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This article was researched and compiled
by Carrie Birdsong
Part 2 of this article will be posted on March 25,
2025, and Part 3 which will be the references
and sources used for this article will be
posted on March 28, 2025
The history of the Denver Broncos American Football Club began when the team was a chartered member of the American Football League in 1960. The Broncos have played in the city of Denver, Colorado throughout their entire history. The Broncos did not win any titles as members of the AFL. Since the 1970 AFL – NFL merger, the Broncos have won 15 division titles, and played in eight Super Bowls, following the 1977, 1986, 1987, 1998, 2013, and 2015 seasons. They won Super Bowl XXXII, Super Bowl XXXIII and Super Bowl 50. Their most famous player is former quarterback John Elway, starting quarterback in five Super Bowls, starting in five Super Bowls and holder of many NFL records. The Broncos currently play in the National Football League’s AFC West division.
For much of their first three decades, excluding teams in Texas, they were the only major pro football team between Kansas City and California (and the only team in the Interior West). This distinction ended in 1988 when the Cardinals moved from St. Louis to Phoenix. The Broncos remain the only current AFC West (formerly AFL West) team to never relocate or change its name.
Origins
In the summer of 1959, Bob Howsam, owner of minor league baseball’s Denver Bears, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, had a problem. He’d expanded the team’s home, Bears Stadium to 23,100 seats after Denver was named a charter member of the Continental League, a proposed third major league. However, the league died when the established major leagues granted expansion franchises to two of its cities (New York and Houston) and moved an established team to a third (the Twin Cities), but left the Mile High City out of the expansion. Howsam was now saddled with a massive debt load and a stadium far too large for a Triple-A team.
Howsam concluded the only realistic way to service the debt was to extend Bears Stadium’s season by bringing football to Denver. To that end, he added just under 12,000 more seats to better accommodate the sport. He first tried to get an expansion NFL franchise to Denver, but he was denied a team by NFL owners under the leadership of Chicago Bears owner George Halas. The snub led Howsam and four others to start up a rival to the NFL(1)(2). The new league, the American Football League (AFL), announced its formation on August 14th, 1959, with Howsam’s Denver team as a charter member(3). A 1960 “name-the-team” contest yielded the nickname “Broncos”(4). The first general manager of the new team was Dean Griffing, and the first head coach was Frank Filchock.
The AFL Years
Denver had the worst record of any original AFL team, with a record of 39 – 97 – 4 in the league(5). They were the only original AFL team to never have played in the title game during the upstart league’s 10-year history(6). Indeed, they were the only team to never have a winning season, never winning more than five games.
Despite their lack of early success, the Broncos produced some memorable games, such as the 38-38 tie against the Buffalo Bills in 1960(7). They were the first AFL team to ever defeat an NFL team, on August 5th, 1967, they beat the Detroit Lions 13 – 7 in a preseason game(3). The Broncos were also the first American professional football team to have an African-American placekicker, Gene Mingo(5), the first to have a receiver with 100 receptions in a season, Lionel Taylor, and the first starting African-American quarterback of the modern era, Marlin Briscoe. (8)
The Filchock era
The Broncos began play in 1960, the AFL’s inaugural season, at Bears Stadium. Their head coach was Frank Filchock, who chose Frank Tripucka as the Broncos’ first starting quarterback. The Broncos won their first game, also the first AFL game, 13 – 10 over the Boston Patriots(9). However, the Broncos would end the season with a 4 – 9 – 1 record(10). After the season, Howsam, looking to sell his holdings in the Broncos, nearly made a deal with a San Antonio syndicate, but eventually, a group led by Calvin Kunz purchased Howsam’s shares. At this point, Gerald Phipps became the Bronco's largest stockholder. (11)
The Faulkner era
Following a 3 – 11 campaign in 1961, the Broncos replaced Filchock with Jack Faulkner, who ritualistically burned the Bronco's vertically-striped socks before the new season(12). Faulkner led them to a 7 – 7 record in 1962, their best record in the AFL. This .500 season was not, however, a prelude to success, as the Broncos would lose at least 10 games each of the next five years, during which they were led by four coaches and over half a dozen starting quarterbacks. (6)
The Speedie/Malavasi era
