The John Elway Story: From High School Prodigy to the Hall of Fame | In Their Own Words | NFL Films

so my dad took me to schooling football was starting that dan asked me know before I got on the car you know what position I was going to go out for naturally I said I was going to go off the running back because quarterback was boring and and so then he started talking there and then we had a little chat and so sure enough before I got out of the car I was a quarterback one ready I'm not sure that I would have got the exposure in Missoula Montana and been all to throw the football and do the things that I did in high school that I got to do in LA so I think that the perfect move for us was when we went to Los Angeles went to Granada Hills and I got a chance to play down there he found our school the high school were going to go to before he found our house and I was going to get an opportunity as a quarterback to throw the ball and so all of a sudden the quarterback position was exciting to me again and then I was happy to be playing quarterback because he wasn't picked up Ranade Hills High School who their head coach Jack Neumeier you know threw the ball and I scored 35 40 times which is very unusual and so I was excited about playing quarterback getting to throw the football and moving down with John Elway brings out the high ladders at the 47 yard line they sure do and you can bet that they're going to open up quick like they usually try to do the game's over that quick bomb and get out forward I got the chance to experience the fun of playing the quarterback position under Jack Newmar but getting to fill the ball in down I got repetition down that's why I developed we were passing leagues all summer in the spring the nights we weren't been leagues we would be throwing a football way back to throw looking for that I was fortunate that I played with a bunch of great guy and receivers that wanted to catch the ball and so we're always on a football and running routes and I had the kids were at the beach we were throwing football you know I remember actually we talked about the comeback the first time that we ever do the campus online football myself that's the go ahead with points X left row got on an open go the Mantha [Applause] that was really Canada really come back to that man there are 13 7 plus to go on the ball game 39:35 and kids if a raven system he has 432 yards and he has four touchdown if I hadn't gone to California played for Jack Newmar I doubt that I'd have been a football player just because if I have played quarterback anywhere else and handled the ball off at a much rather played baseball John Elway going to have a big assignment out there in the all-star game yes for sure those baseball teams still bother near trying to keep you from playing football still a little yeah and still talk to the road as little so John Elway in a quarterback number 11 and John Robinson here's the young man to watch right well I think he might be the finest quarterback produced in Southern California in the last 10 years that may be a wild statement and I hope it is true because he's going to make is this but he's a great player he'll wait back to the end zone football it was fun for me because I'd really had to had knee surgery and only played half my senior year so that was the first game back since I had knee surgery so a little bit apprehensive but if sure nice going into that game with coach newmeyer we'll be in the coach and on the offense but also known going in those games and he's going to throw the football and you know do the things that take you to get in the end zone there you get you seem so John Elway Diaz doing the thing I think that's the best be an elusive factor you know able to move I mean that's the sign of the ultimate pastor look at the way he drills this football look at the way that ball travels through there as John goes up in at the level of football the ability to drill the football or throw fast light down on a line becomes probably the single most important thing he's proved that he could do that now wait 63 he has completed 22 out of 37 for 371 yards in for touchdown pass we've seen some of the greatest players in the history of college and high school sports I think we're going to see one of the future grapes of John Ellis what's it going to be a footballer it's going to be both I'm not sure in what though to go into college yeah we're about Stanford there's a great army definitely to be drafted number one in the NFL dad Baltimore selects as the first choice in the draft quarterback John Elway of Sanford we had been a discussion with him two and three months before the draft that I was not going to play in Baltimore that if that came to it I was going to play baseball for the Yankees and I was fortunate to have an option I want to give myself the best chance to be the best quarterback that I could and I looked at that organization and what they were doing and I didn't think that that was going to give me the best chance to show off my town not sure of my talents but to win a Super Bowl and to win as a football team I was looked at as bucking the system but I was actually the first guy to have a choice to do something else so I guess that's why I became notorious in that way but you know it's turned out to be the right move [Music] it happened so fast and all of a sudden you had to grow up like that and here I'm a 23 year old kid coming out of college where I was still you know I was a football player but I was still a student there and had bunch of buddies and all of a sudden you step out they pay you good money to play football and all of a sudden the expectations level of you raise tenfold and the world became a lot smaller because it couldn't go out and be that kid that I had been and that all changed in one week when we went to camp ready to go to training camp the next day every every move what you eat getting a haircut is a big deal has it has these little things like that a lot of times get blown out of proportion and turning a lot bigger deals and they really are you know I knew it was there but you