Ted Sundquist

Last updated
Ted Sundquist
Personal information
Born: (1962-05-01) May 1, 1962 (age 62)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Career information
High school:Spring Woods Senior High (Houston, TX)
College: USAF Academy (Undergraduate)
University of Colorado (Master's Degree)
Position:General Manager Denver Broncos, Head Coach USAF Prep, Commentator
Career history
As a coach:
As an executive:
Career highlights and awards
Executive profile at PFR

Carl Mathew Theodore "Ted" Sundquist II (born May 1, 1962) is an American football player, manager and commentator. He spent sixteen years working in the National Football League for the Denver Broncos franchise. Sundquist was hired in 1992 as the player personnel assistant, and two years later promoted to director of college scouting. In 2001, Pat Bowlen promoted Sundquist to general manager.

Contents

Early life and education

Sundquist was born in Houston, Texas and attended Spring Woods High School in Houston, Texas, where he played football, and was a teammate of future Major League Baseball pitcher Roger Clemens. [1] He has a Master in Public Administration from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, a Bachelor of Science in Soviet Area Studies from the United States Air Force Academy. [2]

College football

Sundquist graduated in 1984 from the United States Air Force Academy, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado where he played fullback for the Falcon football team. He was team captain in 1983. The Falcons had bowl victories over Vanderbilt (1982 Hall of Fame Bowl) & Mississippi (1983 Independence Bowl) while Sundquist was on the team. Sundquist returned to Air Force as an assistant coach in 1989, and named head coach of the United States Air Force Academy Prep School from 1990 to 1992.

Bobsled

During his posting in Berlin, Sundquist trained for and became a member of the 1984-1988 U.S. National Bobsled Team. Sundquist competed in the 1988 Olympic trials, but they were cut short due to a shoulder injury. [1]

NFL executive

Denver Broncos

Sundquist joined the Broncos in 1993 as a scout as player personnel assistant (1992–1994), director of scouting from 1995 to 2001 and then promoted to general manager, where he stayed during six years from 2002 to 2008. [3]

At the age of 33 Sundquist served as college scouting director and was in that role during the Broncos' back-to-back Super Bowl wins in 1997 and 1998. He supervised pro and college scouting, and was responsible for salary cap and contract analysis. Sundquist was promoted to GM in 2002 by owner Pat Bowlen after being pursued by both the Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons organizations. He was also a finalist for the president position with the Seattle Seahawks in 2004. He started at GM with five consecutive winning seasons, a franchise record. Sundquist left the Broncos following a 7–9 record in 2007 Denver Broncos season. [1] Denver reached the playoffs three times under Sundquist being manager. Sundquist helped Denver attract free agents such as John Lynch, Daniel Graham and Travis Henry. [4]

Acquired Talent

During his tenure, Sundquist helped Denver land players such as John Lynch, Daniel Graham, Al Wilson, John Mobley, Brandon Marshall, Mike Anderson, Olandis Gary, Clinton Portis (WAS), Reggie Hayward (JAX), Trevor Pryce (BAL), Brian Griese (TB), Deltha O'Neal (NE), and Nick Harris (DET). Sundquist was known[ by whom? ] for being one of the more active GMs in player acquisition through drafting, signing free agents and trades.

Under Sundquist, the Broncos became one of the league's most active traders. His most notable move came just before the 2004 season, when he dealt star running back Clinton Portis to the Washington Redskins in exchange for cornerback Champ Bailey, another to obtain Dre Bly from the Detroit Lions, and a No. 2 draft pick that turned out to be Tatum Bell. He also engineered a 2006 draft-day deal with St. Louis allowing Denver to move from the No. 29 overall pick to No. 11, where they selected Vanderbilt quarterback Jay Cutler. As a result, Sundquist's GM term was the start of a franchise-record five consecutive winning seasons. [1]

