Club Shay Shay - John Elway Part 1

Summary

Club Shay Shay: John Elway – Part 1

Podcast: Club Shay Shay
Host: Shannon Sharpe
Guest: John Elway
Release Date: December 31, 2025
Summary by Section, with Key Quotes and Timestamps

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Overview

This episode of Club Shay Shay features an in-depth, often humorous and nostalgic conversation between Shannon Sharpe and NFL Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway. The duo, who formed a legendary partnership on the Denver Broncos, recount their most significant moments, team camaraderie, struggles with Super Bowl losses, and ultimately, their triumphs. Elway reflects candidly on the pressures, changes in the NFL, his decision to retire, and the personal chemistry that built the Broncos dynasty of the late ‘90s.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction and Career Achievements

• Sharpe’s tribute: Shannon meticulously introduces Elway with a passionate rundown of his stats and legacy.
  • “He’s the first person to win a Super Bowl as a player and a GM. A first ballot Hall of Famer... Denver’s favorite son, the king of the comeback, the Duke of Denver.” [04:48]

2. Team Camaraderie and Locker Room Stories

• Sharpe and Elway trade stories about the infamous “Club Shay Shay” back in their Broncos days—gathering in dorm rooms, gambling, playing video games, and forging close bonds apart from the football field.
  • Elway: “As a quarterback, I always wanted to be a part of the team… I didn’t want to be above the team, I wanted to be a part of the team.” [07:22]
• Changes in NFL culture:
  • Elway wishes that team closeness was more possible today, but acknowledges, “The money’s so much bigger now… social media, players are doing so much more off the field… It just doesn’t create the team that we had.” [08:26]

3. Building a Winning Locker Room

• Mike Shanahan’s leadership:
  • They discuss Coach Mike Shanahan’s culture, with “Casino Nights,” hat days, fishing tournaments, and bowling—designed to foster off-field camaraderie.
  • Sharpe’s fishing prank: “I bought fish from King Soopers, put it on the line, and threw it out.” [09:39]

4. Sharpe’s Arrival and Evolution with the Broncos

• Elway’s first impressions:
  • “You were the first big target… you were always very engaging… your curiosity and the questions you asked… I knew you could be special.” [19:20]
• Learning on the fly: Sharpe recalls Elway guiding him in real time as he learned the “H-back” role after a switch from wide receiver.
  • “I just want you to go 100 miles an hour… as I run by you, tell me what I have to run.” [21:29]

5. The Chemistry Between Elway and Sharpe

• On favorite receiver:
  • Elway: “Number one is the open one. And number two, it’s Shannon Sharpe… because of the matchups we got with you.” [23:11]
• Big plays and trust:
  • Recounting the 1997 AFC Championship “324 All Hitch” play, where Sharpe had to ad lib:
    • Elway: “Shannon starts going, well it ain’t in the game plan… I said, ‘It is now. Go down seven yards and turn.’” [25:58]
    • Sharpe: “How do I know one play that’s not in the game plan? ‘It is now, now go get open.’” [25:58]

6. Memorable Playoff Moments

• Retelling famous “clutch” moments together, including the tense AFC Championship and their chemistry on broken plays:
  • Elway: “If it was man coverage, I had a great matchup with you... your catch radius was so big.” [23:22]
• Sharpe shares a story about showing up Elway on a play when not part of the progression:
  • Elway: “We get to the sideline, I said, ‘Don’t you ever do that to me again... you weren’t even in the progression!’” [31:29]

7. The Pain of Super Bowl Losses

• Personal and collective disappointment:
  • Sharpe: “Which was the toughest loss or were they all the same?” [37:55]
  • Elway: “They got progressively worse and we played progressively worse… by the Niners, we were just outmanned.” [38:04]
• Media pressure:
  • “You couldn’t get away from it… all the media wanted to talk about was ‘will your career be complete if you don’t win a Super Bowl?’” [41:12]
  • “I lied my whole life saying, ‘Yeah, I’d be proud,’ which is not true. I knew… that we had to win a Super Bowl at some point in time.” [41:25]

8. Working Through Adversity

• Sharpe and Elway reflect on channeling loss into fuel:
  • Elway credits heartbreaks for keeping him motivated and evolving.
  • Sharpe: “The harder you work for something, and when it doesn’t come to fruition, the more it hurts… anyone that tells you it doesn’t… it doesn’t mean enough to them.” [45:13]
  • Elway: “My dad always said, ‘Don’t ever let winning be a relief and losing be a tragedy…’” [45:30]

9. The Triumph of Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII

• Beating the Packers:
  • Elway: “That is the greatest win I ever had by far. The fact that it erased so many of those other things… it was hard to believe.” [51:13]
• Strategic changes: Splitting Sharpe wide to deal with the Packers’ defense.
  • Elway: “Mike and Gary did such a great job with that game plan… we split you out the whole game to get Leroy Butler out of the box…” [47:52]
• Special bond and celebration:
  • “Standing next to each other, running onto the field, man…” [51:09]

10. Retirement Decision & Post-Football Reflection

• Deciding to retire:
  • “I wanted to take my time… I needed to get away from the game to make a sound decision on what was right…” [64:23]
  • Elway talks openly about body wear and wanting to “ride off into the sunset.” [65:02]
• Physical toll and aging:
  • Sharpe: “As we get older… we just can’t do it with the regularity we once could when we were younger.” [66:59]
  • Elway: “The consistency level is, you can’t do it.” [67:29]

11. Evolution of the NFL and Modern Quarterback Play

• Rule changes and longevity:
  • “You can’t hit the quarterback low… that would have helped a lot.” [70:41]
  • “They’ve taken it to another level… it changes games. People don’t realize, a 15-yarder… changes a game.” [72:52]
• On current QBs and personal humility:
  • Elway says he’d have played longer if he played in today’s era: “With the rules now, yeah, I think so…” [69:43]
  • “Back in the day… there was nothing off limits, they could hit you any way.” [69:15]
• Thumbs up for today’s West Coast offense:
  • “That offense was quarterback friendly… everything is built off the running game.” [69:54]