I think the thing that made it easy for me to to deal with was the fact that my expectations were higher than the expectations that people were putting on me therefore I had to live up to my own expectations and not there it's interesting on a young man with the publicity that an Elway has had even the football teams you can tell that it's got their attention everybody's craning their necks to it I had I wanted to be the greatest quarterback I've ever played and that was my expectations of myself and so what other people thought I could do was secondary to what I wanted to get done so therefore I think that when you look at it that way it wasn't how a whole heck of a lot of pressure cause it was self induced pressure there's no question it was tougher it was a tougher jump than I thought it was going to be first snap I ever took I mean Jack Lambert stand across me in Pittsburgh my first regular season and Jack Lambert's across Mifflin middle linebacker and no teeth you snarl and you spit and yelling at me and I'm going God you can have all the money back you can just just blink me out of here right now I'll go be an accountant but that was a pretty intimidating seeing him and realizing what the NFL was all about but there's no question that first year was frustrating and there's you know whether you think it's worth it or not you know because I wouldn't isten the money at that point I figured there's other place I just got a degree from Stanford I could go make some some money somewhere else good afternoon from Memorial Stadium in Baltimore if it's 100 degrees here right now but that's nothing compared to the temperature in the stands for 50,000 fans who come to college [Applause] I have that experience playing in Baltimore the second game of that year we went out there and they brought the house they were blitzing and me being a wiki was it was logical the whole year was tough for me just because there's a lot of things going on and I was making a lot of mistakes and being a rookie it was tough things started slow for me my Rick year was a tough year can a dug a big hole for me was a big failure I went from a five million dollar man to a think old man real small amount of time was hard at the time it was hard going through I think in the long run it helped me the experience helped me even though it wasn't a lot of fun sometimes going through it you know it's tough in zone 2 the Wolves right away but I think that it gets onto the Wolves you learn so much quicker and as long as your confidence doesn't get shattered you learn so much quicker playing than you do stand on the sidelines and watching there was definitely a lot of incentive for me to want to win this to be down 90 nothing we've been struggling all day offensive when we finally got some momentum and got some things going away with some protection throwing it to the end zone perception he's got the ball I remember the next pass with the Jess team I'll just it was cold we called it dirt ride and we it was like a one-man screen to the full-back and had a shotgun and he caught the ball and made a great run and now got us back in the football game at 1914 now we were really back into the play was 17 pullback circle and they brought the house they really brought everybody for it down into Broncos Elway is back here comes the same thing left it was an easy pass for me I just dumped in the ball and he did wrestle work from there [Applause] being I would do that my Ricky year help my confidence and plus it was a great thing to do against the Colts and I dug my way at home till we went to Super Bowl my fourth year I think five million dollars actually it's not even after to know I'm the one and a half still five minutes to go but they need something out of this try the game in Cleveland okay there's a chance again we start on two yard line at first and ten our own two and five minutes to go in the game and we need to touch down just to get in overtime [Music] what the heck once you got a couple first downs and then you know I think that at that point in time we felt like we're wrong happy waggle right Charlie eggs back the way to pass on first down the pass [Music] [Applause] in tremendous situations where you got to get lucky and there's no question we were lucky on this situation because the crowd was so loud that we're in a silent caves and I had motion with it and I was trying to time the motion with the SantaCon and we're just a little bit early with snap and a hit be watching I'm a hip and barely got back to me I was fortunate enough to get it back and then I had Mark Jackson on a he'd been cut fast the first down marker and I was able to get mark to get the ball and get the first down and we felt good about what we're doing and felt confident that you know we could get it in John tie the thing up so would each the successful play they found move the markers we became that confidence 42 seconds to go Broncos at the Cleveland fine third down in a yard [Applause] [Music] let's do that one hard and Harrison's hand just missed the ball what I was going to do [Music] that was in my fourth year in the league so that was really kind of my coming-out for I mean that got me over the hump as far as people respect him as a player because I was young on the road in Cleveland plus we did it from a big football for us to be able to start on her own Chile own 98 to get it over time some always remember to me it was a chance for me when we got into two minutes that you had to find a way to win so the playbook out we call place and we'd have everything set up but the bottom line was we had to find a way to win and that's why to me like I said it was it was a freest time of me because I wasn't worried about getting out and run around I wouldn't worried about making mistakes I was going to just find a way to win [Applause] you really can't even get a crowd either just keep going and like playing in the street get openly maybe get something done a lot of this crowd is already left it's an uphill climb but you think that learned it's never over till final cut going off with number seven out there you're