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One last hurrah? Thursday may have been Elway's final full practice
Posted: Thursday January 28, 1999 11:58 PM
MIAMI (CNN/SI) -- Last year at the Super Bowl, all the talk surrounding Denver quarterback John Elway was on firsts. As in, would Elway win his first Super Bowl? This year, it's on lasts. As in, was Thursday Elway's last full-scale practice as a Bronco? There has been speculation all season long that Elway will retire when the year is over. Elway hasn't said exactly what he plans to do. But his teammates have been pretty vocal about what their opinions are. "I'd tell him to come back, but I'm biased," Broncos backup quarterback Bubby Brister said. "We have such a great relationship on and off the field. If he didn't come back, [Broncos offensive quarterback Gary] Kubiak would probably have meetings from daylight to dark. He'd probably be a little bit paranoid."
This season has been frustrating for Elway. He missed three games because of injury and was knocked out early in two others. Without him, the Broncos didn't miss a beat. But the Broncos aren't ready to find out what life without Elway is like just yet. "I want him to come back next year, not only for me, because I learn so much from him," Broncos rookie Brian Griese said. "I want him to come back for this team and for everybody in Denver that loves him so much." Elway, who will start in a record fifth Super Bowl on Sunday, knows he isn't the quarterback he used to be. But at 38 years old, he still remains one of the league's best quarterbacks. Despite the nagging rib and hamstring injuries, Elway still threw more than 20 touchdown passes for the fifth time in six years.
"I think I can still play," said Elway, "I'm not the scrambler and I can't run around and do those things that I used to do. But I think mentally I'm a lot better now. I'm throwing the football probably better than I ever have. I don't think I have lost a lot of arm strength." As long as Elway keeps that arm strength for at least one more week is all Denver wide receiver Ed McCaffrey cares about. After all, it was McCaffrey's 47-yard reception from Elway which jump-started the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game win over the Jets. "I know he's playing this week, and that is all that counts with what we have to be concerned about," McCaffrey said. "We'll deal with that after the season. But I think we have a lot of talent at the quarterback position. "Bubby Brister showed he can come in and play. Jeff Lewis has played well in the past. And Brian Griese came in as an extremely mature rookie. So there is a lot of talent there and as long as we keep the core of the team together, we'll have a successful franchise." Earlier in the week, Denver owner Pat Bowlen suggested he would consider offering Elway a portion of ownership in the Broncos when he does retire. Elway said he hasn't talked with Bowlen about the idea, but it is something he would be interested in. Today's Obscure Statistic: Elway threw 158 touchdowns in the 10 seasons he played for Dan Reeves. In the six since Reeves left, he has thrown 142. A Sign the Super Bowl is Getting Out of Hand: Durex Consumer Products, a condom manufacturer, plans to distribute 100,000 samples to fans attending the Super Bowl. Quote of the Day: "Flying an airplane is pretty easy. Kicking a football can get kind of scary sometimes." -- Broncos place-kicker Jason Elam on his hobby and his job.
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