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Memorable Quotes

• “As a quarterback, I always wanted to be a part of the team… I didn’t want to be above the team, I wanted to be a part of the team.” – John Elway [07:22]
• “We just had that… we thought alike. I had so much confidence in you. I knew if I put it close, it wasn’t going to get picked.” – John Elway on Sharpe [31:08]
• “Don’t ever let winning be a relief and losing be a tragedy.” – John Elway quoting his father [45:30]
• “That is the greatest win I ever had by far. The fact that it erased so many of those other things…” – John Elway on Super Bowl XXXII [51:13]
• “I lied my whole life saying, ‘Yeah, I’d be proud,’ which is not true. I knew we had to win a Super Bowl at some point in time.” – John Elway [41:25]
• “My confidence is what made me who I am, but we’re the last ones to know when we’re not as good as we were.” – John Elway discussing retirement [65:58]

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Detailed Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Quote / Topic | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:48 | Shannon’s introduction of John Elway and rundown of achievements | | 07:22 | Elway’s team-first attitude and being “one of the guys” | | 08:26 | Discussion of how the NFL and locker room culture has changed with money and social media | | 09:39 | Team bonding stories: Casino Night, fishing tournament prank | | 13:55 | Elway’s first impressions of Shannon Sharpe and the importance of big receivers | | 19:20 | Elway on why he thought Sharpe was special | | 21:29 | Elway helping Sharpe learn on the fly as an H-back | | 23:11 | “Number one is the open one. Number two, it’s Shannon Sharpe.” (Elway’s favorite target) | | 25:58 | The AFC Championship: “It is now. Go get open!” | | 31:29 | Sideline confrontation when Sharpe showed Elway up after a play | | 38:04 | Elway reflects on progressively harsher Super Bowl losses | | 41:12 | Dealing with media narratives about not being able to “win the big one” | | 45:30 | “Don’t ever let winning be a relief and losing be a tragedy.” | | 47:52 | Strategic game plan to beat Packers in Super Bowl XXXII | | 51:13 | Elway on the feeling of finally winning the Super Bowl | | 64:23 | Elway details the mindset and process behind his decision to retire | | 69:43 | Elway: “With the rules now, yeah, I think so.” (Would he have played longer today?) | | 70:41 | Rule changes Elway wishes he’d had: can’t hit QBs low | | 72:51 | The impact of modern penalties on the flow and outcome of games |

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Conclusion

This first part of John Elway’s Club Shay Shay interview is a candid, insightful, and entertaining deep-dive not just into Elway’s legendary career, but into how great teams are built, how adversity fuels future greatness, and how the game—and life—evolves. Club Shay Shay’s atmosphere between Sharpe and Elway, full of jokes, nostalgia, and mutual respect, gives rare access to the brotherhood of football and the mindset of champions.

Stay tuned for Part 2, available on the Club Shay Shay feed.

Transcript

[HBCU Game Announcer]

What a matchup we got, y'.

[John Elway]

All.

[HBCU Game Announcer]

This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echo drum beat everybody showing that school pride. Game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there. Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere and an ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo no matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.

[John Elway]

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[Commercial Narrator]

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[John Elway]

Yes. Yes, that. An afternoon stroll?

[Commercial Narrator]

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[John Elway]

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[Commercial Narrator]

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[John Elway]

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[Commercial Narrator]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

This is where mindset comes in.

[Trainer Games Announcer]

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[Commercial Voice]

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[John Elway]

Got to set this up. Okay, so this is the AFC championship game. Less than two minutes to go. We're third and six and we need this first out because I believe if.

[Shannon Sharpe]

We don't, we don't get the first out, we're going to lose this game. We're going to lose. We're going to lose.

[John Elway]

Chance starts going well it ain't the game plan it ain't the game plan and I said it is now. So go down seven yards and turn.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Around of 150 plays. How do I know one play that's not, that's not in the game plan? It is now. Now go get over it.

[John Elway]

All my life been grinding all my life Sacrifice hustle paid the price want a slice got to roll a dice that's why all my life I be grinding all my life Look. All my life been grinding all my life Sacrifice hustle paid the price want a slice got the roll a I used to swap all my life I've been grinding all my life.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hello. Welcome to another episode of Club Shay Shay. I am your host Shannon Sharpe. I'm also the proprietor of Club Shay Shay. Stopping by a very special guest stopping by for conversation on the drink today. One of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. One of the most feared and gifted quarterbacks ever to play in the NFL. He's the only player in NFL history to pass for more than 3,000 yards, rush for more than 200 yards in the same season seven consecutive times. He's one of the winning quarterbacks in NFL history toward 148 victories when he retired. He's ranked number one in NFL history and fourth quarter comebacks, game winning drives or game saving drives with 47 when he retired. He's an NFL MVP in 1987. Offensive Player of the Year in 1993. A member of the NFL All Decade Teams of the 1990s. He's also a member of the various prestigious hundredth anniversary team which means he's one of the hundred greatest players to ever play in the NFL. He's the first quarterback to start five Super Bowls. He won back to back Super Bowls as a player helping the Broncos win their first ever Super Super Bowl. He's the Super Bowl MVP of Super Bowl 33. He also won the Super bowl as a GM and executive of the Denver Broncos. He's the first person to win a Super bowl as a player and a gm. A first ballot hall of Famer, he's in the College Football hall of Fame, Colorado Sports hall of Fame, Denver Bronco Ring of Fame. His number seven is one of three retired by the Denver Broncos. A nine time Pro Bowler, a five time all afc, three time all pro greatest and most accomplished player in Broncos history. A Broncos legend, football royalty, Denver's favorite son, the king of the comeback, the Duke of Denver. He's the third greatest trivia player in Broncos history behind myself and Duke. Barney Chavis, my teammate, my quarterback. Here he is, the living legend, John Elwood. Tell you what to do today.

