Brief History of the Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos started to play in 1960 as a member of the AFC then later joined the National Football League as part of a NFL-AFL merger.

On August 14, 1959 The Denver Broncos was founded, when Bob Howsman then owner of of a minor league baseball team was granted the AFL charter franchise. The Denver Broncos won the Boston Patriots 13-10 in 1960 September 9th which was the first ever AFL game. The Broncos became the first ever American Football League football team to defeat an National Football League football team on august 5, 1967 after defeating the Detroit Lions by the score of 13-7 in a preseason football game. The Denver Broncos were not successful in the 60's after posting a record of 39-97-4 in the football league.

The Denver Broncos have played in the Super Bowl 6 times winning 2 of the Super Bowls in the 97-98 football seasons. The Broncos didn't manage to have a winning football season untill 1973 after having 13 years without a winning season. The Broncos in the football leagues first 10 year history were the only original American Football League team to have not played in a title game. In 1965 the Denver Broncos almost lost it's franchise, but then a local ownership took control of the football team that year and started to build the team.

The Broncos in 1977 under a Rookie Coach named Red Miller as well as the Orange Crush Defense a nickname they picked up from the early 70's and Craig Morton a aging Quarterback took the Denver Broncos to their first playoff game as well as their first Super Bowl but was beat by the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 27 to 10.

Quarterback John Elway a draft pick of the New York Yankees to play center field for the team who was also a pitching prospect. John Elway was also drafted by the Baltimore Colts as the first pick in the draft said he would leave football and play  baseball if he was not traded from the Colts team. John Elway selected a list of football teams where he would be willing to go to and the Denver Broncos was one of those teams where he arrived in 1983. Before John Elway arrived in 83 the Broncos had over 24 starting quarterbacks in 23 football seasons. With John Elway as quarterback the Broncos played in 5 Super Bowl games and winning two of those Super Bowls. John Elway ended his career as the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII, his last National Football League game. The Denver Broncos lost to the New York Giants, 39-20 in Super Bowl XXI, Washington Redskins, 42-10 in Super Bowl XXII, and to the San Francisco 49ers, 55-10 in Super Bowl XXIV, which were the most lopsided scoring differential in Super Bowl history.

The Denver Broncos debuted Terrell Davis rookie running back in 1995, where he would lead the Denver Broncos to their first Super Bowl win in 1997 against the Green Bay Packers, 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII. Broncos John Elway had 22 passing attempts and only completed 12 of those also having one throwing interception and no touchdowns, but Terrell Davis had three touchdowns and rushed for 157 yards to earn the MVP honor this while he had blurred vision due to severe migraine headaches.