right we still have a minute 55 seconds Center has all of their timeouts now you believe in miracle Oh a light should go to Jackson great throw to once you get started in motion and here in a few minutes bill things are going so fast that you don't even think about it I always got the ball to the end zone [Applause] unbelievable I didn't care what the expectations where it's just this is the last chance to win the football game I think that every time you do it you always start thinking why everyone's expecting to do it easy easy I always thought you know this my chance to be a hero we're behind don't expect us to want to get a chance to be a hero here so I always enjoyed it hey let's say we need it in there we need to get an answer all right keep your hands in o6r double-wing left a right 371 X Big Y look the owner we ready rod rods with well they're going to throw the Hail Mary here let six seconds to go feeling it is outside of Eiland range la is in the shotgun steps up in the pocket looking long here goes the past Rod Smith up time is run out unbelievable those are always the fertilizer workers they're the ones you they're unexpected know if people don't expect it for some reason you get the most joy animals quarterback that's where you get paid that's what you're paid for us to make place you know to stay within the framework but bottom line quarterback you got to win and figure out a way to win and that's what I looked at the two-minute drill and over behind is that was my chance to separate myself from everybody and that was my job and I got a bomb leather bomber - here we go we need to pack it down and get us one here either going right now relax have some fun and do what we can do Denver at the two yardline they're 98 yards away from six but they don't need six the only need three I love competition and I'm gonna give you my best shot until they may keep talking me down but until that clock says zero zero i'ma give me all I got too many times to make it don't understand the game right here rules of the game you need this when you get in that situation you know that you got to make a play down to a minute 28 it's a tough situation but those are the times we've got to come through and make a big place [Music] these that you need a bad boy you can say what you want to I don't think I want anybody back there except for me in the two-minute drill I don't ever worry about making mistake I don't worry about going interception so I mean it's really kind of the freest part for me in a football game and a lot of times wish I could play the whole game like you're doing a two-minute Joe just because there's no career come on here's the fourth down and play always got the ball John is back runs up out of the pocket watch the pass going on Johnson to the 40 35 if I had seen in the my own eyes I don't think I believe it Bart area you're like the guy with the two years ago here's a snap a kid [Applause] [Music] [Applause] the greatest [Music] [Applause] in any of those games where things started going bad each one of those the steamroller just started earlier I mean the first game you know the Giants we were in the game until halftime and second half they dominated that you know and then the rich kids started dominating in the second quarter and then the 49ers dominated before kickoff you know the Giants we were heavy underdogs you know it the way we the first half when I was Canada that was disappointing as far I was really disappointed with that one but really knew that you know maybe they were the better football team I think the most disappointing one what's a [Music] [Music] gorilla and nothing and there's a fumble in the kickoff nurses scramble and we end up having at the bottom of the pile but by the time they're given up I'll because Kennedy a lie never has the ball by the time to get it on top he'd lost his football so that was kind of the start of the end right there but to give up 35 points in 19 plays I mean Joe Jacoby could have joined your aggression because he was a tackle leading through on those ot plays and there was nobody being there for him to block the Niners work great I mean we were way over his there and it makes a good place to get there but we're way over our heads you know on the farther we got behind the harder I tried and harder I tried the worst I played the worst I play the more points it turned in for them [Applause] that was probably the lowest point of my career I think that you know after we losing her third Super Bowl in four years because it's merciless after you lose a Super Bowl especially the quarterback if you don't play very well it's all your fault and like even when Super Bowls and all those type things I mean instead of getting the credit of having a great year just chop some legs right off you know the great year that you did have because people concentrate on that super foot and when you lose a super boy you go from the second best in the league to the biggest dog in the loop at that point Tomlinson thinking boy I didn't want to have to go through it again plus so disappointed way that I play and where we played in the team really trying to figure out if we're ever going to win one of those Super Bowls and races those previous three [Music] that last system didn't work for us we lost three Super Bowls with it even though we went a lot of football games it didn't get done what we needed to get done that's when we roll championship so when mr. Bolen made to change brought in Wade Phillips I think that gives you new energy thinking that you know K the system is going to change so that obviously brings a new excitement with new people coming in after being in one system for ten years unseen I know he goes that was the rumor out X had to go the half that has the stat scene read from here the halfback the guy tomorrow well you know what was great was that was a system I ran in college playing inside gym was my coach when I was in college and one of the reasons why I want Stanford is because the system that they did run there so Wade brought gym in that I knew what the system was I knew that I could