Super Bowl Memories

This is my sixth chance to watch the Broncos in the Super Bowl. It is the first time in 15 years that the Broncos are going to playing on Super Sunday, so I am trying to soak everything in and enjoy this week leading up to the game. Once the week began, I started to think about how different my life is since the Broncos last played in the Super Bowl. It got me thinking about my personal memories and thoughts about the other five Super Bowls that I was fortunate enough to watch the Broncos participate in. Let's take a trip down memory lane and look back on those five other Super Bowls that involved my beloved Broncos...

Super Bowl XII: Dallas-27- Denver-10
Personal Memory: I wasn't born until 1979, and this game was played in January of 1978, so I wasn't born for this game. Good thing I wasn't around because Tom Landry's Doomsday Defense smothered and destroyed Craig Morton and the Broncos offense. I've only seen the NFL Films footage of the game, and it always looked like the Broncos had no chance of winning this game.

Super Bowl XXI: New York Giants-39 Denver-20
Personal Memory: I became a Broncos fan in 1985, so I was lucky enough to see Denver reach the Super Bowl following the '86 season. I remember watching this game at my parent's friends house. The Van Gelder's had a big Super Bowl party and this was the first one we went to. I was the only person in the house rooting for the Broncos, and I had my little Elway jersey on and sat in front of the television mesmerized by John Elway. Unfortunately, my excitement turned to tears as Elway and the Broncos were blown out in the second half and the G-Men rolled to the 39-20 win.

Highlight: I would put that first half by John Elway against any other legendary QB in NFL history. He single handedly put the Broncos on his back, and gave them a 10-9 lead over the dominating Giants defense. He made two throws, one to Steve Watson and one to Vance Johnson, that were throws that no one else in the NFL could have made at that time. It was breathtaking to watch him in that half. He killed the Giants with his arm and his legs, and he scored on a QB draw to give Denver an early 10-7 lead. Put that tape on and watch how amazing Elway was in that half.

Lowlight: My dad used some sort of "Italian Horns" to jinx the Broncos and their kicker, Rich Karlis. Karlis missed two of the shortest field goal attempts in Super Bowl history, and Denver was never able to extend their lead from 10-7. A safety on Elway by George Martin in the end zone late in the first half changed the complexion of the game, but those missed field goals really turned the tide.

Super Bowl XXII: Washington-42 Denver-10
Personal Memory: Once again, we headed to the Van Gelders for the Super Bowl party. Once again, I was crying but this time it was by halftime as the Redskins built a 35-10 lead. I remember going home with my parents and my sister, and I was crying the whole way home. I remember laying in bed crying and not wanting to go to school the next day. My mom came up and told me that they just interviewed John Elway after the game, and I asked her what he said. She told me that Denver did their best, lost to a better team, and will be back next year. She also told me he said everyone has to go to bed and get ready for school tomorrow. I don't know how much I believed her, but it worked to get me to sleep and head off to school the next day.

Highlight: The first time John Elway touched the ball he threw a 56 yard touchdown pass to Ricky Nattiel. It was a great moment, and it was really the only highlight for Denver because after they built a 10-0 lead they gave up 42 unanswered points including 35 in the second quarter alone. I will never forget that play by Elway though. A year after losing to the Giants, here he was back in the Super Bowl the next year, and he throws an absolute beautiful pass down the sideline the very first play for the Broncos.

Lowlight: Everything that happened in the 2nd quarter was an absolute nightmare. I couldn't believe how quick that game turned. Up 10-0, I felt pretty good about the Broncos chances, and then like that it was all downhill. Doug Williams and Timmy Smith ripped up the Broncos and the game was over by the halftime. That was about as bad as it gets for the Broncos because they were actually favored in the game, and in a matter of moments it was over.

