Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos Head Coach Profile

Bronco head coach Mike Shanahan did not get his shot at head coaching right away. He served as a quarterbacks coach and later offensive coordinator for the Broncos under Dan Reeves in the 1980's and had a brief stint as the head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders in 1988-89, going just 8-12 in less than two seasons. Shanahan was fired and returned to the Broncos as an offensive assistant, again under head coach Reeves. Shanahan soon found himself in the middle of a growing feud between Reeves and quarterback John Elway, and Shanahan was again let go.

In 1992, Shanahan was hired on as the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers on George Seifert's staff. Shanahan helped lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl victory after the 1994 season. The 49ers offense that year has been hailed as one of the greatest of all time, with the likes of Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Brent Jones, John Taylor, William Floyd, and Ricky Watters. Shanahan's offensive plans were seen as genius. His years under Seifert placed him in the Bill Walsh coaching tree where he learned under the some of the best offensive minds the game has seen.

Denver Broncos Off-Season Moves

Denver may have had the busiest and most successful off-season of any team. The Broncos acquired stars, Travis Henry and Dre Bly that will make some huge plays this year for Denver but the Broncos also picked up Brandon Stockley who will add to the depth of the Bronco receiving core. Defensive end, Jarvis Moss, the Broncos prize draft pick will surely be a big name player in Denver, look for him to be an impact player coming right out of the gate.

Denver also added tight end Daniel Graham, offensive linemen Montrae Holland and defensive tackle Sam Adams.

Denver Broncos 2007-08 Season Outlook

The 2006 Denver Broncos season ended tragically with a with a heart- breaking loss to the 49ers. If the Broncos had beaten the 49ers, they would have been into the playoffs for yet another shot at the Super Bowl. The heartache and tragedy was not over either. Shortly after the disappointing loss, up and coming defensive back, Darrent Williams was gunned down after a team get- together at a local Denver nightclub. This tragedy shook the team and community. Williams was a good man and well liked by all his teammates and coaches -- he will always be remembered by the Bronco community. 

The Denver Broncos are looking to roar back from a season and off- season that resembled more of a nightmare than a championship run. The Broncos had one of the most active post seasons in team history. They added super-star running back Travis Henry and All-Pro defensive back Dre Bly to bolster the already impressive run attack and defensive secondary.

This season looks to be very promising for the Denver Broncos. Many are predicting that Broncos will win the AFC West and make it deep into the playoffs if not reaching the big game in Arizona. Jay Cutler was impressive last year in his first NFL season. Look for Cutler to continue to improve while performing at a much more consistent level. With the addition of tight end Daniel Graham. Cutler will have a mid-range and short option to go along with the always present, deep threat from Javon Walker. Walker had an impressive year last year, coming off knee surgery. Look for Walker to have another huge season. Team veteran and leader Rod Smith has been nursing a sore hip but has had a great spring and summer according to my Denver insider, look for Rod to be back to his old ways this year.

Defensively the team started out not allowing a touchdown in the first 11 quarters of the 2006 campaign. The Broncos did a major overhaul on the coaching staff, and a youth movement of sorts up front. Gerald Warren and Alvin McKinley will be the run stoppers up front, with Kenard Lang and Ebeneze Ekuban the ends. However, three of the team's first four draft picks were defensive lineman who will get a shot at playing time. Al Wilson was the team leader and fan favorite but a neck injury forced the team to cut him. Denver fans, do not worry as Shanahan obtained D.D. Lewis from Seattle, which will allow D.J. Williams to slide into the middle, where he's more naturally suited and will help fill the void.

Of the eight original founding AFL teams, only the Denver Broncos have never moved from their original city.

Former Dallas Cowboys star running and Hall of Famer, Tony Dorsett finished his career with the Broncos.

In the 1970’s the Broncos defense was given the nickname 'The Orange Crush.'

The Denver Broncos began as a member of the American Football League, AFL in 1960 and entered the NFL with the merger of the two leagues.

The Broncos were winners against the Detroit Lions in a preseason game in 1967 marking the first time an AFL team defeated an NFL team.

The Denver Broncos won the first American Football League (AFL) game ever played, defeating the Boston Patriots 13-10.

The Denver Broncos played thirteen years (1960-1972) before having their first winning season in 1973 but have since gone onto become one of the most dominate teams in the NFL.

Hall-of-Fame Quarterback John Elway played his entire career with the Broncos, although he was drafted by the Colts and forced a trade to Denver by threatening to play Professional Baseball with the New York Yankees.

Before John Elway arrived in a trade with the Baltimore Colts, the Broncos had gone through more than 24 different starting quarterbacks in its 23 year history.

During Super Bowl XXXII, in which the Broncos defeated the Packers, Running Back Terrell Davis overcame a severe migraine headache that caused him blurred vision to become the Super Bowl MVP.

The Broncos original uniforms were brown pants, brown helmets, mustard yellow and white jerseys, and vertically striped socks. The uniforms were so ugly and ill-received by the fans that when the team redesigned them two years later they conducted a public bonfire of the striped socks.

The first Bronco elected to the NFL Hall-of-Fame was Cornerback Willie Brown who played with the team for four seasons (1963-1966).

In 1984, the Broncos started their Ring of Fame honoring former Denver Bronco greats. The first four inductees that year were - Goose Gonsoulin, Lionel Taylor, Floyd Little, and Rich Jackson.

In the years 1960 through 1980, the Denver Broncos had eight different Head Coaches. Since 1981 (through 2006), the Broncos have had only three different Head Coaches.

In 1985 the Broncos went 11-5 and missed the playoffs, conversely the Browns went 8-8 and made the playoffs winning their division.

As of 2007, the Broncos had been the only team to play in a Super Bowl that had been televised by all of the major networks; CBS, ABC, NBC, and FOX.

Star Bronco Linebacker Karl Mecklenburg was chosen by the Chicago Blitz in the 21st round of the USFL Draft in 1983. Mecklenburg elected to play for the Broncos in the NFL instead. 

Denver Broncos 2007-08 Roster

Denver Broncos 2007-08 Depth Chart

Denver Broncos – Invesco Field at Mile High

Construction Began: August 1999
Opened: September 10, 2001
Capacity: 76,125
Location: Denver, CO
Surface: Natural Grass

After years at the famed Mile High Stadium, the city of Denver voted to build a new, state of the art facility that would house their beloved Broncos. Though many fans were more than displeased at the field being named after Invesco, when the corporation purchased the naming rights for the stadium, the Mile High tag was added to insure fans that the past wouldn't be forgotten. Sitting on a footprint adjacent to the old Mile High Stadium, the current Invesco at Mile High is shaped like a horseshoe and can't be missed with the rearing Bronco atop the stadium's main entrance. Modern amenities include the Sports Legends Mall Legacy Walk, playing host to several shops, activities and the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.