[John Elway]

Can you follow me around with all that introduction? Wow, that's a good, that's a nice introduction.

[Shannon Sharpe]

When you hear all those things and obviously you've been retired over two decades and you hear that because, and I tell people when you play and you don't really have a chance to reflect on it, it's not until it's over with that you realize, damn. And people remind you of just how great you were.

[John Elway]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean it's, yeah, you do kind of forget it. I mean the farther you get away from it, right. Then you move on with life. And, and especially when I was the GM and then once, you know, a couple years ago and left the Broncos as the gm, then it was like you kind of move on to a different life. And so it's kind of, it's fun to come back and visit it. Right. And so yeah, it's, you know, that's why this Netflix film is, is great too. And it was fun doing that too, because to go back and revisit the memories. Jog your memory. Yes. It has been that long. Right. So to go back and jog and remember all the great things, all the fun we had. And so it's, it's. But it's, it's fun to look back and enjoy a little bit.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You forget. It's really fun to have you on Club Shay Shay. Do you remember when Club Shay Shay started?

[John Elway]

It did. I can't. It was in a locker room. But I can't remember.

[Shannon Sharpe]

1996, we was in the, in training camp. Keith Burns, Rod Smith room because that's where we gamble. We played video games, we played cards, we did all those things. And I remember nobody wanted to be on the eighth floor. Cause that's where all the noise were. And we weren't going to bed before probably 2 o' clock in the morning. But I always thought it was very, very, I don't know why? And this is what I want to ask. Why was it so important for you? Because you gamble with us when we were in the locker room shooting poppy shot with the basketball, you put your per diem down, you gamble with us. Why was that so important for you to do that?

[John Elway]

Well, number one, I like doing it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You like trying to take out money.

[John Elway]

Exactly. I think I thought you guys were easy targets. I was gonna show up because I love to play card, you know, and you compete and do those type things. But, you know, and also, I think, you know, it was like, as a quarterback, I always wanted to be a part of the team, a member of the team. Right? Because every man, you know, so many times, you get put on the pedestal.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Correct.

[John Elway]

It was always important for me to try to get myself off that pedestal and spend time with teammates and, you know, play games and, you know, play cards and, you know, have fun and get to know everybody. Right? So that's why it was always important to me, because it was like, I always wanted to be a part of the team. I didn't want to be above the team. I wanted to be a part of the team, right? So that's why it was always.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And it was always because we're at the back of the plane, we're rolling dice in the aisle until Mike put a kabobach to that. We're playing cards. We're doing all these things. I remember in training camp when we would go out and we'd get a knife off one of those once, the two times that we're in training camp and we go to the smiling moose, and you're like, hey, guys, what y' all doing tonight? Like, hey, I guess we just go to the moose, and you would show up. You know, we made sure you were protected. A. Nah, he ain't taking no pictures. He signed no autographs. He's just having a good time with the teammates. But for you to do that, do you think that happens enough in today's game?

[John Elway]

You know, I think that, you know, it's. I get asked the question all the time, wouldn't you love to play now in today's game? Yeah, you know, and my comment is no, because I had such a great time when we played, and, you know, things were great. I think the game. Obviously, the game's changed.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Correct.

[John Elway]

The rules have changed, athletes have changed, Social media has changed. So much in the game, changed so much of it, right? And I think that, you know, you look at 98 and 30, Super Bowl, 32 and 33, the 90, you know, even really from since when Mike came back. 95. When Mike came back and we had such good football teams that it was just so much fun to be together. And the right. And Mike put the right kind of guys on the football team. So everybody got along, and it really was a big family. It was as we talked about. So, you know, that's why it's like, I love playing when I played, I think, today, you know, and it's hard. I don't think it's the player's fault. But, you know, the money's so much bigger now. You know, you have social media, and players are doing so much more now off the field than they kind of used to, and they have the. They have the opportunity to do that. So God bless them.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[John Elway]

But I think it just. That doesn't create the team that we had and the closeness that we had on our team. Right. And plus, I think Mike also help with that a lot. A lot of times they let us, you know, we told.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, we had. We had. We had Casino Night.

[John Elway]

Casino Night. But then we'd have hat day on Friday. You guys go, hey, you go visit Mike. We want a hat day. So I'd go out and visit Mike and get a hat day on Friday. And he goes, yeah, but, yeah, you better practice your ass off.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Exactly.

[John Elway]

And so he came back down. I said, I got it, boys, but we better practice our ass off.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So I would share a story that I've never shared before, but you know this. When Mike got back, we had this thing in training camp where we had. We'd go bowling. Offense against defense, and we had a fishing tournament. First fish, biggest fish, most fish. Yeah, I went to King Supras. I bought fish in the frozen fish, put it on and threw it out.

[John Elway]

There, Let it thaw out a little bit.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I forgot that part. I forgot that I didn't think that far in advance. I didn't think that far in advance, but I reeled a fish in, and the guy's like, hold on. Either you fishing in the Pacific Ocean and this is a pond, the big.

[John Elway]

Old king salmon or something, right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hey, man, I was just trying. I was just trying to win.

[John Elway]

But even that, on top of that, fishing, just getting. I mean, I think we played golf that one day. We played nine holes, right? We'd go play nine holes, have the fishing deal. But those are the type of things Mike that did. Mike did that allowed us to, you know, to really.

[Shannon Sharpe]

To really bond as a team. And I think the thing is, John, we really sincerely love being around each other. I mean, it wasn't a race to get up out of, you know, we got there on time. But guys, we stayed around. We were shooting poppy shots, we were rolling dice. I mean, it'd be six. Ask Steve Atwood used to say, man, y' all gonna get me divorced. Cause, you know, he's married and he's rolling dice with the single guys. But it was just fun. We really enjoyed being around each other and I think that really helped the team bonding and helped us become as close as we became.

