The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquartered in Dove Valley, Colorado.
Super Bowl XII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1977 season. The Cowboys defeated the Broncos 27–10 to win their second Super Bowl. The game was played on January 15, 1978, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. This was the first Super Bowl in a domed stadium, and the first time that the game was played in prime time in the Eastern United States.
Super Bowl XXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1986 season. It was the 21st Super Bowl and was played on January 25, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Giants defeated the Broncos, 39–20, for their first Super Bowl and first NFL title since 1956. It was the first of consecutive Super Bowl losses for the Broncos, who lost the Super Bowl a year later 42–10 to the Washington Redskins.
Super Bowl XXIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1989 season. The game was played on January 28, 1990, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The 49ers defeated the Broncos by the score of 55–10, winning their second consecutive Super Bowl, and their fourth overall, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl wins at that time. San Francisco also became the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls with two different head coaches; rookie head coach George Seifert took over after Bill Walsh retired following the previous season's Super Bowl.
Super Bowl XXXII was an American football game played between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion and defending Super Bowl XXXI champion Green Bay Packers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1997 season. The Broncos defeated the Packers by the score of 31–24. The game was played on January 25, 1998, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, the second time that the Super Bowl was held in that city. Super Bowl XXXII also made Qualcomm Stadium the only stadium in history to host both the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same year.
Randolph Charles Gradishar is an American former professional football player who played 10 seasons as a linebacker during the 1970s and 1980s for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). A native of Ohio, Gradishar was a one-time consensus and one-time unanimous All-American for the Ohio State Buckeyes, before playing ten seasons for Denver, where he was the centerpiece of their "Orange Crush Defense". In 2024, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Thomas Louie Jackson, also referred to as "TJ" or "Tommy", is an American sports commentator and former professional football player. He played as a linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1973 to 1986. He was a member of Denver's "Orange Crush Defense" and helped lead the Broncos to the AFC Championship in 1977 and 1986. After his playing career ended, he enjoyed a successful 29-year run as an NFL analyst for ESPN. He was given the Pete Rozelle Award for excellence in broadcasting by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
The Orange Crush Defense was the 3–4 defense of the Denver Broncos during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The National Football League (NFL) team adopted the 3–4 defense during the 1976 season, and the nickname "Orange Crush" for the team's defense was popularized early in the 1977 season by sportswriter/broadcaster Woody Paige.
Roman Zubinsky Phifer is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). Known primarily as a member of the New England Patriots, Phifer is currently the senior personnel executive for the Denver Broncos.
David Monroe Edwards was an American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Auburn University.
Patrick Dennis Bowlen was a Canadian–American lawyer, executive and the majority owner of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL), winning three Super Bowls. He was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the class of 2019. Bowlen owned other professional sports franchises in the Denver Colorado Area. Bowlen served as the Broncos CEO from 1984 until July 2014, when he stepped down as Broncos' CEO due to the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease.
Albert Reinhold Carmichael was an American professional football player who was a halfback and kick returner in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL).
Paul Edward Smith was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Denver Broncos. He played college football for the New Mexico Lobos.
Reginald Raymond May is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) from 1967 to 1975. During his career, he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Colts, and Denver Broncos. May was a member of the Baltimore Colts' 1970 Super Bowl V winning team. He played college football at the University of Southern California.
Reginald Wayne Herring is an American football coach and former player and most recently the linebackers coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). A former linebacker at Florida State University, he began his coaching career in 1981. He has now coached for 36 years across college and the NFL. Herring arrived in Denver to coach linebackers in 2015 after previous stops in the league with Chicago (2014), Houston and Dallas (2008–10). Herring has coached nine linebackers who have made Pro Bowl appearances during their careers, including outside linebackers DeMarcus Ware (9), Mario Williams (4), and Connor Barwin (1), and inside linebackers Zach Thomas (7), Keith Brooking (5), Lance Briggs (7), Brian Cushing (1), Sean Lee (2) and DeMeco Ryans (2). Herring also served as the interim head football coach for the University of Arkansas in the 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic.
Joel Collier is an American football executive who is the director of pro personnel for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He is the son of Joe Collier, a former defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots and head coach of the Buffalo Bills.
Charles Zapiec is a former professional American football linebacker in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Ottawa Rough Riders and Montreal Alouettes. He earned his All-American status as a linebacker in the only year that he played linebacker at "Linebacker U". Prior to his senior year, he also started two seasons as an offensive guard and helped his team to undefeated seasons in 1968 and 1969. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1972 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys.
The 1977 Denver Broncos season was the team's 18th year in professional football and its eighth with the National Football League (NFL).
Joseph Lamont Mays is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at North Dakota State and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft. Mays also played for the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers.
Jason Hairston was an American businessman and American football player who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was the founder and CEO of Kuiu, a hunting gear company.