Mac Speedie replaced Faulkner five games into the 1964 season, breaking an eleven-game losing streak by beating Kansas City 37 – 33. However, the Broncos would only win one more game in 1964, ending the season with a 2 – 11 – 1 record(13). The team improved only marginally in 1965, finishing with a 4 – 10 record(14). In the first game of the 1966 season, a 45 – 7 loss to Houston, the Broncos failed to score a first down(15) and finished with only 26 yards of total offense, including -7 yards passing(16). After the second game, Speedie resigned and was replaced by interim head coach Ray Malavasi, under whom the Broncos finished the season 4 – 10. (17)
Denver came close to losing the Broncos in 1965 when a group of minority partners joined together with the intent to sell the team to interests based in Atlanta. However, a different pair of owners, Alan and Gerald Phipps, bought the team (along with Bears Stadium) and kept them in Denver (with Atlanta then being claimed by the NFL for the expansion Falcons). In the aftermath of the near loss of what was Denver’s only professional sports team at the time, season ticket sales nearly tripled the following year.(18)
The Saban era begins
In 1967, the Broncos hired Lou Saban, coach of the two-time defending AFL champion Buffalo Bills, as head coach. Saban’s first order of business was to generate interest in the team to keep them in Denver. The NFL and AFL agreed to merge a year earlier, and the Broncos needed to expand Bears Stadium to 50,000 to meet the merged league’s capacity requirements. This required raising funds from businesses and the people of Denver. If unsuccessful, the team would target Birmingham, Alabama for a move, or even try to be a second Chicago team. (19)
Saban decided to use his #1 pick for an impact player. With the 6th pick, he chose Syracuse All-America Floyd Little, the first 3-time All-America since Doak Walker. With the Broncos’ past #1 draft picks, such as Dick Butkus and Merlin Olsen, choosing the other side's bidding wars, Little became the first #1 pick to sign with the team. His signing created a landslide of enthusiasm for the Broncos(20). Little and other Broncos went door-to-door to solicit funds for the stadium and even rode buses to Wyoming, Nebraska and other nearby states to bring in money. In doing so, Little became known as “The Franchise” for his tireless efforts to keep the team in Denver.
Little proved to be every ounce as valuable on the field for the Broncos as well. Saban kept 26 rookies his first season including Little, along with numerous 2nd and 3rd year players. Little was the only bright spot in a dismal 3 – 11 season. He led the AFL and NFL in punt returns with a blistering 17–yard average. He also led the league in combined yards (rushing, receiving, and returns)(21). In 1968, he led the league again in combined yards and became the only player in either league to return a punt for a touchdown in both seasons. That same year, the city of Denver bought Bears Stadium from the Broncos, renamed it Mile High Stadium, and leased it back to the Broncos and Bears. The purchase made it possible to finish the required expansion.
In 1969, Little was clearly the best back in the AFL or NFL. After just six games, he was more than 300 yards ahead of all running backs, piling up 700 yards when he tore up his knee and missed most of the season. He was named All-AFL for his efforts. In 1970, despite playing with a broken bone in his back and having a record five quarterbacks, Little led the AFC in rushing. (21)
In 1971, Little did it again. He not only led the AFC in rushing but also out-rushed any NFL player with 1,133 yards. However, even with Little’s superb prowess and the likes of defensive end Rich Jackson creating havoc on defense, Saban could not bring the Broncos success. He finished in fourth place in the division in all five years of his tenure. (22)
The 1970’s
In 1970, the Broncos began a home sellout streak (not including games using replacement players) which has lasted to the present(18). During their first season as part of the NFL, the Broncos finished 5 – 8 – 1 and 4 – 9 – 1 in 1971. The team went 5 – 9 in 1972 but continued to sell games out. In 1973, John Ralston coached the now-mature Broncos to a 7 – 5 – 2 record, the franchise’s first winning season,(23) including a dramatic tie with Oakland in Denver’s first-ever Monday Night Football appearance that is still remembered as a pivotal game in Broncos history(24). During the game, announcer Don Meredith famously told the audience: “Welcome to the Mile High City and I really am!”(25) The second game of the 1974 season was a 35 – 35 tie with the Steelers, the first to take place under the NFL’s new overtime rules. The year ended at 7 – 6 – 1, for another winning record. In 1975, the Broncos dropped to 6 – 8, the final season for running back Floyd Little. Otis Armstrong took his place, and despite finishing 9 – 5 in 1976, the playoffs still eluded them.