[John Elway]

Oh, no doubt. I mean that, you know, and then we got in tough times and, you know, tough situations and games and those type things. I think all that stuff really helped us out. And plus we were really good. So it was fun being really good.

[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Big Long]

Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

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[John Elway]

You know what it was, you know, and the thing is, Shannon, you were outside to start with as a whiteout, right? Which was. Which was, for me a great thing because you were a big target, right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[John Elway]

I'd had the three Amigos for so long, you know, but, you know, Rod came along. He was a bigger target. But were you. Did you come in the same year as Rod?

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, I came in in 90.

[John Elway]

Yeah, 90. Rod came in and 94. Okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Because remember, he's on practice squad and he didn't get to start until Mike came in. 95.

[John Elway]

Okay. That's right. So now you have a tough time with the dates. A long time ago. But, you know, you were the first big target, right? Because I, you know, I had the three Amigos. Now, they were, you know, they were great players and, you know, but totally different. So I was looking for a big target. So I love seeing Shannon outside and watching him run around because he could run and catch and had great hands. And so it was just a matter. I just remember you were little. What's the word I'm looking for? Didn't have the experience. A little slope, a little raw. Yeah, there it is.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[John Elway]

A little wrong. So, you know, and I don't know how much you threw it at Savannah State.

[HBCU Game Announcer]

What a matchup we got, y'.

[Commercial Narrator]

All.

[HBCU Game Announcer]

This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echo drum beat, everybody. Showing that school pride. Game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola.

[Commercial Voice]

Ah.

[HBCU Game Announcer]

Crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there.

[John Elway]

Mmm.

[HBCU Game Announcer]

Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere. And in ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo no matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So grab a Coca Cola and keep.

[HBCU Game Announcer]

That HBCU pride goin.

[Big Long]

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[John Elway]

Gift that's perfectly theirs. Whether you're shopping for a shiny surprise for your significant other, matching bracelets to celebrate your friendship, or a heartfelt gift for a family member. Say more. This holiday season with Pandora, I Always.

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Look forward to the holidays because I live to give all the women in my life jewelry with a little something special engraved on it, just to show them I care with something personalized, you know, I love to get some gifts myself. And a man wearing jewelry is quite cool, if you ask me. Shop [e-mail] or visit your closest Pandora store.

[Shannon Sharpe]

We threw it a bunch, but it was very simple. 665. That would hold it. 665-11- Ready, break. So, but. And the thing is, I just remember we had this drill, and you. I. I don't even remember who the third quarterback was, but knew it was you and Cool and the DB was in front of us, and, you know, we take off and you would throw it, and we tried to jump over to DB and catch the football. And I remember I drew the assignment. I was like, I would have to draw the tallest Dennis Smith, who's 64 kahuna. I was like, why I gotta try to jump up over him? Why couldn't I get Kip Carrington? Why can't I jump up over Kip? But you threw the ball and I jumped over him, and I literally, like, had my knees on his shoulder, and I caught the ball and you came and you looked at me. You're like, do you realize what you just did? I was like, damn, I messed up. Well, I was supposed to catch it like this. He's like, nah, do you realize how high you up in the air? I was like, I jumped as high as I needed to catch the ball. He's like, you just keep doing that. You keep doing. You just keep doing that. What was it about what you saw in me because you took a liking to me. I'm not so sure you had ever taken a liking to another player like that before or since. What was it about me that you saw in me that you was like, you know what? This kid could be special?

[John Elway]

Well, I mean, I think, you know, you having this show and everything, that you're always very engaging, right? You're fun to be around, and you like to joke and have a good time. Plus, I think that you were a guy that wanted to learn. You wanted to be a great player. You wanted to make it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And.

[John Elway]

And I think that, you know, just your curiosity and, you know, the. The questions that you asked to try to make yourself a better player. I think there's. What, you know, plus, I. You know, when I saw that and plus your size and your speed and everything, I knew you could be special in this league. So I was on your Side. Because I was going, yeah, well, it was.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Look, at the end of the day, Coach Reeves made it. Coach Reeves was smart enough to draft me, but somehow he was. Forgot to cut me. But I think you had a large part to that, because like you said, and Coach Reeves, you know, there's a lot of people pulling for you. They put me on special teams. I ain't never played no special teams before. They was like, can you play special teams? I was like, yep. Never played special teams before in my life. But they put me on kickoff. Kickoff return, punt return. I was a gunner, the biggest gun in the history. In the history of the game. But it was just the fact that I'm thinking to myself, I was like, man, this dude really. He really wants me to succeed. And, you know, I was always so much more talented than everybody else. So it was easy. You know, high school, college was really easy. But coming here, and everybody was an All American. Everybody was this and that at bigger schools. I was like, man, I can't let him down. And I just remember you telling me, look, I don't care who's on you. If you're one on one, I'm throwing you the football. You better catch it. I'm like, well, damn, that's a. And I was like, he has more confidence in me than I got it myself. But do you remember when. I remember Dan, they Greek came and got me and said Dan wanted to talk to me. I was like, damn, I'm gonna get cut. I mean, this is already. Damn. I thought I had made it. I had made the team. And Dan told me they were gonna move me to tight end. I was like, sure I'd be willing. But at that time, John, I had done dropped so much weight. I mean, I think I was about 210, trying to play tight end. So we get in practice. I never told this story in practice either. So they put me in motion. I stopped. Hold up what I got again, John, he said, don't worry about it. Just, we're gonna put you in motion. I just want you to go 100 miles an hour. This is. We're a mile high. 5,280ft. If you ever been to Colorado, you understand the altitude. So imagine me going in motion. So they put me in motion for the entirety of the game, and people didn't believe this when I said this in my speech, because I had never said it before, is that they put me in motion the entire game. And as you're calling out the signals as I run by you, tell me what I'd have to run. But why. Why did you just say Dan? He doesn't learn. He doesn't know the plays right now until he's able to get up to full speed. I don't know if we can play it.

