Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Sports Authority Field at Mile High, previously known as Invesco Field at Mile High, and commonly known as Mile High, New Mile High or Mile High Stadium, is an American football stadium located in Denver, Colorado.
Fun Facts:
In 2014, Denver wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders caught nine touchdown passes. That was just two less than he caught over the previous four seasons with the Steelers.
The first quarterback to have a 3,000 yard passing season for the Denver Broncos was Frank Tripucka in the franchise’s first year in the pro football, 1960. It wouldn’t happen again for 21 years when Craig Morton passed the mark in 1981. These would be the only 3,000 yard seasons either Tripucka or Morton would ever have for the team.
John Elway ended his career with exactly 300 career touchdown passes thrown.
Elway was more effective at home than on the road. The home advantage at Mile High Stadium led to him throwing 180 touchdown passes there as opposed to 120 on the road.
The second quarter was John Elway’s favorite. He threw 60 career touchdown passes in the first quarter, 61 in the third, and 59 in the fourth. Over the course of his career he threw 120 touchdown passes in the second quarter.
Denver running back C.J. Anderson’s full name is Cortrelle Javon Anderson.
John Elway threw more touchdown passes against the Seattle Seahawks, forty-four, than he did against any other team in the league.
The Denver Broncos won the first AFL game ever, defeating the Boston Patriots 13-10.
Former quarterback Craig Morton was the first and so far only quarterback to start the Super Bowl for two different teams, the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos.
The first AFL touchdown ever was a 56 yard throw from Broncos quarterback Frank Tripucka to receiver Al Carmichael.
No player caught more touchdown passes from John Elway than tight end Shannon Sharpe’s 41.
The 2010 NFL Draft saw the Denver Broncos trade their first and their fourth round picks to the Patriots to move up two spots and select wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. The Patriots would eventually trade that first round pick to the Cowboys who would use it to select Dez Bryant. The fourth round pick they kept for themselves and used it to pick tight end, and future convicted murderer, Aaron Hernandez.
John Elway retired having passed the 3,000 yard passing mark in a season 12 times for the Broncos. Through 2010, no other player has done that more than twice for the team.
When the Broncos used their first round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft to choose quarterback Tim Tebow from the University of Florida, this was the first time in their 50 year history that they had ever drafted a winner of the Heisman Trophy.
The first touchdown pass ever thrown by John Elway in the National Football League was thrown to running back Rick Parros. This would be the only touchdown that the two would hook up for.
The first interception Aqib Talib would get after joining the Broncos came in 2014 when he picked off Geno Smith of the Jets. His first interception of his career came in 2008 while playing with the Buccaneers when he picked off Matt Ryan of the Falcons.
The last regular season touchdown pass John Elway would throw came in the final game of the 1998 season, a 28-21 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, and was a one yard pass to tight end Shannon Sharpe.
The last touchdown pass Elway ever threw in the NFL came in the Super Bowl following the 1998 season and was an 80 yard score thrown to wide receiver Rod Smith.
Of the eight original founding AFL teams, only the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills have never moved from their original city.
Former Dallas Cowboys star running back Tony Dorsett finished his Hall-of-Fame career with the Broncos.
In the 1970’s the Broncos defense was given the nickname The Orange Crush.
The Broncos lost Super Bowl XXI to the New York Giants, after the game Giants quarterback Phil Simms became the first player to utter the memorable line “I’m going to Disneyland”. If the Broncos had won, the line would’ve been said by John Elway.
The Broncos were coached by Dan Reeves when they lost Super Bowl XXI to the New York Giants. A few years later, Dan Reeves would become the head coach of the Giants.
In 1998, starting quarterback John Elway missed several games due to injury. Backup Bubby Brister’s record in five starts that year was a perfect 5-0.
At the time of his retirement, Broncos kick returner Rick Upchurch shared the record for most punt returns for a touchdown in a career with eight.
Broncos’ wide receiver Rod Smith is the first, and so far only, undrafted player to ever gain more than 10,000 yards receiving.
During the 1970s, Broncos’ wide receiver and punt returner Rick Upchurch was briefly engaged to future United States Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.
Hall-of-Fame Quarterback John Elway played his entire career with the Broncos, although he was drafted by the Colts and forced a trade to Denver by threatening to play Professional Baseball with the New York Yankees.
The Denver Broncos began as a member of the American Football League (AFL) in 1960 and entered the NFL with the merger of the two leagues.
Prior to joining Denver in 2012, quarterback Peyton Manning had played eight games against the Broncos while playing for the Indianapolis Colts. In those eight games he had thrown 15 TD passes and just five interceptions.
The Denver Broncos won the first American Football League (AFL) game ever played, defeating the Boston Patriots 13-10.
The Broncos were winners against the Detroit Lions in a preseason game in 1967 marking the first time an AFL team defeated an NFL team.
The Denver Broncos played thirteen years (1960-1972) before having their first winning season in 1973.
In 2011, his second season in the NFL, Broncos punter Britton Colquitt led the NFL in total punt yardage with 4,783 yards on 101 punts.
Before John Elway arrived in a trade with the Baltimore Colts, the Broncos had gone through more than 24 different starting quarterbacks in its 23 year history.
During Super Bowl XXXII, in which the Broncos defeated the Packers, Running Back Terrell Davis overcame a migraine headache so severe that it caused him blurred vision to become the Super Bowl MVP.
The Broncos original uniforms were brown pants, brown helmets, mustard yellow and white jerseys, and vertically striped socks. The uniforms were so ill-received by the fans that when the team redesigned them two years later they conducted a public bonfire of the striped socks.
The first former Broncos player elected to the Hall-of-Fame was Cornerback Willie Brown who played with the team for four seasons (1963-1966).
In 1984, the Broncos started their Ring of Fame honoring former Denver Bronco greats. The first four inductees that year were; Goose Gonsoulin, Floyd Little, Lionel Taylor, and Rich Jackson.
In the years 1960 through 1980, the Denver Broncos had eight different Head Coaches. Since 1981 (through 2008), the Broncos have had only three different Head Coaches.
In 1985 the Broncos went 11-5 and missed the playoffs, conversely the Browns went 8-8 and made the playoffs winning their division.
Broncos linebacker Von Miller scored the first touchdown of his NFL career on December 2nd, 2012 when he intercepted a Josh Freeman pass and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown against the Buccaneers.
As of 2007, the Broncos had been the only team to play in a Super Bowl that had been televised by all of the major networks; ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX.
During the nine years spanning 1998 to 2006, the Denver Broncos had eight seasons with a running back rushing for over 1,000 yards. Those eight thousand yard seasons were accomplished by six different running backs: Terrell Davis, Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson, Clinton Portis, Rueben Droughns, and Tatum Bell.
The first penalty Demaryius Thomas had called on him in his NFL career was for Offensive Holding in a 2010 loss to the Ravens.
Star Broncos Linebacker Karl Mecklenburg was chosen by the Chicago Blitz in the 21st round of the USFL Draft in 1983, he elected to play for the Broncos in the NFL instead.
