The History Of The Denver Bronco #7

This will be my first Denver Super Bowl without #7 as quarterback. I will fully admit, it was not an easy transition for me to welcome #18 into the driver's seat of my beloved Broncos.

The Denver Broncos have played in 6 Super Bowls. This Sunday, XLVIII, will make it lucky #7! I was only a few weeks old when Denver went to their first Superbowl so I don't remember that. But 1986, 1987, 1989, 1997 and 1998 are games I won't forget. The 80s because as much as I loved my team, they couldn't win a Superbowl and it was so heart breaking even at a young age. 97' and 98' were the best years of Denver Broncos fan's life! Winning back to back Super Bowls was beyond a dream come true! It was worth all the pain and heartache in the 80s to win back to back. And John Elway was the MVP. We all forgot how much we wanted to strangle him in the 80s. He could do no wrong in our eyes as he launched himself into the end zone over Green Bay and then lifted the Lumbardi trophy into the Mile High Sky. #7 was the greatest quarterback to ever play the game! And then came the down years.....

The struggles to find someone to fill the shoes of our beloved quarterback. It's been a rough 15 years. And then Peyton Manning came to town. I will fully admit that I was nervous. It wasn't that I didn't think he was a great quarterback. I just wondered if he still had it in him. His franchise team didn't think he did. Would he get hurt after one year and then we would be searching for a new QB? And I have no shame in admitting that I loved Tim Tebow. I thought we could grow the team as he grew into a more solid player. He really played well when he felt the organization believed in him. I actually made the statement, "Payton is going to win us, what three Super Bowls and then he will retire and where will we be then? Searching for a new quarterback and Tebow will be long gone!" And then I snapped out of it, the moment I saw Manning take the first snap of the 2012 season and said, "Heck yes I will take three Super Bowls before he retires!" I feel it in my heart that we are going to win on Sunday. It's our year. Payton and the boys look so good! And beyond feeling it, now I know for sure after reading this article. Lucky #7 is no longer on the field but we still have the luck of #7 with us this season! GO DENVER!