Three of the Broncos’ Fab Five — all in Denver now and living in the southern suburbs — will be inside Mile High Stadium Circle for a reunion Sunday.
The quintet owns 10 Super Bowl rings, eight with the Broncos.
The quest for another NFL championship begins anew for the Broncos on Sunday afternoon.
Coach Gary Kubiak, executive vice president of football operations/general manager John Elway and president/chief executive officer Joe Ellis each will be starting his 21st season with the Broncos. Their tenures with the franchise actually have been together and separate — weaving in and out for 32 years.
Pat Bowlen was the thread throughout as the owner of the Broncos for six Super Bowl appearances. Bowlen, who will be inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame at the Green Bay game Nov. 1, retired as CEO last year after it was acknowledged he has Alzheimer’s. Bowlen lives in Cherry Hills Village.
Close by the Bowlen mansion are the palatial homes of Elway and Mike Shanahan, who was assistant coach, head coach and de facto dictator of the Broncos (in three different spans) for 20 years. Shanahan has been a candidate for several NFL jobs since being fired by Washington after the 2013 season. He travels frequently for speeches, TV appearances and pleasure and continues to study football carefully and consider if he wants to return to the game.
It’s rather sad that Bowlen and Shan ahan won’t be at the opener too — Bowlen in his usual seat in the owner’s box above the 50-yard line, wearing his light-blue blazer and his orange tie — and Shanahan alongside as a Broncos consultant.
Shanahan was the mentor and mastermind who worked with Elway, Kubiak and Ellis. Elway and Kubiak joined the Broncos as rookie quarterbacks in 1983, and Ellis was named director of marketing the same year. Shanahan was hired as an assistant coach the next season. Shanahan also was with the Broncos during seasons with offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips (who was succeeded as head coach by Shanahan), special-teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis and tight ends coach Brian Pariani.
A river runs through Dove Valley.
Soon after Kubiak was hired as the Broncos’ 15th head coach Jan. 19, he and his wife, Rhonda, reconnected with Mike and Peggy Shanahan over dinner, discussing old times and new.
“I always thought Gary would become a coach when his playing career was over because of the way he seriously approached the game. Even though he rarely got to play, Gary prepared every week as if he would. And when he did play, he knew exactly what to do and wasn’t overwhelmed,” Shanahan told me recently at the restaurant that bears his name.
“Gary was ‘Cool Hand Luke,’ ” Shan- ahan said.
After leaving the Broncos a second time and joining the San Francisco 49ers as offensive coordinator in 1994, Shanahan was ordered by then-coach George Seifert to find his own successor. “George said he knew I would get another head coaching job soon, and he wanted me to choose someone to train to take over when I left. I told him Gary was the perfect guy.”
Kubiak, who had retired as Elway’s backup/best buddy in 1991, was in his second season as the running backs coach at his alma mater, Texas A&M. He became Robin to Batman.
With Shanahan as coordinator and Kubiak as the quarterback coach for Steve Young, the 49ers won the Super Bowl in the 1994 season.
Bowlen hired Shanahan to return and reunite with Elway.
“Gary said he wanted to go back to Denver with me. He wanted to live in Colorado and coach the Broncos and John. I said: ‘You got to clear it with George. He’s going to be very upset we’re both leaving.’ “
Shanahan, Kubiak, Dennison, Pariani and, of course, Elway — and Ellis in the front office — won back-to-back Super Bowls (and should have been champions in 1996).
“Gary is in the perfect situation, knowing John so well. They’ll work great together,” Shanahan said. “Wade and Rick are outstanding coordinators. They’ve got Peyton and a lot of very good players. It’ll be interesting to watch how they all do together this year.”
Starting with a 35-17 victory over the Ravens, the Fab 53 will go 12-4 during the regular season, get hot in the playoffs and win the Super Bowl.
Woody Paige: woody@woodypaige.com or
