Broncos owner Pat Bowlen has been elected as the 28th member of the team’s Ring of Fame.
The club’s selection committee unanimously voted Bowlen as the newest member during its annual meeting at the team’s Dove Valley headquarters Wednesday.
The induction ceremony will be Sunday, Nov. 1 at halftime of the Broncos’ Sunday Night Football game against the Packers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
“Today is a great day for Pat Bowlen, for the Denver Broncos, for Pat’s wife Annabel, the entire Bowlen family,” Joe Ellis, the Broncos president and CEO said Wednesday.
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“I went over to his house earlier, met with him briefly and I informed him, I said, ‘You know, you started the Ring of Fame back in 1984 and today you were elected into the Ring of Fame.’ He paused, a little wry smile came over his face and he said, ‘Well, why the hell would you guys do that?’ That kind of sums up what Pat’s all about, his modesty and his humility.”
Bowlen, who is entering his 32nd year as the owner of the Broncos, is the only owner in NFL history to record 300 victories during his first 30 seasons. He has recorded the most regular-season wins (301), overall wins (319), winning seasons (19) and playoff appearances (17) among owners since purchasing the team in 1984.
Bowlen’s six Super Bowl appearances rank second all-time among owners, and his back-to-back championships, in 1997 and 1998, made him one of only 11 owners to have multiple titles.
“It is awesome,” former Broncos tight end and Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe said. “He meant so much to me personally and to our teams.”
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Last July, Bowlen, 71, acknowledged that he is dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, and the team announced he . The long-term goal is for one of his seven children to assume control when they are ready.
The Ring of Fame, which is on display at Sports Authority Field, was created by Bowlen to honor former players and administrators.
“I am incredibly proud of Pat joining the Broncos’ Ring of Fame,” his wife Annabel said in a team release. “It’s very humbling for my family to see Pat receive this honor for everything he has meant to the Broncos during his 32 years as owner.”
Bowlen’s success has extended far beyond his years with the Broncos. He served on nine league committees during his ownership, helping to negotiate the NFL’s record television contracts and collective bargaining agreements with players.
Bowlen also has served as chairman of the board of Denver apharities which have donated more than $25 million to organizations in the Denver area since the fund started in 1993.
In a team release, Broncos general manager and executive vice president of football operations, John Elway, said Bowlen “is the most deserving of anyone ever elected to the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame,” adding that as both a former player of Bowlen’s and now one of his employees, “Pat has given us every opportunity and every resource to put the best football team on the field and compete for championships.
“In my opinion, Pat Bowlen is one of the greatest contributors in the history of professional football , not just the Denver Broncos,” Elway said. “I congratulate Pat on his election to the Broncos Ring of Fame and look forward to the day he is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”
Nicki Jhabvala: njhabvala@denverpost.com or twitter.com/nickijhabvala
Bowlen’s success
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The Broncos have been one of the most successful teams in the NFL since Pat Bowlen purchased the team in 1984. Some of his, and his team’s, accomlishments over the past 31 seasons:
Second-longest tenured owner in the NFL.
First NFL owner to record 300 total victories in first 30 seasons
Most regular-season wins (301), total wins (319), winning seasons (19) and playoff appearances (17) among owners since purchasing team in 1984.
Broncos have won six AFC championships, 12 divisional titles, two Super Bowls with Bowlen as owner.
One of only five NFL owners to win multiple championships (1997, 1998)
Served on nine league committees, and, as chairman of the NFL broadcast committee, helped negotiate the league’s record $18 billion TV contract, in 1998.
Broncos rank first in league in home winning percentage (.730, 181-67) under Bowlen
Team has sold out every game since 1970 for a league record 369 streak
Nicki Jhabvala, The Denver Post
