John Elway
Details
- Also Known As:
- The Duke of Denver
- Date of Birth:
- June 28, 1960
- Height:
- 6' 3"
- Hometown:
- Port Angeles
Bio:
John Elway (born John Albert Elway Jr. on June 28, 1960 in Port Angeles, Washington) is a former American football quarterback and football general manager. John was born the son of a head coach Port Angeles High School, but he primarily grew up Missoula, Montana and Pullman, Washington. John attended Stanford University, playing both football and baseball. Though he didn’t take the team to a bowl game, he had a noteworthy career, passing for 9,349 yards and 77 touchdowns. He was also a gifted baseball player. The Kansas City Royals drafted him out of high school in 1979 and the New York Yankees attempted to draft him in 1981. Instead, he opted to go into the NFL, being picked by the Baltimore Colts as the first overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft. However, with no desire to play for the worst team in the league and head coach Frank Kush having a reputation as a harsh taskmaster, he threatened to join MLB if he wasn’t traded. The Colts traded him to the Denver Broncos, and he began a career that would see him become one of the greats in the league’s history. He retired in 1999 at the age of 38. He left the game as a 2-time Super Bowl Champion, a Super Bowl MVP and a 9-time Pro Bowl player. He returned to the Broncos organization in 2011, when he was named the executive vice president of football operations. In 2015, he was promoted to general manager. He was pivotal in signing Peyton Manning, which saw the organization win two more championships.
Best Known For:
John is best known for his legendary career as quarterback of the Denver Broncos and his different roles within the franchise since his playing days. He is also known for leading the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl victories, being named MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999.
Personal Life:
John married his college sweetheart, Janet Buchan, in 1984. Before divorcing in 2003, they had four children together: Jessica, Jordan, Jack, and Juliana. Two years after his divorce, John met former Oakland Raiders cheerleader Paige Green at a celebrity golf tournament, and they eventually married in 2008. The couple now resides in Denver.