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View Full Version : What drew Elway back to punching the Broncos clock?



Denver Native (Carol)
04-17-2011, 01:38 PM
Work ethic was the first concern.

John Elway always had it in him as a world-champion quarterback, but this was different. This would be work, not play. There have been horror stories about the imbalanced life of football coaches and executives. Arrive at the office before summer's dawn. Leave well after the 10 o'clock news.

Elway, meanwhile, had eased into a post-playing period that from a distance appeared idyllic. He had all the money he needed, thanks to an $82.5 million sale of his auto dealerships. Even with the occasional investment hiccup, Elway was afforded a jet-setting lifestyle that could lead him to 18 holes at Cherry Hills one day, 36 the next in Idaho or at Lake Tahoe.

For little other reason than he could. He played enough to be a scratch golfer, enough to legitimately consider taking a crack at the PGA's senior tour.

He was going to leave this life of leisure to become the Broncos' executive vice president of football operations, a position that if performed properly required coffee-to-go for breakfast, lunch at the desk, dinner with Leno or Letterman?

Well, here's something that may stun doubting NFL insiders: Elway has watched film of all 300-plus players who are candidates for the upcoming NFL draft. Much has been made about how Elway has closely observed quarterbacks such as Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, Ryan Mallett and Colin Kaepernick.

But that was labor-love stuff. Elway also has watched film of pulling guards, a tackle's drop- step, a linebacker's ability to attack downhill as well as drop into space.

In short, Elway has been working.

"Now that we're in the draft meetings, we get in here about 8 and get out of here about 7, 7:30," Elway said. "The thing is I took this job to be successful. And having grown up in a football family, having played football most of my life, I knew what it was going to take before I took the job.

"I've enjoyed it. It's really not work if you love what you're doing."

full article - http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_17865900?source=rss

Dzone
04-17-2011, 04:37 PM
working from 8-7 is pretty awesome. I think I need to up my work hours, now that elway made me feel like a wuss.

"I've enjoyed it. It's really not work if you love what you're doing."
gotta love that attitude

Dirk
04-18-2011, 06:06 AM
I (like everyone esle) am looking forward to John being successful.