- Born:
- June 28, 1960, Port Angeles, Washington, U.S. (age 66)
- Awards And Honors:
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (2004)
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (inducted 2004)
- 2 Super Bowl championships
- 1 NFL Most Valuable Player award
- 9 Pro Bowl selections
- 1992 Walter Payton Man of the Year
- Education:
- Stanford University
- Height/Weight:
- 6 ft 3 inches, 215 lb (1.90 m, 97 kg)
- Throws:
- right-handed
- Position:
- quarterback
- Jersey Number:
- 7 (Denver Broncos, 1983–1998)
- Draft:
- Drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the first round (first overall) of the 1983 NFL draft.
- Twitter Handle:
- @johnelway
- Completion Percentage:
- 56.9
- Games Played:
- 234
- Interceptions:
- 226
- Touchdowns:
- 300
- Yards Gained By Passing:
- 51475
- Yards Per Attempt:
- 7.1
- On the Web:
- ESPN Classic - Elway excelled in final minutes (Oct. 30, 2026)
John Elway
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Who is John Elway?
John Elway, born on June 28, 1960, is an American former professional football player widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever.
Elway played college football at Stanford University, where he set school and conference passing records. In 1983, the Baltimore Colts selected him as the first overall pick in the NFL draft, but he was traded to the Denver Broncos, where he spent his entire 16-year career.
Elway led the Broncos to two Super Bowl championships in 1998 and 1999. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004. After his playing career, Elway became the Broncos’ executive vice president of football operations in 2011 and general manager in 2014.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What sport did John Elway play professionally?
John Elway professionally played American football as a quarterback. During his career (1983–1998), he played for the Denver Broncos, wearing jersey number 7. Elway was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft.
Elway's achievements include two Super Bowl championships, one NFL Most Valuable Player award, nine Pro Bowl selections, and the 1992 Walter Payton Man of the Year award. In 2004, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Which team did John Elway play for in the NFL?
John Elway played quarterback for the Denver Broncos from 1983 to 1998, wearing jersey number 7. He was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the first round (first overall) of the 1983 NFL draft but never played for them. During his career, Elway achieved a completion percentage of 56.9, played in 234 games, and threw for 51,475 yards, 300 touchdowns, and 226 interceptions. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 and won two Super Bowl championships and one NFL Most Valuable Player award. He was also selected for the Pro Bowl nine times and was the 1992 Walter Payton Man of the Year.
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What position did John Elway play on his team?
John Elway played quarterback for the Denver Broncos from 1983 to 1998, wearing jersey number 7. He is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and led the Broncos to two Super Bowl championships in 1998 and 1999. Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004. During his 16-year career, Elway achieved 51,475 passing yards, 300 touchdowns, and a completion percentage of 56.9.
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What were some of John Elway’s major achievements as a football player?
John Elway, born on June 28, 1960, was a right-handed quarterback for the Denver Broncos from 1983 to 1998, wearing jersey number 7. Elway was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the first round (first overall) of the 1983 NFL draft. His achievements include being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004, winning two Super Bowl championships, and receiving one NFL Most Valuable Player award. He was also selected for the Pro Bowl nine times and named the 1992 Walter Payton Man of the Year. Over his career, Elway played 234 games with a completion percentage of 56.9, throwing for 51,475 yards and 300 touchdowns, with 226 interceptions.
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What did John Elway do after retiring from playing football?
After retiring from professional football in 1999, John Elway transitioned to the role of executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos in 2011. In this position, he successfully acquired quarterback Peyton Manning in 2012, which led to the Broncos' resurgence as a top NFL team. Elway became the Broncos' general manager in 2014. He constructed a strong defense that contributed to the Broncos' Super Bowl victory in 2016 against the Carolina Panthers. In 2021, Elway stepped down as general manager but remained as head of football operations. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
John Elway (born June 28, 1960, Port Angeles, Washington, U.S.) is an American collegiate and professional gridiron football player who is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. He led the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) to two Super Bowl championships (1998 and 1999).
Elway excelled at football and baseball in high school and was drafted by major league baseball’s Kansas City Royals in 1979. However, he instead attended Stanford University (B.A., 1983) on a football scholarship, where he set several school and conference passing records. He was the number one draft pick of baseball’s New York Yankees in 1981, and he played for a Yankees farm club over the following summer. In 1983 Elway was chosen by the Baltimore Colts as the first overall pick in the NFL draft, but he threatened to play baseball professionally if the struggling Colts did not trade him. The Colts complied, and Elway was dealt to the Broncos, where he spent his entire 16-year career.
Elway impressed fans in the NFL with his throwing precision, cool leadership, and rushing ability. In his rookie year he led the Broncos to the franchise’s fourth play-off appearance in its 24-year history. While Elway rarely led the league in individual statistical categories, he was noted for his consistent production and his ability to rally his team to victory in the late stages of games. The most famous of his comebacks came in the 1986 American Football Conference (AFC) championship game against the Cleveland Browns when he led the Broncos on a 98-yard drive to score the tying touchdown in the game’s final seconds. The Broncos won the game in overtime to advance to the Super Bowl, and Elway’s feat became known as “the Drive.”
Elway’s Broncos teams were unsuccessful in their first three Super Bowl appearances (1986, 1987, and 1989), losing by an average margin of 32 points. In 1998, however, they finally broke through as Elway led another late-game drive to beat the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII. The Broncos repeated as Super Bowl champions the following year, Elway’s last. He retired with the NFL career record for most victories by a starting quarterback (148; which was broken by Brett Favre in 2007).
In 2011 Elway became the Broncos’ executive vice president of football operations, where he oversaw the 2012 acquisition of quarterback Peyton Manning and a subsequent return of the Broncos to the upper echelon of the NFL. His title was changed to general manager in 2014, shortly after the Broncos made their first Super Bowl appearance (a loss to the Seattle Seahawks) since Elway quarterbacked the team. As Manning aged and grew less effective on the field, Elway earned praise for putting together a formidable defense, which led the Broncos to a Super Bowl victory over the Carolina Panthers in 2016. However, the Broncos subsequently had a string of losing seasons, and in 2021 Elway stepped down as general manager, though he continued as head of football operations. Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.