Post-Broncos career

In the 2008-2009 football season, Sundquist worked as an expert analyst and editorial commentator with ProFootballTalk.com. [5] In early 2009, Sundquist was mentioned in several general manager searches across the National Football League, including the Kansas City Chiefs who interviewed Sundquist for their open GM position. [6] In December 2010, Sundquist interviewed for the open GM position with the San Francisco 49ers. [7] Sundquist was also a candidate included in the New York Jets 2013 GM search. [8] Sundquist released his first book on June 7, 2013, titled Taking Your Team to the Top: How to Build and Manage Great Teams like the Pros. [9] In his book he describes the bases needed to discover persons' abilities and talents while adding to team cooperation to achieve any business goal. [10]

From 2008 to 2013 he was a member of the board of directors for the Air Force Academy Athletic Foundation which supports the programs of the Athletic Department of the United States Air Force Academy. [11] In 2010 he also was a director of player personnel for the Omaha Nighthawks in the UFL. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver Broncos</span> National Football League franchise in Denver, Colorado

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Elway</span> American football player and executive (born 1960)

John Albert Elway Jr. is an American former professional football quarterback who spent his entire 16-year career with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Following his playing career, he then spent 11 years with the Broncos in various front office positions, eventually being promoted to general manager. Elway, along with former backup quarterback and head coach Gary Kubiak, are the only individuals to be associated with all three of the Broncos' Super Bowl wins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorado Crush</span> Arena football team

The Colorado Crush were an arena football team based in Denver, Colorado. They began play as a 2003 Arena Football League expansion team. The Crush played in the Central Division of the American Conference until the Arena Football League suspended operations in 2009. They were last coached by Mike Dailey and owned by a coalition of Denver sports figures led by John Elway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrell Davis</span> American football player (born 1972)

Terrell Lamar Davis is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2001. He is the Broncos all-time leading rusher and still holds the record for most postseason single-season touchdowns (eight), which he achieved in 1997. He is also credited with starting the "Mile High Salute", a celebratory tradition among Denver Broncos players after scoring a touchdown. Davis was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. Despite his short seven-year tenure, Davis is often regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time.

Stephen Dennis Atwater is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Super Bowl champion. Atwater was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on February 1, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Wolf</span> American football general manager (born 1938)

Ronald Wolf is an American former professional football executive who was a general manager (GM) of the National Football League (NFL)'s Green Bay Packers. Wolf is widely credited with bringing success to a Packers franchise that had rarely won during the two decades prior to Wolf joining the organization. He also played a significant role in personnel operations with the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders from 1963 to 1975 and again from 1978 to 1990. He joined Green Bay's front office in November 1991 from a personnel director's job with the New York Jets. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Kubiak</span> American football player and coach (born 1961)

Gary Wayne Kubiak is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a quarterback for the Denver Broncos before coaching, serving as head coach for the Houston Texans from 2006 to 2013 and the Broncos from 2015 to 2016 before stepping down from the position on January 1, 2017, citing health reasons.

The 1998 season was the Denver Broncos' 29th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 39th overall. The Broncos entered the season as the defending Super Bowl champions and looked to become only the fifth team in league history to win consecutive Super Bowls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Jackson (American football coach)</span> American football player and coach (born 1976)

Charlie Jackson is an American football coach. He is the assistant head coach and defensive backs coach at the United States Air Force Academy. Jackson served as the head football coach at Kentucky State University from 2019 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Bowlen</span> American football executive (1944–2019)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Heckert Jr.</span> American football administrator (1967–2018)

Thomas Heckert Jr. was an American football executive who served as the general manager for the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). In his 27-year career, Heckert was a part of 17 postseason campaigns, 11 division titles, eight conference championship games, three Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl Championship, while with the Denver Broncos.

The history of the Denver Broncos American football club began when the team was chartered a member of the American Football League in 1960. The Broncos have played in the city of Denver, Colorado throughout their entire history. The Broncos did not win any titles as members of the AFL. Since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, the Broncos have won 15 division titles, and played in eight Super Bowls, following the 1977, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1997, 1998, 2013, and 2015 seasons. They won Super Bowl XXXII, Super Bowl XXXIII and Super Bowl 50. Their most famous player is former quarterback John Elway, starting quarterback in five Super Bowls and holder of many NFL records. The Broncos currently play in the National Football League's AFC West division.