[John Elway]

Well, I knew you'd get to play, you know, and plus.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[John Elway]

And that's how much I thought of you as a player. Right. Especially with you moving to tight end, you know, and really, it was more of an H back.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

More of an H back, which, you know, as a receiver. But the thing is, you can add the. You know, to me, it was even a better spot for you. Obviously, it turned out being a better spot for you, but I. I wanted you to stay around, and I knew how bad you wanted it. So therefore, you know, and I knew the play, you know, I knew everything. I knew eventually you would get it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[John Elway]

You were, you know, still very raw.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

And that it was just going to take time. So a lot of times I did it just to make sure you knew. I knew you knew sometimes, you know, and if I. If it wasn't too loud, we could do it at home a lot more than we could do it. But I could tell if you didn't know what you're doing, that's what I.

[Shannon Sharpe]

For sure told you.

[John Elway]

But, you know, eventually I, you know.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You let me go.

[John Elway]

Yeah. You knew everything that was going on, and it was just a matter. And I think that was. As I said, I keep using the word raw, you know, because of what you would. You hadn't learned. You just scratched the surface. Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And that.

[John Elway]

And experience takes time.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It does.

[John Elway]

Right. And so, you know, that's all you needed. And once you get that experience, you just absolutely took off. And, you know, and I say this all the time. They always ask me, they say, who's your favorite receiver? I say, well, number one is the open one.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

And number two, it's Shannon Sharp.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

And the reason why is we had such great matchups. You always got great matchups.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

You would swat off little db.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

And then the backers couldn't. The back.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I run away from them.

[John Elway]

They couldn't run with you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

Right. And so that's why you were such a great player and in the hall of Fame, because of the matchups that we got with you. And that's why, for me, when it was nut cutting time and we had a big play, we needed a third down, and I'm bringing up the Pittsburgh game that I always knew that I. If it was man coverage, I had a great matchup with you, and I just had. Your catch radius was so big. Right. So if I got pressure, whatnot, if I got it in the area, chances are you're gonna come down with it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Back to that play. Normally we practice the plays during the week that we're gonna run in the game, and so we put this play in. If I'm not mistaken. I think it's.

[John Elway]

We gotta set this up. Okay, so this is the AFC championship game in 19. In 1997.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep.

[John Elway]

97 and 98 season. Because we're good or.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, the 96 season.

[John Elway]

96 even. 97. Super Bowl. Right? Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You just go to Super Bowl 32.

[John Elway]

Yeah, Super Bowl 32. So we're. We're in Three Rivers. This is a year after we got upset by Jackson. Jackson first round when we had the. We were 13, three at Longfield and we got upset. So now we got to go to Pittsburgh. We just got. We got out of Kansas City the week before, we pounded on Miami or Jacksonville when they came back in that year. So we're in Pittsburgh and now it's.

[Shannon Sharpe]

We.

[John Elway]

We went up like 21 to 3.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, we did. We well, big. We feeling good about ourselves.

[John Elway]

Yeah. And so all of a sudden it's coming back and now we're. We're. There's less, maybe, right. Less than two minutes ago, we're third and six. And we need this first time because I believe if we don't, we don't.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Get the first time, we're gonna lose this game. We're gonna lose. We're gonna lose. They had. They had all the momentum.

[John Elway]

All the momentum. And I think it was 21 to 20. 20 or. I can't remember the score, but we. This was the play. We either make this play or we don't. Time out. Go to the sideline. Gary and Micro over there and say, okay, Gary. Gary's there and say, wood, we're going to go 324 all hitch. I said, okay, that's fine. Da, da, da. It was a TV timeout. So I get back to huddle and I just say, tell everybody what we're doing. We're going 324 all hitch. And I told everybody, get past. Get down past the first. And it was, you know, we were split.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Empty.

[John Elway]

Yeah. Yeah. So it was just go down past Mark and I'm going to take the best look, right. And try to get the first down. As soon as I say it's 324 all hitch. And all of a sudden. And now, we've run 324 all hitch the whole year. I mean, it's like we ran it in training camp. It's in our base installation. Every year that started back in May, Shannon starts going, well, it ain't in the game plan. It ain't the game plan. And I said, it is now. So go down seven yards and turn.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He said, go get open. Because I had memorized the plays. Because, like you said, I didn't really know. Like, when I came in, I was so raw. And so I made it my to know every play that was in the game plan. And I'm like, that's not in the game plan. That's not. Of 150 plays, how do I know one play that's not. That's not in the game plan? It is now. Now go get Oprah. If we get the hardest coverage, they go cover five, which is. And two under. But the backer is up, is playing underneath. And I don't realize it until I turn around.

[John Elway]

It's Greg Lloyd.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Jason Gilder. Jason Gilden. Jason Gilder. All he had to do. If he does this, the ball hits the back of his hand, hits the. But he tried to swipe, and by the time he did this, the ball was already there. And I spins away and I get the. And I was like, lord have mercy.

[John Elway]

Well, you got it back here.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, because I just remember in 91, John, we had a situation against the Raiders where. And I dropped the ball in the south end zone, and I line up tight. They motioned me out and they walked the backer out, and I'm like, one on one.

[John Elway]

I got him, Got him.

