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Denver Broncos all-time team and 29-player lineup

By Graham Tiedtke

CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 11: Quarterback John Elway #7 of the Denver Broncos, his uniform partially covered with mud, scrambles during the AFC Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns at Municipal Stadium on January 11, 1987 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Broncos defeated the Browns 23-20. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 11: Quarterback John Elway #7 of the Denver Broncos, his uniform partially covered with mud, scrambles during the AFC Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns at Municipal Stadium on January 11, 1987 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Broncos defeated the Browns 23-20. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /
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17 Nov 1996: Defensive back Steve Atwater of the Denver Broncos is stripped of the football by wide receiver Terry Glenn #88 of the New England Patriots after catching an interception during the Broncos 34-8 win at Foxboro Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusett
17 Nov 1996: Defensive back Steve Atwater of the Denver Broncos is stripped of the football by wide receiver Terry Glenn #88 of the New England Patriots after catching an interception during the Broncos 34-8 win at Foxboro Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusett /

S: Steve Atwater

Called the “Smiling Assassin” throughout his career, safety Steve Atwater truly lived up to that nickname.

Drafted to bolster the Broncos’ struggling defense against the run, Atwater solidified that gap and so much more. Atwater transcended the position and was one of the more hard-hitting safeties in the history of the NFL.

Atwater was an eight-time Pro Bowler and started 155 games for Denver, the seventh-most in franchise history. Atwater posted an MVP-worthy performance in Super Bowl XXXII, and had it not been for Terrell Davis’ monster performance, Atwater likely would have added a Super Bowl MVP to his list of accomplishments as well.

While Atwater is widely known for his nasty hits, there is one defining moment that put Steve Atwater in the history books of the NFL. In a game against the division rival Kansas City Chiefs, the Broncos’ defense was put to the test against powerful running back Christian Okoye, or the “Nigerian Nightmare.”

As we know, Atwater was up to the test. He met Okoye up the gut and knocked the life out of him, or so it seemed. Mike Shanahan predicted this hit would become the definition of Steve Atwater’s career, and boy was he right.

A two-time Super Bowl Champion, Atwater is a member of the Broncos Ring of Fame, and after 16 long years of eligibility, the best safety in Broncos’ history was finally selected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

— Shelby Manning

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