John Elway Childhood

John Elway was born on June 28, 1960 in Port Angeles, WA. He is one of three children of Janet and Jack Elway. One of his siblings was his twin sister Jana. Growing up, Elway was always around football as his father coached several teams on the high school and collegiate levels. As his father took on new challenges, the family moved around in the Northwest before settling in California during Elway’s high school years.

John Elway High School Stats and Awards

Elway started his high school career in Pullman WA before moving to CA after his freshmen year. He spent the next three years at Granada Hills High School. Elway became one of the top high school players in the country, passing for 5,711 yards and 49 TDs. In his senior year he was named as a High School All-American. His strong arm wasn’t only used for throwing footballs. He was an excellent baseball player as well. In fact, the Kansas City Royals selected Elway in the 1979 MLB Draft. With colleges all across the country wanting Elway to play for them, he decided to stay in-state and play for Stanford.

John Elway College Career Stats and Notes

Elway’s athletic gifts and hard work led to an athletic scholarship to Stanford University. The multi-sport athlete played both football and baseball at the college. In football, he started as a freshman and in four years, amassed 9,349 passing yards and 77 TDs.  In 1982, he was a Heisman finalist while earning All-American and 2nd PAC-10 Player of the Year honors (1st was in 1980). Despite an under .500 record and no bowl wins, Elway was still projected to be a top pick in the 1983 NFL Draft. 

John Elway NFL Career Stats and Notes

In 1983, Elway was selected 1st overall in the 1983 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts. After he announced he would play baseball rather than play for Baltimore, he was traded to the Denver Broncos.

Elway lived up to his number one draft pick expectations. In his first seven years Elway, with some last minute heroics in the playoffs, led the Broncos to three Super Bowls. However, he didn’t win any of them and the closest loss was by 19. His last Super Bowl loss was a 55-10 pummeling in Super Bowl XXIV by the San Francisco 49ers.

The competitive Elway would not be denied in his 4th  Super Bowl appearance. In Super Bowl XXXII against the Green Bay Packers, the veteran QB armed with future Hall of Famer Terrell Davis in the backfield finally broke through. After years of disappointment and embarassment, John finally put the rest that he couldn’t win the big one. Elway led the Broncos back to the Super Bowl and they repeated as champs. He was named Super Bowl XXXIII MVP.

Elway left the game few have ever done: as a champion. He retired in 1999, as a Super Bowl winner, Super Bowl MVP.  He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.  

The Drive: John Elway 1986 AFC Championship Game vs. Cleveland Browns

One of Elway’s greatest moments happened in the 1986 AFC Championship game against the Cleveland Browns. On the road in Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium, Elway’s Broncos were down 20-13 with little over 5 minutes left with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Pinned at his own 2 yard line, Elway drove his team down the field in 15 plays, throwing a TD pass to Mark Jackson to tie the game. In overtime, the Broncos would win on a 38-yard field goal to advance to Super Bowl XXI against the New York Giants. The game is simply known as The Drive.

List of Pro Football Hall of Fame Members