50 greatest NFL players of all-time

Although John Elway’s NFL career began with controversy and drama, the quarterback out of Stanford quickly proved worthy of “deciding” which team he wanted to play for. After refusing to play for the then-Baltimore Colts and being traded to the Denver Broncos, he delivered on the hype.

By the time Elway hung up his cleats, he had asserted himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. The owner of two Super Bowl rings, the second-most Pro Bowls by a quarterback, numerous passing records and an amazing win percentage, it’s clear that Elway earned all the buzz that surrounded him coming out of college.

The real highlight of his career was the 1987 season, during which Elway made his only First-Team All-Pro appearance and won the NFL MVP award. Although the Broncos were defeated by the Washington Redskins in the Super Bowl that year, it was a historic effort from Elway.

It’s a great thing that Elway never tried his hand at professional baseball, which he threatened before his trade to Denver. Otherwise, we never would have had the pleasure of watching one of the game’s greatest arms conduct the Broncos’ magnificent offenses of the late 1980s and late 1990s.

As it so happens, he’s turned out to be a pretty good general manager, too.