darrien Gordon 25 Darrius Johnson 26 Tim McKyer 27 Steve Atwater 29 Howard Griffith 30 Terrell Davis ( MVP ) 31 Derek Loville 32 Tony Veland 33 Dedrick Dodge 34 Tyrone Braxton 37 Anthony Lynn 39 Ray Crockett 42 Detron Smith 50 Jon Hesse 51 John Mobley 53 Bill Romanowski 56 Keith Burns 57 Allen Aldridge 58 Steve Russ 59 Glenn Cadrez 62 Dan Neil 63 David Diaz - Infante 65 Gary Zimmerman 66 Tom Nalen 69 Mark Schlereth 70 Jamie Brown 72 Ernest Jones 74 Harry Swayne 75 Brian Habib 77 Tony Jones 80 Rod Smith 81 Patrick Jeffers 82 David Gamble 83 Flipper Anderson 84 Shannon Sharpe 85 Willie Green 86 Byron Chamberlain 87 Ed McCaffrey 88 Sir Mawn Wilson 89 Dwayne Carswell 90 Neil Smith 91 Alfred Williams 93 Trevor Pryce 94 Keith Traylor 96 Harald Hasselbach 97 Mike Lodish 98 Maa Tanuvasa 99 David Richie Head coach : Mike Shanahan Coaches : Frank Bush Barney Chavous Rick Dennison Ed Donatell George Dyer Alex Gibbs Mike Heimerdinger Gary Kubiak Dwain Painter Brian Pariani Ricky Porter Greg Robinson Rick Smith John Teerlinck Bobby Turner Denver Broncos Super Bowl XXXIII champions 1 Jason Elam 6 Bubby Brister 7 John Elway ( MVP ) 14 Brian Griese 16 Tom Rouen 20 Tory James 21 Darrien Gordon 22 Vaughn Hebron 25 Darrius Johnson 26 Eric Brown 27 Steve Atwater 28 Tito Paul 29 Howard Griffith 30 Terrell Davis 31 Derek Loville 34 Tyrone Braxton 37 Anthony Lynn 39 Ray Crockett 42 Detron Smith 48 George Coghill 51 John Mobley 53 Bill Romanowski 54 Nate Wayne 56 Keith Burns 59 Glenn Cadrez 60 K.C. Jones 62 Dan Neil 63 David Diaz - Infante 66 Tom Nalen 69 Mark Schlereth 70 Trey Teague 72 Ernest Jones 73 Cyron Brown 74 Harry Swayne 77 Tony Jones 78 Matt Lepsis 79 Chris Banks 80 Rod Smith 82 Marcus Nash 83 Justin Armour 84 Shannon Sharpe 85 Willie Green 86 Byron Chamberlain 87 Ed McCaffrey 89 Dwayne Carswell 90 Neil Smith 91 Alfred Williams 93 Trevor Pryce 94 Keith Traylor 95 Marvin Washington 96 Harald Hasselbach 97 Mike Lodish 98 Maa Tanuvasa 99 Seth Joyner Head coach : Mike Shanahan Coaches : Frank Bush Barney Chavous Rick Dennison Ed Donatell George Dyer Alex Gibbs Mike Heimerdinger Gary Kubiak Pat McPherson Brian Pariani Ricky Porter Greg Robinson Rick Smith John Teerlinck Bobby Turner Super Bowl MVP Award I : Starr II : Starr III : Namath IV : Dawson V : Howley VI : Staubach VII : Scott VIII : Csonka IX : Harris X : Swann XI : Biletnikoff XII : Martin & White XIII : Bradshaw XIV : Bradshaw XV : Plunkett XVI : Montana XVII : Riggins XVIII : Allen XIX : Montana XX : Dent XXI : Simms XXII : Williams XXIII : Rice XXIV : Montana XXV : Anderson XXVI : Rypien XXVII : Aikman XXVIII : E. Smith XXIX : Young XXX : Brown XXXI : Howard XXXII : Davis XXXIII : Elway XXXIV : Warner XXXV : Lewis XXXVI : Brady XXXVII : Jackson XXXVIII : Brady XXXIX : Branch XL : Ward XLI : P. Manning XLII : E. Manning XLIII : Holmes XLIV : Brees XLV : Rodgers XLVI : E. Manning XLVII : Flacco XLVIII : M. Smith XLIX : Brady 50 : Miller LI : Brady LII : Foles Super Bowl champion starting quarterbacks I : Starr II : Starr III : Namath IV : Dawson V : Unitas VI : Staubach VII : Griese VIII : Griese IX : Bradshaw X : Bradshaw XI : Stabler XII : Staubach XIII : Bradshaw XIV : Bradshaw XV : Plunkett XVI : Montana XVII : Theismann