30 greatest Denver Broncos players of all time
Who are the best players to ever suit up for the Denver Broncos?
By Randy Gurzi
Established as a franchise back in 1959, the Denver Broncos first took to the field for the AFL in 1960. They moved to the NFL in 1970 and have had a lot of success during their existence. Denver has won the AFC eight times and has been the AFC West Champion 15 times.
Most importantly, they've also held up the Lombardi Trophy three times. They won the title following the 1997 and 1998 campaigns and then did so again in 2015. The goal is to always get back but they're still one of the few teams to win back-to-back Super Bowls, which can never be taken away.
With all that being said, let's take a look at some of the best players to ever suit up for this franchise, each of whom helped make the Broncos the organization we know today.
30. Frank Tripucka, QB
During its first season in the AFL, Denver knew it needed a veteran leader to help get the offense rolling. It was able to lure Frank Tripucka, who had been in the CFL since 1953, out of retirement.
At 33 years of age, he threw for 3,038 yards for the Broncos along with 24 touchdowns. He did have a league-leading 34 picks, but considering the roster around him, he did all he could to keep them relevant.
By 1962, he had them playing respectable football with a record of 6-7. Tripucka made the Pro Bowl that season, and when he decided to hang it up, Denver ended up retiring his No. 18 jersey.
29. Bill Romanowski, LB
Bill Romanowski spent 16 years in the NFL and earned a reputation as one of the dirtiest players of all time. While it was true he lived to push the envelope, he was also an absolute enforcer for whichever team he played for.
He spent the first six years of his career in San Francisco, where he won two Super Bowls. He then signed with the Denver Broncos in 1996 at age 30. Romanowksi brought an edge to their defense as he spent the next six seasons racking up 433 tackles and 23 sacks. He was a key piece in their first two titles following the 1998 and 1999 campaigns.
His final season in Denver was in 2001 when he had 69 tackles and 7.0 sacks at 35 years of age.