[Shannon Sharpe]

If I catch this ball, we gonna have home field throughout the playoffs. I drop it, we end up having to go to Buffalo. We end up losing the buffalo in the AFC championship. 10, 7. And I just remember thinking that I was going home and I was crying. I called my brother, said, man, I just messed up. He said, what happened? I said, I dropped a touchdown, and I know it would have given us home field throughout the playoffs. He said, don't worry about it. You'll get another opportunity. And it took six years, basically, for that opportunity to present itself. I said, if I ever get back in this situation, I ain't letting this happen again. And, man, that was. I don't think we sat down, the plane was taking off. We were still standing up. That's the best part about charter fights, because they don't really tell you what to do. We kind of, like, do our own thing. That was of all the Super Bowls and all the. That's probably my greatest moment. There was nothing like that. I mean, obviously the beating the packers in the super bowl, but. Right. What was your favorite play, though? Me and you, what's your favorite play? Was it that you and I. Yeah.

[John Elway]

That'S the one I talk about all the time. But we, you know, we had so many, you know, and it's. The thing is, and this is, this thing's, you know, that's why I did this Netflix film, to get this thing going, so I could remember different things. But, you know, that's the one that always sticks out to me. And plus, plus, it was so funny when you, you're going, well, that ain't the game. It is now.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He realized, he's like, I remember him asking me, like, why did your voice do that when you get excited? He said, are you doing, are you doing that on purpose? I was like, nah, it's just like when I get excited, it goes up like three octaves. Cause but I remember in the Netflix, you like the David Brandon play in Seattle in the Old Kingdome. People don't realize if you never played it how loud that place is.

[John Elway]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That place got loud. It was only like what, 55, 60,000. But there, like right there on top.

[John Elway]

Of you and it was all cement.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

So the noise bounced off everything. And so that was by far the noisiest place of anywhere that we played.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And we. This was, this had to be 90. This was 93. When you take the shotgun snap and he comes in unblocked. Now I don't know of all the things, why you didn't spin out, because a lot of times you like to spin out, but this, for whatever reason, you just duck up under and flat footed throw the ball about 60 yards.

[John Elway]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And we had all seams on and I got players black and for the touchdown. Did you like, you like, oh, he out there somewhere?

[John Elway]

Well, no, I mean, that was one of my, you know, and I, you're right. You know, the thing is there's so many things when you're playing. You know, that's why I don't think I'd have been a good coach because there's a lot of things that I can't explain why I did things right. Or why I reacted. You just react. Right. And so, you know, in that situation, it was probably because there was nowhere to go anywhere else. And he was coming so hard.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

Right. So, you know, was able to duck and then, you know, get the ball to, you but that was, you know, that's one of my favorite plays that I've had, too, as far as, you know, in my career that, you know, was able to put it on the money to you and at least avoid that sack, too.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I remember in meetings, we used to sit next to each other, and as cool as they're going through the game plan, I would write on you. I was like, okay, this week seems like, like, 252 touchdowns. You give me the thumbs up. Then sometimes, just to mess with you, I'm like, yeah, this seems like maybe 175. Y' all never touched down. You, like, cross that out? No, I'm thinking like 303 days. But when. When. What was it about our chemistry and our makeup? Because we did a lot of things in practice, and I was like. I was like, this seems a little long. I mean, I don't know if I'm gonna have time. And I wanna. And you was like, okay, run it like this in practice. Because I know you're gonna speed it up in the game. Because we had that. We had that interaction, what they would call. Because at the end of the day, they're like, well, why'd you do it like that? I said, because the guy that has the ball, he was gonna throw me the ball. He told me to run it like that. You didn't have no ball. So I'm listening to him.

[John Elway]

Yeah, but, you know, you're right, Shannon. There was just a. You know, we just had that. Right. We thought alike. We talked a lot about it, as you said. And I think. And the thing is, I had so much confidence in you. Right. And so that, to me, is what. And I. I just knew that we're getting a good. And I knew that if I put it close, it wasn't going to get picked.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

Right. Because I was not always on target. That it wasn't. But. But just the confidence that I had in you that, you know, it was. I got another story I'll bring up. And I can't remember what I think it was. It might have been our last. My last year, 99. And I remember we're playing here, and I get pressure or something like that, and I have to throw the ball to the front side, and you're on the back side, and they didn't even cover you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

And you're over there, he's waving and he's throwing his arms down, and I'm looking at him like. We get to the sideline, I said, don't you ever do that? To me again. I said I couldn't see. I was getting pressure and said, don't make me look. You know, don't, don't. Like I'm supposed to be looking at you because the reed's on the other side. You weren't even in the progression.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I was not. So you want to play quarterback? You think you can play quarterback? No, I can't play.

[John Elway]

So I was still mad at him. So the next week of practice, I would throw in the ball. I love a show.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I'm a show. Yeah, I forgot. You know what? I forgot all about that. That was. That. That was absolutely right. I'm like, hold on. I remember asking bp. I was like, what the hell am I doing? I run all these routes. I'm supposed to be one in the progression. He going two to three. I said, there's some bull jive, man.

[John Elway]

Oh. So we get to Friday, and he is now mad. He's going to Brian Perriana, the tight end coach. And then Brian grabs me. He goes, wood, would you please throw the sh. The ball to Shannon? I said, will you make sure that he's not going to show me up in the middle in front of 76,000 people again? He goes, okay, no, he won't. I promise you. What? I said, okay. He's learned his lesson.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Trash talk. Did you. Did you ever do any trash talk or do I do a deal enough for everybody?

[John Elway]

You took care. You were great at it, right? So you handled most of that. No, I didn't really. You know, I'd get some more small chip its guys, defensive linemen and da, da, da, da. But, you know, especially if, you know, later in the game you get mad or something like that, then you know, small. But I. I never like to. You know how many times, guys, I'm coming to get you today. I said, well, you know where I'll be, right. I'll be right here, right? You got to get to these five first.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right?