be successful for it within because I run the that system throughout college well that's my coming hair nice terry salad and if this was recently free salad mighty hot like to come to place that's my good good I don't you should he came here and come until see Ali came once appreciated backcountry I made a mistake here you shot a big aside trihard let's go check with me check with me on one right I don't think that I reinvented I think that I adjusted like thirty five said I because all of a sudden the philosophies of our offense really changed so I just changed along with it on a ball on a ball actually the one that I went to fit my style heck a lot better than when I had been with the previous ten here I think that's why one reason why I was able to be more successful the last five six seven years my career away in the gun he's got some time there's the pass going long Marshall what it work way to work good job what a marvelous job then you go through the new excitement and we had a pretty good year the first year in a very ordinary year the next year and and then here comes Mike Shanahan who has been in a situation with San Francisco once you both know how they do and know what it takes to get it done [Applause] make that the harder fight that definitely has a lot more excited hi John got bet repeat repeat I was the eternal optimist and that we would have a chance eventually before I ran out of year to be world champ or the hopes is high when I was you know six things eight years now but I was sure hoping that we've had the chance to get back there paintball goes who got it today this imagine one more football games they go the quarterback and history of the game hi buddy oh man all right baby welcome to the good side you know that's right plus free agency helps because knowing that you can go out and get free agents the same you did me benign you now you got a chance to get better in the hurry so it's an old guy you know been into 13 14 15 years only that's the best thing that could have happened because now we can get good to hurt if there's anybody that's ever found out about the quality of a team how it reflects on the quarterback is this year for me I was a great quarterback just because I was on a great team there's no question there was a big void in my career even though I did everything I could possibly do and really fought it to be world champion hadn't happened guy today went over 50,000 yards behind fat's in general answer the question time and time and time and time again and the question was will your career be complete if you don't want to support and that's really the only thing that was ever brought up was the fact that we'd never want to sue people and so from 1990 after we'd been to the last Super Bowl until 1998 that's eight years that's a lot of times being asked that if that was obviously the perspective that the media was portraying to the to the fan so I mean I understood it I just wanted to remove it that's a lot about how America is now I would like in the expense of that did you hear when I ran into Pittsburgh here when I ran into Kansas City I've not been sold on that yet so you know I think the hardest thing about going in the Super Bowl was answering the questions of the three previous ones because it's so negative you know and you get beat down by the negative questions all the time it's sort of a tough one but can you tell me what it's been like being in the short end of these three games I don't consider them failures I mean we lost the hardest thing to do is to handle all the negativity and still go out with a positive attitude how does your game change today you know what I've lost physically I've made up mentally and probably not as good a player but a better quarterback now than I was I'm just glad to be back in it and have another shock to be world champs but there was a lot of pressure there's no question that you know the fact that there's another one I'd have been the guy with four losses and never won the big game I had a great career but never won the big one so as hard as you fight to keep it out of your mind there's no question that you look at the dark side even though the Packers are a great football team and we are heavy underdogs we felt we were better team than we were getting credit for and I think that we actually snuck up on the side [Music] balls put it out and dipper with their second kernel for the first half Mac Mac the bottom line is I had to be on a Super Bowl when a timber that's what my goal was just to be a part of it and then yeah my role in that game was not huge but we did what we had to do the women their strength was in their secondary and the weakness was against the rough so you got a guy back to Lake Trail Davis you've got to give him a football I didn't have any problem I just knew that we had to pick up some third downs that was going to be my job and we were going to run the football going in and that was more than fine with me because I'd been on the other end of three of those Super Bowls so whatever it took to get us over just a reacts I mean think about it went over the top of my three teams per difficult oh good you want to tell me the 37 year old man than what a win this game and all that sacrifice [Music] [Applause] the greatest thing yard run it's Super Bowl history by John Elway on third down [Music] really the whole week all I want to do is just be in the football game at the end because the previous Super Bowl is the best set to blow out that I just wanted a chance in the fourth quarter with twenty four twenty four we run on a bill with three forty five to go I'm saying boy this is all in a switch right here this is my whole career right in front of me three minutes ago [Music] is that it punches an uptrend up three run and the hearts are pounding into the polkas are a minute forty-five away from a world championship we were able to get an end zone and once we've got an end zone sure my heart was up in my throat and you get far on the other side who's one of the best all-time quarterback so we're all a bar anything has ever happened in my life over