Broncomania and the first Super Bowl appearance
Rookie coach Red Miller, along with the Orange Crush Defense (a nickname popularized in 1977) and aging quarterback Craig Morton, led the Broncos to a miracle season in 1977. The team won the division with a 12 – 2 record, beating an injury-plagued Steelers team 34 – 21. In the conference championship, they faced their division rival and defending Super Bowl champion Raiders, winning a close game 20 – 17 and sending them to Super Bowl XII. Facing the Cowboys in the New Orleans Superdome, the Broncos played sloppily the entire game, turning the ball over eight times. They were crushed 27 – 10 by the Cowboys(26). Despite the disappointing loss to Dallas, their season catapulted the franchise out of the basement, and since they have enjoyed four decades of consistency few teams have matched. The successful season also brought the phenomena of “Broncomania” to a fever pitch, with the team being the talk of the town, selling 65,000 Super Bowl T-shirts in 48 hours(27). Earlier that year, superfan Tim McKernan, better known as the Barrel Man, began wearing an orange-colored aluminum barrel, boots, and a cowboy hat to games, a ritual he repeated for 30 years(28). The 1978 season saw the Broncos finish 10 – 6 (the season having been extended to 16 games) and win the division again, but they were routed out of the playoffs by the Steelers 33 – 10. Another 10 – 6 season and a playoff appearance followed in 1979, but three division losses reduced the Broncos to a wild-card team. They lost to the Oilers 13 – 7 in the Astrodome.
The Early 1980’s / The John Elway years
1980 – 1982
The Broncos lost a step in the 1980’s, finishing with a middling 8 – 8 record in 1980. Dan Reeves was named the new Bronco head coach in 1981. That same year, American/Canadian financier Edgar Kaiser, Jr. purchased the Broncos from the Gerald Phipps family(29). The team did post a two-game improvement, but after winning their first five out of six games to start the season, the team went 5 – 5 the rest of the way, and their 10 – 6 mark was not enough for a playoff berth. The 1982 season would be shortened due to a player’s strike, and the Broncos struggled mightily, finishing with their worst season record in team history, and first losing season since 1975, and a 2 – 7 mark. However, the following season would mark a turnaround for the team.
1983 – 1999
The Bowlen family including Pat and his brothers John Bowlen and Bill Bowlen, and sister Marybeth Bowlen, purchased the team from Kaiser in 1984. Quarterback John Elway 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) unless he was traded to one of a selected list of other teams, which included Denver(30). During the 23 seasons prior to Elway’s arrival, Denver used over 24 starting quarterbacks. (31)
Under Elway and head coach Dan Reeves (hired in 1981),(32) the Broncos became one of the most dominant AFC teams of the 1980s, winning 3 AFC championships (1986, 1987, and 1989), with Elway winning the NFL MVP Award in 1987(33). The first two Super Bowl appearances were preceded by storied victories over the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Championship game, each acquiring its own nickname: The Drive in 1987, in which the Broncos drove 98 yards to score a late game-tying touchdown,(34) and The Fumble in 1988, in which Brown Earnest Byner lost the ball and a game-tying touchdown late in the game. However, Denver lost all three Super Bowls during this period by at least three touchdowns(35). In fact, Super Bowl XXIV against the San Francisco 49ers was the most lopsided Super Bowl in NFL history. (35)
During the 1980s, the Broncos played in at least two storied Monday Night Football games. On October 15th, 1984, the Broncos played a famed game against the Packers during a major blizzard(36). The following season, on November 11th, 1985, the Broncos won a Monday Night Football home game when a fan threw a snowball onto the field during 49ers kicker Ray Wersching’s field goal attempt. 49ers holder Matt Cavanaugh picked up the ball and threw it, resulting in an incomplete pass, losing 3 decisive points in a 17 – 16 loss(36). In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Elway’s strong receiving corps of Mark Jackson, Vance Johnson, and Ricky Nattiel was named the “Three Amigos”(37) after the popular movie. Early in the 1980s, the Broncos were the first NFL team to play the song “Rock and Roll, Pt. 2” (AKA “the Hey Song”), during games. (38)
Coming off their Super Bowl XXIV appearance, the Denver Broncos began the 1990s on a sour note, finishing in last place in the AFC West with a 5 – 11 record. It didn’t take long for the Broncos to make another turnaround, making a 7–game improvement in the 1991 season, finishing 12 – 4, and winning another AFC West crown. John Elway made another 4th quarter comeback against the Houston Oilers in the Divisional Playoff round, guiding the Broncos to a 26 – 24 win. However, their 1991 season came to an end the next week at the hands of the Buffalo Bills in a largely defensive matchup, 10 – 7.
1990’s
Reeves was fired following an 8 – 8 1992 campaign and replaced with Wade Phillips, a move often attributed to Reeves’ stormy relationship with Elway(39)(40)(41). following campaigns of 9 – 7 and 7 – 9 in 1993 and 1994 respectively, Phillips was fired and the Broncos named former Broncos quarterbacks coach Mike Shanahan Head Coach. (42)
In 1995, the Broncos debuted a new Zone blocking scheme(43) under Mike Shanahan and rookie running back Terrell Davis,(44) who would quickly emerge as an All-Pro(45) running back(44). The Broncos established a tradition in 1996 where the offensive linemen do not talk to the media as a form of bonding(46). This was evident during the player introductions for the starting lineup on nationally televised prime time games as the linemen would not introduce themselves. How they were introduced has varied over the years as sometimes, another defensive player introduces them and during other times, the announcers introduce the offensive linemen. Due to a rule change within the NFL in 2007, this tradition came to an end. For the 2007 season, each player is required to make themselves available for media interviews. On a Sunday Night Football game against the Steelers, the linemen introduced themselves.
