CANTON, OH – AUGUST 8: Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee John Elway poses with his bust during the 2004 NFL Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony August 8, 2004 in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by David Maxwell/Getty Images)
Broncos quarterback John Elway cemented his legacy 25 years ago today in Super Bowl XXXIII with a win over the Falcons. The win marked back-to-back Super Bowl wins for the QB, who announced his retirement shortly after the game. Talk about going out a winner! Previous to his last two years in the league, Elway's legacy shaped up to be much different. Sure, he was a great talent. In fact, he was one of the best to ever play the game. However, prior to 1998, Elway had been 0-3 in Super Bowls. His reputation was that he could not win a big game. Ouch. That's pretty rough but that became the consensus.
JOHN ELWAY CEMENTED LEGACY
Arguably, what helped Elway turn his legacy around was the addition of future Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis. He was a league and Super Bowl MVP in his own right and became the 4th running back to break the 2000 yard rushing mark in a single season. His arrival meant defenses could no longer key on Elway's passing game because they had to be mindful of the Broncos running game.
Elway's career displayed a remarkable turnaround from being the guy who couldn't win the Big One, to the guy who sailed off into the sunset as a back-to-back champion. Today we will remember Elway's final game with Super Bowl Trivia on Craig Shemon and Company on ESPN Southwest Florida.
QUIZ TIME
- Which Florida Stadium hosted Super Bowl 33? Miami’s Pro Player Stadium
- Roman Numerals for 33? XXXIII
- Who was the MVP of the game? John Elway
- Who was the coach of the Broncos? Mike Shanahan
- Who was the coach of the Falcons? Dan Reeves
- Who was the Falcons quarterback? Chris Chandler
- Who was the game’s leading rusher with 102 yards? Terrell Davis
- Name the Falcons Hall of Fame kicker that day? Morten Andersen
- The Halftime Show was performed by this 8 time Grammy winner who is known for songs like “The Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” and “Get on your Feet?” Gloria Estefan
- What was John Elway’s Super Bowl record? 2-3