XVIII : Plunkett XIX : Montana XX : McMahon XXI : Simms XXII : Williams XXIII : Montana XXIV : Montana XXV : Hostetler XXVI : Rypien XXVII : Aikman XXVIII : Aikman XXIX : Young XXX : Aikman XXXI : Favre XXXII : Elway XXXIII : Elway XXXIV : Warner XXXV : Dilfer XXXVI : Brady XXXVII : Johnson XXXVIII : Brady XXXIX : Brady XL : Roethlisberger XLI : P. Manning XLII : E. Manning XLIII : Roethlisberger XLIV : Brees XLV : Rodgers XLVI : E. Manning XLVII : Flacco XLVIII : Wilson XLIX : Brady 50 : P. Manning LI : Brady LII : Foles NFL annual passing yards leaders 1932 : Herber 1933 : Newman 1934 : Herber 1935 : Danowski 1936 : Herber 1937 : Baugh 1938 : Parker 1939 : O'Brien 1940 : Baugh 1941 : Isbell 1942 : Isbell 1943 : Luckman 1944 : Comp 1945 : Luckman 1946 : Luckman 1947 : Baugh 1948 : Baugh 1949 : Lujack 1950 : Layne 1951 : Layne 1952 : Graham 1953 : Graham 1954 : Van Brocklin 1955 : Finks 1956 : Rote 1957 : Unitas 1958 : Wade 1959 : Unitas 1960 : Unitas 1961 : Jurgensen 1962 : Jurgensen 1963 : Unitas 1964 : Johnson 1965 : Brodie 1966 : Jurgensen 1967 : Jurgensen 1968 : Brodie 1969 : Jurgensen 1970 : Brodie 1971 : Hadl 1972 : Namath 1973 : Gabriel 1974 : Anderson 1975 : Anderson 1976 : Jones 1977 : Ferguson 1978 : Tarkenton 1979 : Fouts 1980 : Fouts 1981 : Fouts 1982 : Fouts 1983 : Dickey 1984 : Marino 1985 : Marino 1986 : Marino 1987 : Lomax 1988 : Marino 1989 : Majkowski 1990 : Moon 1991 : Moon 1992 : Marino 1993 : Elway 1994 : Bledsoe 1995 : Favre 1996 : Brunell 1997 : George 1998 : Favre 1999 : Beuerlein 2000 : Manning 2001 : Warner 2002 : Gannon 2003 : Manning 2004 : Culpepper 2005 : Brady 2006 : Brees 2007 : Brady 2008 : Brees 2009 : Schaub 2010 : Rivers 2011 : Brees 2012 : Brees 2013 : Manning 2014 : Brees & Roethlisberger 2015 : Brees 2016 : Brees 2017 : Brady NFL 's 1990s All - Decade Team Brett Favre John Elway Barry Sanders Emmitt Smith Terrell Davis Thurman Thomas Cris Carter Jerry Rice Tim Brown Michael Irvin Shannon Sharpe Ben Coates Willie Roaf Gary Zimmerman Tony Boselli Richmond Webb Bruce Matthews Randall McDaniel Larry Allen Steve Wisniewski Dermontti Dawson Mark Stepnoski Bruce Smith Reggie White Chris Doleman Neil Smith Cortez Kennedy John Randle Warren Sapp Bryant Young Kevin Greene Junior Seau Derrick Thomas Cornelius Bennett Hardy Nickerson Levon Kirkland Deion Sanders Rod Woodson Darrell Green Aeneas Williams Steve Atwater LeRoy Butler Carnell Lake Ronnie Lott Darren Bennett Sean Landeta Morten Andersen Gary Anderson Mel Gray Michael Bates Bill Parcells Marv Levy Denver Broncos 50th Anniversary Team ( 2009 ) Offense QB Elway RB Davis Little WR McCaffrey Smith TE Sharpe Lepsis Zimmerman Bishop Schlereth Nalen Defense DE Fletcher R. Jackson DT Pryce Carter LB Mecklenburg Gradishar T. Jackson CB Bailey Wright Atwater Smith Special teams Elam Rouen RS Upchurch Denver Broncos general managers Dean Griffing ( 1960 -- 1962 ) Jack Faulkner ( 1962 -- 1964 ) Fred Gehrke # ( 1965 -- 1966 ) Lou Saban ( 1967 -- 1971 ) John Ralston ( 1972 -- 1976 ) Fred Gehrke ( 1977 -- 1981 ) Grady Alderman ( 1981 -- 1982 ) Hein Poulus ( 1983 ) John Beake ( 1984 -- 1998 ) Neal Dahlen ( 1999 -- 2001 ) Ted Sundquist ( 2002 -- 2007 ) Jim Goodman # ( 2008 ) Brian Xanders ( 2009 -- 2012 ) John Elway ( 2012 -- ) Pound sign ( # ) denotes de facto general manager. Denver Broncos retired numbers 7 John Elway 18 Frank Tripucka 44 Floyd Little ( * ) number was unretired during Peyton Manning 's time with the Broncos Denver Broncos Ring of Honor Steve Atwater Pat Bowlen Terrell Davis Jason Elam John Elway Simon Fletcher Goose Gonsoulin Randy Gradishar Rich Jackson Tom Jackson Charley Johnson Floyd Little John Lynch Karl Mecklenburg Gene Mingo Craig Morton Haven Moses Tom Nalen Gerald Phipps Dan Reeves Shannon Sharpe Dennis Smith Paul Smith Rod Smith Lionel Taylor Billy Thompson Frank Tripucka Jim Turner Rick Upchurch Louis Wright Gary Zimmerman Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2004 Bob Brown Carl Eller John Elway Barry Sanders Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterbacks Pre-modern era Baugh Clark Conzelman Driscoll Friedman Herber Luckman A. Parker Modern era Aikman Blanda Bradshaw L. Dawson Elway Favre Fouts Graham Griese Jurgensen J. Kelly Layne Marino Montana Moon Namath Stabler Starr Staubach Tarkenton Tittle Unitas Van Brocklin Warner Waterfield Young Running backs Pre-modern era Battles Canadeo Dudley Grange Guyon Hinkle Lambeau Leemans McAfee McNally Nagurski Nevers Pollard Strong Thorpe Van Buren Modern era M. Allen Bettis J. Brown Campbell Csonka T. Davis Dickerson Dorsett Faulk Gifford Harris Hornung J.H. Johnson L. Kelly F. Little Martin Matson McElhenny Moore Motley Payton Perry Riggins B. Sanders Sayers Simpson E. Smith Jim Taylor T. Thomas Tomlinson Trippi Walker Wide receivers / ends Pre-modern era Badgro Chamberlin Flaherty Halas Hewitt Hutson Millner Modern era Alworth Berry Biletnikoff T. Brown Carter Fears Harrison Hayes Hirsch Irvin Joiner Largent Lavelli Lofton Maynard McDonald Mitchell Monk Moss Owens Pihos Reed Rice Stallworth Swann C. Taylor Warfield Tight ends Casper Ditka Mackey Newsome C. Sanders Sharpe J. Smith Winslow Offensive linemen L. Allen B. Brown R. Brown Creekmur D. Dawson DeLamielleure Dierdorf Gatski Gregg Grimm Hannah Hickerson S. Jones W. Jones Kramer Langer L. Little Mack Matthews McCormack McDaniel Mix Munchak Muñoz Ogden Otto Pace J. Parker Ringo Roaf Shaw Shell Shields Slater St. Clair Stanfel Stephenson Tingelhoff Upshaw Webster Wright Yary Zimmerman Pre-modern era two - way players Edwards Fortmann Healey Hein Henry Hubbard Kiesling Kinard Lyman Michalske Musso Owen Stydahar Trafton Turner Wojciechowicz Defensive linemen Atkins Bethea Buchanan Culp W. Davis Dean Dent Doleman Donovan Eller Ford J. Greene Haley Hampton Humphrey D. Jones Jordan Kennedy Lilly Long Marchetti Nomellini Olsen Page Randle Robustelli Sapp Selmon B. Smith Stautner Strahan Ja. Taylor Weinmeister Ra. White Re. White Willis Youngblood Linebackers Bednarik Bo. Bell Brazile Brooks Buoniconti Butkus Carson Connor George K. Greene Ham Hanburger Hendricks Huff Jackson Lambert Lanier Lewis Nitschke Richter Robinson Schmidt Seau Singletary L. Taylor D. Thomas Tippett Urlacher Wilcox Defensive backs Adderley Barney Blount W. Brown Butler Christiansen Dawkins Easley Green Haynes Houston J. Johnson Krause Lane Lary LeBeau Lott Renfro D. Sanders E. Thomas Tunnell Wehrli Williams L. Wilson Wood