[John Elway]

I'll be right here. But no, that wasn't. You know, there's enough going on, you know, with next play and figuring out down and distance and all the different things you have to do as a quarterback that I didn't waste a lot of time with it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I love the fact, I think we played Indy. We played indy here in 93, and you threw a pass and Steve Entman was the number one pick in the draft, and he knocked it. He batted the ball down, and he's going crazy. You're like, bro, you're the number one pick in the draft. You're supposed to knock it down. We come back the very next play and throw a touchdown. He's like, I guess you didn't knock that one down. I'm like, oh, my quarterback, you talk a little trash, huh? Oh, yeah, the Super Bowls. You went to five, started five.

[HBCU Game Announcer]

What a matchup we got, y'.

[Shannon Sharpe]

All.

[HBCU Game Announcer]

This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echo drum beat, everybody showing that school pride. Game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there.

[Commercial Voice]

Mmm.

[HBCU Game Announcer]

Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere. And in ice cold Coca Cola, that's a winning combo. No matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.

[Big Long]

What's up, y'?

[Shannon Sharpe]

All?

[Big Long]

It's big long from It's Up There podcast. In this powerful episode, we're breaking down the danger of silence and how way too many of us are taught to protect the vibe instead of protecting ourselves. We spend more time researching cars, microphones, sneakers than we will researching on how to protect our bodies and our partners. If you have an honest conversation, one uncomfortable minute can save you a lifetime of regrets. The CDC says nearly one in five people carry an STI and most don't even know it. Real intimate isn't built in the dark, is built in the disclosure. Condoms, testing transparency. Those aren't passion killers. They're peace builders. It's too much risk in our silence. Speak up. You can listen to this special episode of It's Up There podcast with Lone, brought to you by Healthy Sexual from Gilead sciences on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Commercial Voice]

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[Trainer Games Announcer]

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[Commercial Narrator]

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[John Elway]

Whether you're shopping for a shiny surprise for your significant other, matching bracelets to celebrate your friendship, or a heartfelt gift for a family member. Say more this holiday season with Pandora.

[Commercial Narrator]

I always look forward to the holidays because I live to give all the women in my life jewelry with a little something special engraved on it just to show them I care with something personalized. You know, I love to get some gifts myself. And a man wearing jewelry is quite cool, if you ask me. Shop [e-mail] or visit your closest Pandora store.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Which one was the toughest loss or were they all the same?

[John Elway]

You know, the la. You know, the last one against the Niners. Right, because that was the third one.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

And so they, they got progressively worse and we played progressively worse in it, you know, and against the Giants in the first one in 86, you know, we played a great first half. We just didn't. We, you know, and then we, you know, Rich Carlos made the longest field goal in super bowl history and then we missed one. We had first and goal on the one right before half and came away with no points. I ended up going away going into halftime. Ten, nine. And so that one, you know, we played really good the first half and then the Giants just kind of steamrolled us that second, you know, the second half. And so that was disappointing. But it was all right. It was the first one. They were good. They beat us. Then the next year we go and we're actually favorites against the Redskins.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You get out to the great start. Y' all think you start 10 nothing.

[John Elway]

We're up 10 nothing. First play of the game. We throw a bomb to rickety. So we go up 7, right then. And then there's a we. They had kicked off. They or we kicked off or whatnot. We got a fumble, didn't get it. And then it was like 19 plays later, we're down 35, 10, right. So. And then we had a bad. We were probably 588 and then 89. We're playing the 49ers and you know.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They were like, they were machine.

[John Elway]

They were a machine. And the funny thing is we were in practice in Tulane and back then we just had the two quarterbacks, Gary and I, and so we'd always, we'd split on when we're taking the offense. I'd go for Gary go to. And then when scout team Gary go for it, I'd go too. Right. So we're down in practicing that Tulane down in New Orleans. And you know, we're. We're kind of tearing them up in as a scout team. And we're throwing these posts.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, right.

[John Elway]

Because our reads, we're reading it like we're supposed to, right? And our reads, there's no free safety. And so, you know, John Taylor and Jerry Rice are running posts either side. And so we're hitting these posts.

[Commercial Narrator]

Wow.

[John Elway]

It's like Charlie, our defensive coordinate, Charlie Waters, gets in the hole, he goes, stop throwing the post. They don't throw the post. Right. And I'm like, well, that's the west coast offense. I, I grew up with that in college. That's all we threw. And one of the first reads was there was always a built in post.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Absolutely.

[John Elway]

There's always a built in post. And so. And there's. There's no free safety.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right?

[John Elway]

That's your first read season. I was like, oh, yeah, we stopped throwing the. We stopped throwing the post and Jerry ends up scoring touchdown on the post. But, you know, we were just outmanned there and they were a much better football team than we were. So that was the toughest one.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

Just because now all of a sudden it's like, here comes. Well, can't win the big one, you know. And so that was. That one lingered for a long time, actually. You know, it took us eight years to get back, right. Until we finally get back.

[Shannon Sharpe]

How did that mess with you mentally? Because in 87 you won the MVP and you were the highest graded player at that point in time to ever come out or come out of College, Mel Criper's grade. You was like, you're the goal. You were supposed to win, like, have four of these things by now.

[John Elway]

Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

And now all of a sudden, you're suffering the most lopsided super bowl losses, and they're progressively getting worse and worse. And I remember you told a story like, damn, I don't even want to go back if we ain't got no better chance to win than what we got. So how was that dealing with you? You. How was that mentally on you?

[John Elway]

You know, it was. It was. The thing is, you couldn't get away from it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes. Right.

[John Elway]

You couldn't get away from it because that's all media wanted to talk about. Right. Is the fact is, you know, will your. Will your career be complete if you don't win a suit?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Correct.

[John Elway]

Right. And so I lied my whole life saying, well, right. Yeah, yeah, I'd be proud. Which is.

[Commercial Voice]

Yeah.