there when I saw that ball hit the ground realized that we were finally world champs the least that applause off me and really how good it felt I get shivers when I think about it that game and to finally get that win made my career you couldn't written a better script I would go back and change one thing about my career now with the way it's gone with this I wouldn't win any of those other three because this one's so special when I was on mother's Jess shoulders I mean I was like boring in I mean I mean that's how much pressure and everything was taken off my shoulders [Music] I could never dream that a win can be so sweet and the pressure was so great I think that I mean just weight off our shoulders unbelievable I was 10 times more than I ever thought it would be - look I just think this one's for John if anything that I learned football team sport especially when you get to the Super Bowl one guy's not going on a Super Bowl the best teams win the Super Bowl and everybody's going to be doing their job when we get to that Super Bowl it's a team win and that's exactly what that was against me baby finally did it cool says you wouldn't want to people get a taste of what it's like to be a champion there's an insatiable drive to do it again and people want that feeling so I think that there's definitely a lot of pressure for us to come back win another one everybody keeps congratulate before coming back thing is I never left as time went on and things kept moving on and the soreness went away and you look at the highlight bounce noticed a thing you start getting excited about it [Applause] the second step I'm not sure that there's a love affair between the fans and the mouth of franchise like there is need oh I love you you know it's almost like I'm County adopted son of Gummer yeah go take a look around the field yeah go with the trophy when I got there is 22 years old and young the relationships been rocky and has been great they're fans I get upset when you don't play well but they never leave you and to be there for a long long time it was very important to finish my career in dentistry important so it's been an awesome relationship and something I'll cherish forever I know that planet Falcons and Dan and the history here makes the focus that way but I think that you know as far as I'm concerned bygones are bygones and that was six years ago and I concentrate on the good times you know like the focus has been on the bad time but we had to have a lot more good times while I was here than we did bad time [Applause] you know I'm just glad that I'm playing here for Mike and the way things are going that they you know that was six years ago and it was still was tough and you know I don't have any ill feelings for Dan as a person and he's done how to take a job with the Falcons he kind of fun he did obligate on me no it was just a safety right here with his own dog yeah that'll be great if they do that we do go in our arrow is there good exactly first of all thank nineteen handoff quarterback he fessed Rock Wade had a plan it was a bootlegging we got it set up and we and Eugenia jumped the first one so bad that we knew that this one was going to be there the next time fake nickel 19 handoff quarterback you passed right I won I came a lot of skimmers and said this is going to be a hormone because it was the same defense we got knowing that Eugene is a guy that likes to play hunches and again he tried to jump to come back and rot random great route I was gonna be wide open and it's gonna be wider and that was hearty because he's wide open we're in the Super Bowl now I did make a good throw which of the hardest throw they were made until he was so open Elway boots it rolls right stops loads it up throws down deep the middle of your watch here we go [Music] puts down anything on the play New York that a group of now emotions the left Elway of the Nifty back go muscle quarterback draw lunges be a goldmine he is in my own target to be the game's most valuable player and know what it almost gives you a feeling that maybe this is his last game for the Denver Broncos that just may be the sort of champagne toast to an extraordinary NFL Hall of Fame career Alan Aquila Pete Rozelle trophy as the most valuable player of Super Bowl 33 is the unanimous choice to wear number 7 desperate quarterback [Applause] [Music] leave the game his helmet is all four pawns extended in the air and if it's not his last game it sure seems like it I don't know if this last one keep the pressure it was a tough decision but it wasn't I really don't look at it as retirement I looked at his graduation that I'll graduate from high school graduated college I'm just graduated from football I can't do it physically anymore and that's really hard for this [Music] and I've got all these thank-yous and I get my truth [Music] I think the thing that I missed most is the difference between the highs and lows on Sunday night and I was fortunate to have a lot of highs and enjoyed that time either on the plane or there afternoon if we let thinking that was cold put on fifty years ago probably once in our lifetime certainly in mine there the player that becomes so important to us and so much our hero that is number it is name are synonymous it will never be another number seven on the Denver Broncos God will always have that number the class of 2004 of the Pro Football Hall of Fame first year of eligibility first years of finalists please welcome John Elway one guy that I do think of and that's my father who passed away during that years ago but truly is the reason why I'm standing here I am truly just humbled and it is truly the greatest honor that I've ever received so thank you

Channel: NFL Films

Views: 910,476

Keywords: NFL, Football, NFL Films, American Football, john elway, denver, broncos, denver broncos, career, retrospective, highlights, super bowl, super bowl 32, super bowl 33, the drive, 1986 afc championship, qb, quarterback, interview, sound, mic'd up, in their own words

Id: ZQ-rP0zYvsA

Length: 34min 59sec (2099 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 28 2017