Woodson Placekickers and punters Andersen Groza Guy Stenerud Coaches G. Allen P. Brown Chamberlin Conzelman Dungy Ewbank Flaherty Gibbs Gillman Grant Halas Lambeau Landry Levy Lombardi Madden Neale Noll Owen Parcells Shula Stram Walsh Contributors Beathard Be. Bell Bidwill Carr A. Davis DeBartolo Finks Halas Hunt J. Jones Lambeau T. Mara W. Mara Marshall Polian Ray Reeves A. Rooney D. Rooney Rozelle Sabol Schramm R. Wilson Wolf Walter Camp Man of the Year Award winners 1967 : Fish 1968 : Blair 1969 : Rozelle 1970 : Kipke 1971 : Blanchard 1972 : Frank 1973 : Daugherty 1974 : Gaither 1975 : Dawkins 1976 : Krause 1977 : Dunlap 1978 : Little 1979 : Kemp 1980 : Sayers 1981 : Graham 1982 : Olsen 1983 : Staubach 1984 : Shula 1985 : Bleier 1986 : Davis 1987 : Jackson 1988 : Robustelli 1989 : Brown 1990 : Buoniconti 1991 : Blount 1992 : Griese 1993 : Moon 1994 : Anderson 1995 : Williams 1996 : Swann 1997 : Hill 1998 : Holtz 1999 : Brandt 2000 : Long 2001 : Singletary 2002 : Kelly 2003 : Newsome 2004 : Muñoz 2005 : Stephenson 2006 : Utley 2007 : Butkus 2008 : Andersen 2009 : Elway 2010 : Shields 2011 : Carson 2012 : Edwards 2013 : Millen 2014 : Bettis 2015 : Andruzzi & Biletnikoff 2016 : Dunn 2017 : Johnson WorldCat Identities ISNI : 0000 0000 8425 0939 LCCN : n87844766 SNAC : w6np3qw3 VIAF : 8908493 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Elway&oldid=864825679 '' Categories : 1960 births Living people All - American college football players American Conference Pro Bowl players American football quarterbacks Arena Football League executives College Football Hall of Fame inductees Colorado Republicans Denver Broncos players National Football League first overall draft picks National Football League players with retired numbers Oneonta Yankees players Sportspeople from Denver People from Las Animas County, Colorado People from the San Fernando Valley People from Port Angeles, Washington Players of American football from California Players of American football from Washington ( state ) Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Stanford Cardinal baseball players Stanford Cardinal football players Super Bowl MVPs Denver Broncos executives Super Bowl champions Twin people from the United States Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected biographies of living people Use mdy dates from February 2015 Denver Broncos currentteam parameter articles Infobox NFL biography articles missing alt text All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2008 Articles with unsourced statements from February 2014 Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2017 All articles containing potentially dated statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2008 Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with SNAC - ID identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk View source Contents About Wikipedia Asturianu Čeština Dansk Deutsch Español فارسی Français Italiano עברית Malagasy 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska Winaray 10 more Edit links This page was last edited on 19 October 2018, at 18 : 32 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: how many super bowl wins does elway have
Answer: three