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You have to go back pretty far as a Denver Broncos fan to be able to remember the achievements of quarterback Craig Morton, who passed this week at the age of 83 in California due to sepsis, according to a writeup by Luca Evans of the Denver Post. You have to go back even further the remember the most noteworthy aspect of Morton’s NFL history, as he came into the NFL as a threat to star Dallas Cowboys quarterback Don Meredith.
Morton played a total of 18 seasons in the NFL, and he had a reputation for being tough as nails. He led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl back in 1977, and that gave both the team and the franchise a new level of credibility.
“He represented the franchise in the community because Denver was starting to obtain an identity,” said former Broncos teammate and running back Dave Preston. “And I think he helped in that transition from, just a cow town into — hey, a leader against the hated Raider Nation and (Pittsburgh’s) Steel Curtain.”
According to Evans, Morton’s arrival in 1977 brought a “spiritual awakening” for a quarterback in the twilight of his career, said former Broncos linebacker Bob Swenson. Evans described Morton’s arm as “steady” in that Super Bowl season, and it also set up the good things to come. .
“The players now do not realize that the brand of the Broncos, the national status, the whole thing has become so big in terms of community impact that — if it weren’t for Craig Morton and those guys in ‘77,” Swenson said, “they wouldn’t be there.”
Tom Jackson was a Pro Bowl linebacker in Denver and a longtime ESPN analyst and broadcaster, so he’s in a different position to know what this meant.
“Taking us to that first Super Bowl,” former Pro Bowl linebacker Tom Jackson added, “I believe, really legitimized the Denver Broncos for the successes they’ve had moving on after that.”
Morton wasn’t the most athletic quarterback, either. He was a statue in the pocket, but he could make all the throws and stand in under a heavy pass rush. It was a different era, and Morton was the type of quarterback who just found a way to get the job done.
“When I first saw Craig, I was like, ‘How — what can he do?’” Upchurch, a former four-time All-Pro receiver and return man, recalled. “I mean, honestly, his legs. He was knock-kneed. He couldn’t run. He wasn’t real strong. It wasn’t like he was in the weight room, and those types of things.”
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Morton played a total of 18 seasons in the NFL, and he had a reputation for being tough as nails. He led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl back in 1977, and that gave both the team and the franchise a new level of credibility.
“He represented the franchise in the community because Denver was starting to obtain an identity,” said former Broncos teammate and running back Dave Preston. “And I think he helped in that transition from, just a cow town into — hey, a leader against the hated Raider Nation and (Pittsburgh’s) Steel Curtain.”
According to Evans, Morton’s arrival in 1977 brought a “spiritual awakening” for a quarterback in the twilight of his career, said former Broncos linebacker Bob Swenson. Evans described Morton’s arm as “steady” in that Super Bowl season, and it also set up the good things to come. .
“The players now do not realize that the brand of the Broncos, the national status, the whole thing has become so big in terms of community impact that — if it weren’t for Craig Morton and those guys in ‘77,” Swenson said, “they wouldn’t be there.”
Tom Jackson was a Pro Bowl linebacker in Denver and a longtime ESPN analyst and broadcaster, so he’s in a different position to know what this meant.
“Taking us to that first Super Bowl,” former Pro Bowl linebacker Tom Jackson added, “I believe, really legitimized the Denver Broncos for the successes they’ve had moving on after that.”
Morton wasn’t the most athletic quarterback, either. He was a statue in the pocket, but he could make all the throws and stand in under a heavy pass rush. It was a different era, and Morton was the type of quarterback who just found a way to get the job done.
“When I first saw Craig, I was like, ‘How — what can he do?’” Upchurch, a former four-time All-Pro receiver and return man, recalled. “I mean, honestly, his legs. He was knock-kneed. He couldn’t run. He wasn’t real strong. It wasn’t like he was in the weight room, and those types of things.”
Continue reading...