Michael David Young is a former professional American football player. He was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, playing for the Los Angeles Rams, the Denver Broncos, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Kansas City Chiefs. Michael Young’s career in professional sports has spanned over 33 years as he is one of the very few NFL players to occupy senior level executive positions for multiple professional sports franchises.

Matthew Jason Russell is an American professional football executive and former player who is a senior personnel executive for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He formerly served as the director of player personnel for the Denver Broncos of the NFL. Russell played as a linebacker in the NFL for a single season. He played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes, earning consensus All-American honors and winning the Butkus Award as the top linebacker in America. He played professionally for the NFL's Detroit Lions from 1997 to 1999.

Neal Dahlen is a retired American football administrator, who worked for San Francisco 49ers (1979–1996), and the Denver Broncos (1996–2003), and was general manager of the Broncos from 1999 to January 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Gettleman</span> American football executive (born 1951)

David Alan Gettleman is an American former football executive in the National Football League (NFL). He was the general manager for the Carolina Panthers from 2013 to 2017 and the New York Giants from 2018 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ty Sambrailo</span> American football player (born 1992)

Tyler William Sambrailo is an American former professional football player who was a tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Colorado State Rams. He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft, where he was a member of the Super Bowl 50 championship team after they beat the Carolina Panthers by a score of 24–10. He was also a member of the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Garland</span> American football player (born 1988)

Benjamin N. Garland is a former American football center. He played college football at the United States Air Force Academy. He was a member of the Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers. Garland was originally a defensive lineman before converting to an offensive lineman in 2012.

Anthony "Champ" Kelly is an American football executive who is the assistant general manager for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the assistant director of player personnel for the Chicago Bears from 2017 to 2021 and the director of pro scouting from 2015 to 2016. Before joining the Bears in 2015, Kelly was a member of the Denver Broncos staff and was with the Lexington Horsemen of the United Indoor Football (UIF) as general manager, coach, and player.

George Paton is an American football executive who is the general manager of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Paton previously served as the assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel for the Minnesota Vikings and served with the Vikings in various executive roles for 14 seasons. Paton began his NFL career as a scout for the Chicago Bears before serving as the director of pro personnel for the Miami Dolphins from 2001 to 2006 and joining the Vikings in 2007. Before his career as an executive, Paton played college football at UCLA and later professionally in the Austrian Football League and Italian Football League.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Mike Klis (March 12, 2008). "Sundquist out as Broncos GM News shocks exec, who spent 16 years with team". Denver Post .
  2. ↑ Ted Sundquist, Chief Executive Officer Retrieved on 15 Feb 2018
  3. ↑ Ted Sundquist out as Denver Broncos’ general manager Retrieved on 15 Feb 2018
  4. ↑ Ted Sundquist out as Denver Broncos’ general… Retrieved on 15 Feb 2018
  5. ↑ "ProFootballTalk.com".
  6. ↑ Josh Knox (January 10, 2009). "News on Kansas City Chiefs' GM search: Quietest GM Interviews Ever". The Bleacher Report .
  7. ↑ Mike Florio (December 30, 2010). "Ted Sundquist interviews for Niners' G.M. job". ProFootballTalk.com .
  8. ↑ Kimberly A. Martin (January 14, 2013). "Sundquist a 'sleeper' in Jets GM race". Newsday .
  9. ↑ "Taking Your Team to the Top: How to Build and Manage Great Teams like the Pros".
  10. ↑ EPIIC Nights featuring Ted Sundquist Retrieved on 15 Feb 2018
  11. ↑ Ted Sundquist Retrieved on 15 Feb 2018
  12. ↑ 49ers GM Candidates: Ted Sundquist Retrieved on 15 Feb 2018
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.