Super Bowl XXIV: San Francisco-55 Denver-10
Personal Memory: Once again, we headed to the Van Gelders for another Super Bowl party. Once again, the Broncos got blown out, but at least Mrs. Van Gelder still put up orange and blue balloons for me. I just remember being at peace with the game because even though I was 11, I was able to understand just how good Joe Montana and that 49ers team was. I didn't cry during the game, and I remember my dad telling me that I should be proud that the Broncos even got the Super Bowl for the third time in four years, but it wasn't enough because once we got home, I began to cry in front of my family. I was able to muster up the strength to wear my Elway jersey to school the next day.

Highlight: There were no highlights to speak of in this debacle. One might have been that the Broncos won the coin toss. Another might have been that some of the Broncos wore black sneakers for the game. Maybe it was the Bud Bowl commercials that took place during the game. Other than that, there was nothing to cheer about during the 55-10 rout.

Lowlight: The whole game was a lowlight. I remember watching the game, and I was astonished that Denver's defense just could not stop that 49ers offense. It was the first time I watched a game and felt helpless as I watched Montana just surgically dissect the Broncos defense. It was a low moment for sure for a Broncos fan, but I don't think any team was beating the Niners on that day.

Super Bowl XXXII: Denver-31 Green Bay-24
Personal Memory: I was a freshman in college at Sacred Heart University, so I watched the game from my dorm room in South Hall Room 343. I watched the game with my childhood friend named Chris Cirri, who was my roommate that year, and a bunch of guys on our floor. That day, I actually went to mass on campus before the game started, and I waited for the priest after mass, and I asked to him say a prayer to God to help the Broncos win the Super Bowl. He took me serious and said he would send my message up to heaven. I wish I wasn't serious about this, but I have to admit that I did that. We watched the game in our dorm room, and it was the most tense game I have ever watched. I will never forget the feeling when Denver won the game. I was crying and jumping up and down for about an hour after the game ended. I fielded phone calls from my family and friends all throughout the night, and I stayed up to watch Sportscenter all night long. I skipped my classes the next day, and I just watched the highlights of the game all day. It was up there as one of the greatest days of my life.

Highlight: There are so many great moments in this classic Super Bowl, but the two that stands out were the Elway dive play and John Mobley's knock down of Brett Favre's 4th down pass to win the game. The Elway play was amazing because it was a 3rd down play late in the 3rd quarter and Elway put his body on the line to dive headfirst into three Packer defenders to get the first down. That play setup a Denver touchdown to give them a 24-17 lead late in the quarter. Mobley's play stopped Favre and the Packers in Denver territory on a 4th down play to clinch the game for Denver. It was a great play, and the feeling of seeing him knock down that pass was something that I can even describe in words.

Lowlight: With Denver up 24-17 late in the 3rd quarter, the Broncos recovered an Antonio Freeman fumble on the ensuing kickoff deep in Green Bay territory. Elway went for the killshot and threw a ball in the endzone that got picked off by Eugene Robinson. I just remember thinking how much of a game changer that play was, and I remember thinking that maybe Elway was just not destined to win a Super Bowl.

Super Bowl XXXIII: Denver-34 Atlanta-19
Personal Memory: I was a sophomore at Sacred Heart, and this time I watched the game from my dorm room in West Hall on campus. I was very confident going into the game. I just didn't see anyway that the Broncos were going to lose to the Falcons in this Super Bowl. I was more nervous for the AFC Championship Game against the Jets two weeks earlier. I was confident, and I fully expected a Denver win.

Highlight: Watching John Elway take a knee, and come out of the game for the final time of his career was a special moment. Elway was announced as the game MVP, and Mike Shanahan decided to pay tribute to Elway and take him out of the game so the crowd could honor him with a standing ovation. It was the perfect final chapter for Elway and his career. He left the field the final time as a Super Bowl champion, and it stamped his career as one of the five greatest QBs to ever live.

Lowlight: I passed up on some opportunities to go back to Long Island and watch the game with my family or friends, and I wish I watched the game with them. I ended up watching the game with only one of my roommates, and it just wasn't the same because I watched that whole Broncos playoff run at home on Winter break with my family.