The Denver Broncos have had an interesting mix of quarterbacks over the years. What makes them so special? Check out these interesting tidbits.

Frank Tripucka

The first Denver quarterback was actually an assistant coach on the team and when injuries took their toll, he grabbed his gear and led the team. Tripucka had a colorful career starting in college at Notre Dame, a couple of years in the NFL, several years in Canada before ending up with Denver. Interestingly, he ended his career in Canada as a Roughrider and in the NFL as a Bronco.

Craig Morton

Who is the famous Denver quarterback that wore #7?  Elway?  Right.  Morton? Also right.  Morton and Elway share the #7 in the Broncos Ring of Fame. Craig Morton was an interesting quarterback and was the first to lead two different teams in two different Superbowls (Dallas Super Bowl V and Denver Super Bowl XII). He is commonly known as the guy Hall-of-Fame quarterback Roger Staubach replaced and Hall-of-Fame quarterback John Elway replaced.

John Elway

Without a doubt John Elway is the measuring stick for all future Denver Bronco quarterbacks. He is known for orchestrating “The Drive” in a playoff game versus the Cleveland Browns, but he was also on the wrong side of “The Play.” Widely considered to have cost John Elway the Heisman trophy when he played at Stanford, “The Play” was a trick play full of laterals (some controversial for legality) that cost Stanford the win.

He is also known for orchestrating his coming to the Denver Broncos by telling the Baltimore Colts (who drafted him) that he would rather play baseball than play for them.

Elway left the Broncos for a while after retiring and he is now back as the Vice President of Football operations.

Tim Tebow

The name Tebow causes all sorts of responses to Denver Bronco fans. Whether they love him or hate him, his short time for the Broncos will always be remembered. From his “Tebowing” stance and his game winning pass in overtime during a playoff game, he made his presence known.

The most amazing part of his story in Denver is that his jersey was the highest selling jersey at the time in the NFL. Normally, the top-selling jersey is attributed to an all-star, Superbowl-winning player. Tebow was a back-up quarterback at the time for a team with no real Superbowl aspirations.

Peyton Manning

The newest Bronco quarterback, Peyton Manning has created quite a buzz in Denver. Since being let go by the Indianapolis Colts, the Denver Broncos were a seemingly unlikely candidate to get Manning. Yet the future Hall-of-Famer chose Denver for their excellent defense, and his acquisition has immediately vaulted the team into potential contenders for the Superbowl.

One of the interesting tidbits of Manning coming to Denver is the connection between him and Colorado Rockies baseball player Todd Helton. Helton, a fan favorite and the face of the Colorado Rockies, is a long-time friend of Peyton Manning. Once upon a time, Helton was the starting quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers. When Helton was injured, he was replaced by Peyton Manning…and the rest, as they say, is history. Manning never gave up the starting job in Tennessee, and Helton chose to play baseball.

Author John Georgis is the founder of Colorado’s own Banjo Billy Bus Tours, which offers sightseeing tours of both Denver and Boulder.