Woody Paige: Farewell to The Duke of Denver. John Elway's impact will never be forgotten

Apr. 8—Happy trails, John Elway!

The Duke of Denver, Good Ol' No. 7, the most legendary athlete in Colorado history is riding off into the sunset.

"I don't have that desire to climb another mountain again. I've been to the summit a bunch of times in 62 years," Elway said.

He certainly has reached the mountaintop. John Elway is one of the paramount quarterbacks in the history of college and professional football and the only person to win Super Bowl rings (3) as a player and a general manager. NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP, unanimous All-American and College Football of Fame inductee, unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer, retired after 16 seasons with the most regular-season victories (148) ever in the league, second in Super Bowl starts at QB (5), game-winning drives (40), fourth-quarter comebacks (31) and career passing yards (51,475).

As the co-owner/CEO of the Colorado Crush Arena Football League team, he won a championship. As general manager, executive VP and president of football operations with the Broncos for 11 seasons, he won four division titles, two AFC Championships and one Super Bowl.

And he was named the greatest football player of all time to wear jersey No. 7.

"At Stanford I actually wanted to be 11, my high school number, but an older player already had it, so I picked 7 because of the 7-11 symmetry,' Elway said laughing during his exclusive retirement interview with The Denver Gazette over the Easter weekend.

When Elway turned 50, I asked what he wanted to do in life. "I'd like to be the villain in a cowboy movie."

So I revisited the subject Friday ahead of his 63rd birthday in June.

"I still would like to be in a cowboy movie, but I'm a bit old," he said. John was nicknamed The Duke of Denver after famed actor John Wayne, who also was called "The Duke."

Elway showed the same swagger, bearing and self-assurance on the football field that Wayne did in films. "They aren't making many Westerns any more. Maybe I'll call (his friend) Kevin Costner and get a part in 'Yellowstone' TV series."

Although the young Elway was characterized and criticized as a California beach boy because he played prep football at Grenada Hills in suburban Los Angeles and had blond locks, John primarily spent his youth, as the son of coach Jack Elway, in Missoula, Mont. Thus, the "Yellowstone" connection.

John said that when his final contract as an "outside consultant" for the Broncos ended in March, "it was time to step aside and let all the new people take over. I've been with the Broncos for 28 years over the past 40 years since I came to Denver, and I can't think of a better ownership that (the late) Pat (Bowlen) could have as his successor. The Walton-Penner ownership group wants to win, intends to win and has the wherewithal to win. I'll always be a Bronco and a fan, and I told (CEO) Greg Penner I'm here if they call on me for anything."

Elway admitted that his quarterback and coaching choices were deficient since 2017, but "we had a great postseason run for five years (when he returned to take over the football operations). It's awfully hard to get the Super Bowl, but we did it seven times (following the first before he arrived in the Broncos' most historic and franchise-changing trade with the then Baltimore Colts). Peyton (Manning) came to Denver, and we made it to the Super Bowl (48). After the blowout I knew we had to drastically improve the defense. We got DeMarcus Ware, Aqib (Talib), T.J. Ward (to go with Von Miller) and exceptionally good draft picks (Derek Wolfe, Malik Jackson, Danny Trevathan and undrafted free agent Chris Harris Jr.), and we won the Super Bowl (50) with defense. I thought that season was a great comeback." His last.

The Broncos began a freefall when Manning and Elway's friend, former backup quarterback, offensive coordinator and head coach Gary Kubiak resigned because of health reasons in 2016.

John's long-interest ownership is over. "I've got the (Elway) restaurants and (Elway) car dealerships and other (enterprises) to keep me busy enough. I want to play golf. (He once shot 67 on the member tees at Augusta National) The No. 1 trip on my bucket list is to Normandy (the landing area of the Allies' invasion in World War II), I've always wanted to go there. (His wife) Paige and I want to take a boat trip to the Greek Isles, and I'll spend a lot of my time with my grandkids."

Hard to believe, but John has nine. All are under 8. He will be with the family Easter Sunday. Maybe one or more of the five girls and four boys will be a quarterback someday.

"My body took care of me for so long I now want to take care of my body in the QTR." What? "Quality Time Remaining".

Elway might have been Colorado's governor. After his retirement as a player, he once was encouraged by Republicans to run for the state's highest office, but Elway preferred to return to football. Bowlen hired him back to assume control of the team Jan. 2, 2011, when the owner was struggling with Alzheimer's.

Elway had a new house built in Southern California, "but Denver always will be home base. I love my home there. I'm just not much of a (Colorado) winter guy any more."

With Elways as a player and an executive, the Broncos won 265 games from 1983-2021.

Oddly enough, Elway, the No. 1 overall NFL pick, was acquired on May 2, 1983, and he retired, after winning his second Super Bowl, on May 2, 1999.

I asked John Elway for his seven most vivid memories with the Broncos.

"Seventh would be the Pro Football Hall of Fame, That may sound strange, but football is a team game, not really for individual awards. Of course it means so much to me, but I care more about what we did with the Broncos as a whole."

I did remind him of when I gave the shortest nomination speech in Hall of Fame membership balloting history.

"Gentlemen, John Elway."

Elway took two days to consider his other six meaningful moments. At the top of his memory bank was, naturally, the combination and culmination of the "Helicopter Ride" play, the Broncos' first Super Bowl victory over the Packers and Bowlen's boisterous shout on the championship podium of "This one's for John."

Second was the second Super Bowl title in Elway's final game against the Falcons and former Broncos coach Dan Reeves.

Third was "The Drive", the Broncos' 98-yard final fourth-quarter drive to tie the Browns in the 1986 Championship and the winning field goal in overtime in Cleveland.

Fourth was the 1997 divisional playoff victory, 14-10, over the Chiefs in Kansas City. The Broncos then won at Pittsburgh and in the Super Bowl in San Diego.

Fifth was the Broncos' game at Mile High Stadium in December 1983 when Elway was a rookie. "We were playing Baltimore and got behind 19-0, and it was my first comeback." He threw three fourth-quarter touchdowns. "All that Colts stuff was done," he said.

Six — Super Bowl 50. "But that was on all the players, the coaches and that team."

I've urged the Broncos over the years to place a statue at the stadium of Elway in midflight of his heroic "Helicopter Ride". Perhaps the ownership will approve the sculpture during the current renovation. It's also forgotten that Elway led the "drive" to replace old Mile High Stadium with a new edifice he never would play, and the voters approved.

Finally, I asked John to say what he hopes his legacy will be. "Good question. I've always let everyone else frame that answer. My thoughts are the Broncos always have been loyal to me, and I always have been loyal to the Broncos. As a player and an executive, they gave 28 years, and I hope I gave back to the Broncos and the fans for all my 28 years. It didn't end as well as I hoped, and I made mistakes. But we did win another Super Bowl. Most important is the great relationships I've fostered in my 40 years in Colorado.

"Everyone wants to be remembered for being good at their craft. I'm proud of what we all have accomplished together. I did everything to be the best I could."

The Grand Duke fared well.

He is The Magnificent 7. Farewell, John Elway.