In 1996, Shanahan’s second season, the Broncos went 13 – 3 and appeared on their way to another Super Bowl appearance. However, they were defeated by the Jacksonville Jaguars in a stunning 30 – 27 divisional round loss(47). In 1997, the Broncos went 12 – 4, securing a wild card spot in the playoffs. Following playoff wins over the Jaguars, Chiefs, and Steelers, the Broncos faced the heavily favored Packers in Super Bowl XXXII. Davis led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl victory, 31 – 24. Although Elway completed only 12 of his 22 passes, throwing one interception and no touchdowns, he executed what was perhaps the game’s best-known play, known as The Helicopter, when he boldly ran for a crucial first down while surviving strong hits from two safeties as he jumped through the air like a propeller(48)(49). Terrell Davis was able to overcome a severe migraine headache that caused him blurred vision(50) and rush for 157 yards and three touchdowns(51) to earn Super Bowl MVP honors.
The following season, the Broncos began the year by winning their first 13 games. The first loss of the season came at the hands of the Giants, as Kent Graham hit Amani Toomer late in the fourth quarter to steal a 20 – 16 victory. The loss took the wind from the sails of what would have been a highly anticipated Monday Night Football matchup on the road against the Miami Dolphins for two primary reasons. First, the Broncos would have had a chance at reaching perfection against the only franchise to achieve such a goal. Second, Elway would have gone head-to-head against Dan Marino for only the second time, an oddity of scheduling since both quarterbacks were drafted the same year and both played in the same conference. Elway would play his worst game of the season in a 31 – 21 loss, and the Broncos would finish the season 14 – 2(52). Adding levity to an intense quest for a perfect season, one week normally gregarious tight end Shannon Sharpe refused to speak to the media, leading Shanahan to add to the injury report: “TE Shannon Sharpe (laryngitis) probable(53).” Terrell Davis became the fourth back to rush for 2,000 yards (he would finish with 2,008)(54) during the regular season and won the NFL MVP award. In the playoffs, the Broncos defeated the Dolphins and Jets in the AFC Championship Game to advance to Super Bowl XXXIII. Following the win against the Jets, Elway took one final lap around the field in what would be his final game at Mile High Stadium. Two weeks later in the Super Bowl, Denver defeated the Atlanta Falcons, led by former coach Dan Reeves, 34 – 19 to win Super Bowl XXXIII and defend their title. Elway, playing in his final NFL game, won the Super Bowl MVP award.
The post-John Elway years
Since Elway’s retirement following the 1998 season, until 2016, Denver only had three losing seasons (1999, 2007, and 2010) and has made the playoffs as a wild card three times (in 2000, 2003, and 2004), and as a division champion six times (2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015). The Broncos only won 3 playoff games from 1999 to 2012. Since 2012 and the signing of free agent Peyton Manning, they have won five playoff games, including the 2013 and 2015 AFC Championship Games and Super Bowl 50. However, Super Bowl 50 remains their last playoff game as of the end of the 2022 season.
Edgar Kaiser, Jr. sued Pat Bowlen, claiming that the 1984 sale of his shares in the team included an agreement which he contended granted him the right of first purchase of any sales of shares in the team. Kaiser claimed Bowlen violated this agreement by offering Elway a 10% stake in the company that holds ownership of the team. In 2004, a jury ruled in favor of Kaiser and a Federal judge decreed that Kaiser was entitled to purchase back 10 percent of the Broncos using the identical purchase terms offered to Elway(55). Bowlen appealed and won, as an appellate court ruled that the structure of the Bowlen-Elway deal did not violate the original agreement(56). It was not the only financial controversy the team faced during the time, as a multi-year investigation revealed they had been giving additional money outside the team’s salary cap to Elway and Davis during the 1996 season and their first two Super Bowl-winning seasons. Denver claimed they didn’t think it gave them a competitive advantage, but they were stripped of two third-round picks and fined nearly two million dollars.(57)(58)
Original owner Bob Howsam, who became more famous as the highly successful general manager and club president of the Cincinnati Reds and the “Big Red Machine” dynasty of the 1970s, died in 2008, and his Broncos successor Gerald Phipps died in 1993. Kaiser died in 2012. (59)
