31 Years Ago Today

I’ve been a Denver Broncos fan since the fourth grade. It was 1984 and a then young John Elway was a super exciting quarterback to watch. It was the first year that that I really paid attention to football after watching my first Super Bowl the year before. I also lived in Denver from an infant through kindergarten, so there was other reasons to like the Broncos. I’ve been a Broncos fan ever since.

31 years ago today was one of the most memorable games ever. Football fans know it as just “The Drive”. It was the AFC Championship against the Browns. I remember feeling devastated when the Broncos lost the lead and bobbled ensuing kickoff and got tackled on the two yard line. They had 5 minutes and 32 seconds to go 98 yards just to tie the game. A near impossible feat. Well, they did it! Then they won the game in overtime! My favorite teams was going to the Super Bowl. Little eight year old me went from the lowest of lows, to the highest of highs. I remember like it was yesterday.

Today in #NFLHistory@johnelway defined clutch by engineering #TheDrive. pic.twitter.com/nRBrJ9b0K3

— NFL History (@NFLhistory) January 11, 2018

They then went on to lose three Super Bowls in four years. I was starting to not want them to get to the Super Bowl anymore because of the constant disappointment. Lucky for me they went on a Super Bowl drought and didn’t get back until they won it in 1997 and then won it again in 1998. Then recently they lost another one in 2013, but won another in 2015. I feel pretty lucky to have seen my favorite football team play in seven Super Bowls. I always think about those good time during the rare bad seasons like this past one was.