Franchise snapshot: Denver Broncos

Football Digest, Dec, 2004 by Chuck O'Donnell

* The Broncos' name was selected from the 500 entries in a name-the-team contest held in January 1960. The named was suggested by Ward M. Vining of Lakewood, Colo.

* The Broncos beat the Patriots in Boston, 13-10, in the American Football League's first game (September 9, 1960).

* Although the Broncos went 10-6 in 2003, they were outscored 106-72 in the fourth quarter of games.

* In July quarterback John Elway, who played more seasons (16) with the Broncos than any player in team history, became the first of the 225 Hall-of-Famers to be introduced by his daughter (Jessica).

* Elway engineered 47 fourth-quarter or overtime, game-saving or game-winning drives in his career.

* The Broncos have not won a playoff game since Elway retired following the 1998 season.

* The Broncos were one of six teams in the league last season to run (543 rushes) more than they passed (479).

* Cornerback Champ Bailey, whose real name is Roland, got his nickname as a kid from his mother, but he still doesn't know why she started calling him Champ.

* In their history, the Broncos have winning regular-season marks in every month except December (62-82-1) and January (0-4).

* The Broncos have finished below .500 in just one of Mike Shanahan's first nine seasons as head coach. They went 6-10 in 1999 after capturing the Super Bowl title the previous season.

* Rod Smith, the sixth player to catch 100 or more passes in back to back seasons (2001-02), was a quarterback for most of his college career at Missouri Southern and didn't play wide receiver until his junior year.

* A 1994 graduate of Missouri Southern, Smith holds three different degrees: economics and finance, general, business, and marketing and management.

* Elam's 51-yard field goal in Super Bowl 32 is the second-longest in Super Bowl history. (Steve Christie of the Buffalo Bills hit a 54-yarder in Super Bowl 28.)

* Defensive lineman Luther Elliss and his wife, Rebecca, have eight children, four of whom they adopted.

* Center Tom Nalen, who has been to as many Pro Bowls (five) as all the other offensive linemen in Bronco history combined, was selected 218th overall in the 1994 draft. The Broncos waived him just before the start of his rookie season, then signed him to the practice squad.

* The Broncos' all-time leader in sacks, Simon Fletcher with 97.5, set an NFL record with sacks in 10 straight games between October 10, 1992, and January 3, 1993.

* Running back Garrison Hearst's nickname, "Doobie," was derived from his favorite childhood cartoon, "Scooby-Doo."