It seemed like forever that the Denver Broncos were searching for Quarterback to replace John Elway, and it took Elway himself to find one.  As the Broncos' General Manager and one Hall of Famer signed another and Peyton Manning was signed as a Free Agent from the Indianapolis Colts.

Tom Jackson was a 4^th Round Pick from Louisville and considering he spent 14 seasons at Mile High this was undoubtedly a high-value selection.  Jackson started 177 of the 191 Games he played at Linebacker, and he was the soul of the famed Orange Crush defense that reversed the fortunes of Denver and brought them to their first Super Bowl appearance in the 1977 season.  That year Jackson went to his first of three straight Pro Bowls, and in ‘77 he was also a First Team All-Pro.  He was still with the team when they reached their second Super Bowl, making him one of only four players to be in the first two for the team.

Dennis Smith was a six-time Pro Bowl Selection over a career that spanned fourteen seasons.  Smith’s career was spent all with Denver where he was drafted 15^th overall in 1981 out of USC, and he was a precursor to Steve Atwater as one of the hardest hitting Defensive Backs in football.  Smith helped the team reach three Super Bowls, and in 1983 he led the league in Tackles with 114.  He would also eclipse the 100 mark in tackles four other times.

The Broncos inducted Smith into their Ring of Fame in 2001.

From San Jose State, Louis Wright would become one of the best Defensive Backs in Denver Bronco history.  Wright played his entire career with the Denver Broncos where he played 165 Games and was named to the 1970’s All-Decade Team.