[John Elway]

Which is not true. I knew that, you know, for me to be considered a great player, great quarterback, that we had to win a Super bowl at some point in time. And so, you know, that the hardest thing was you couldn't. Like I said, you couldn't. We couldn't escape it because it got brought up every year, right? And each year when make the playoffs, lose the first round or second round, you know, that come back. And it'd come back, and it come back. And so. But on top of that, it also added more incentive, right? And. And so it kept me working hard. And, you know, you were a great influence. I mean, I. I thought I worked hard in the weight room till I saw you worked hard in the weight room. And, you know, and I got pretty strong. I always remember, too, as which I was the great Unveiling.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They don't know about those, Bailey. They don't know about that.

[John Elway]

About the great unveiling.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[John Elway]

So we made. We know we'd work out four times a week, and Shannon was in there. We'd get in there both at the same time, and obviously he was working with a different group than I was, but he would always wear these big baggy shirts, long, long sleeves. And so he'd just sit there and he'd work his tail off and, you know, just get like. Like the Hulk. And so the end of. At the end of the off season program, every year, it'd be. We called it the great Unveiling. And that's when Shannon would take his shirt off and go and start flexing and show everything that he'd worked for the last four Weeks. So that went on for my last six years. It was always, when's. When's the great unveiled.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I wouldn't even shower with nobody, so they never saw I'll be. It's always. I was always long sleeve, always covered. And he was asking me, I even practiced like that. You know, I always practice with long sleeve. And he's like, why do you do that? I said, you know, some Bailey you. It's top secret. You can't see. You can't see until you see. And then, you know, it's like, damn. He's like, what do you eat? Your dad, what do you eat? Do you eat anything? Because, you know, I brought my own food and everything. I was always diligent about what I ate. I didn't have any sauces, anything like that because I felt, you know, the, with the work I put in the off season, I wasn't going to ruin it once I got back in season. So I stayed conscious of that. But that was, that was.

[John Elway]

But the. Yeah, the great end building. But getting back to the fact that, you know, it was just a matter added a little more fuel to the fire, you know. And then, you know, Dan got fired and then Wade came in. There was kind of some excitement there. We went eight and eight. The two years.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, we went to the. We went to the playoffs that first year.

[John Elway]

Yeah, we played the Raiders back to back one year we went to la. Home and then back to la.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes. If we'd have won that game, they'd have had to come here.

[John Elway]

Correct.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They. They beat us. And I remember that game. We. We were cooking them. Me and you. We were cooking them. We got up to that great start. And that's the game I needed. I think I needed 121 yards to get a thousand. And I was gonna get a hundred thousand dollars. That was $100,000. Was a lot of money back. It still is. But it was really, really, really a lot of money back then. Cause considering I was only making like 300,000 and I remember I caught six for a buck 15 and two touchdowns. And then I looked at the stat sheet and I had 9.95. And I was like, God dang. Cause on the plane we always sat across from each other. So I'm sitting on this side in the aisle. You sitting on that side in the aisle. You're like, t, what's what? You know, besides we lost the game. What happened? I said, man, if I got a thousand yards, I'd have had a. I'd have got $100,000. I only needed five yards, and you looked at me, you said, don't ever let that happen again. I don't care if you need 25 yards. You tell me, I'll get you the ball, and then we go back out there the following week. You throw me 13 for a buck 56. I said I needed 13 for a buck 56 last week. But what type of toll did that take on at home? Did that take a toll on home? Losing like that, knowing. And I tell. This is what I tell people, T. I say, the harder you work for something and when it doesn't come to fruition, the more it hurts.

[John Elway]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I said, if you work for. I don't care what it is. If you work for something really hard and when it doesn't pan out, it hurts like hell. Anybody that tells you it doesn't, they're not working hard enough or doesn't mean enough to them.

[John Elway]

Exactly. And I think that.

[Commercial Voice]

Yeah.

[John Elway]

I mean, it does. You know, the disappointment. And as, you know, the older you get.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

You know. You know, my dad always said, don't ever let winning be a relief and losing be a tragedy. Oh, right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

And that. And the older you get, that's kind of, you know, that's when you know, you're kind of getting close to the end. Because now all of a sudden, you really don't get the joy. Because football is hard enough.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

That if you don't enjoy the victories.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No.

[John Elway]

As much as you enjoy. Hate the losses, it doesn't balance out. It goes lopsided and makes it that much tougher. But, you know, I think that. And I had a thought right there on what you had just said as far as, oh, working hard. The thing that I learned there, though, was because I know going in those first three Super Bowls that I. I tried harder each time.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right. Right.

[John Elway]

And one thing I learned is the bigger the game, the let you. You gotta. You gotta calm yourself down and relax yourself to where you're saying, okay, I'm gonna go out and play the best game I've ever played. I gotta play great. I gotta do this, I gotta do that. I gotta do this. Which all it does is add more pressure to you. Just like going into Super Bowl 32, it's like, all right, don't think about the outcome.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

Forget about the outcome. Take it one day, one play at a time. Don't think about it. And don't watch tv. Stay out of all the hoopla. Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[John Elway]

And just go play a football game and don't think about it being the super bowl or anything else to where you're not putting that much more pressure on you. Because by the time I got to San Francisco in that third one, I'm sitting there going, I'm gonna have to win this by myself.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right, Right.

[John Elway]

Which is the worst thing you can do. And all I did and I played terrible. Right. So going into that game was the fact that, okay, let's just go concentrate on one play. Don't think about, don't even, don't even think about it. What it would feel like to be world champions.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right, Right.

[John Elway]

Don't even, don't let that enter your mind. Go out and play a football game and everything else will fall in line. And so that was kind of the, you know, jumping ahead a little bit. But that's what my thought process was going into the Green Bay game. And you know, I played better there and we were able to win the football game.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But it got so bad after those losses that you had to have. They had police was behind it because you started getting death threats. I mean you, they had police standing behind you just to make sure ain't nobody get you at the game.

[John Elway]

Well, I mean it's like in the first super bowl we lost. We had like 500,000 people at the parade and the last one we lost, there was like 20,000 of people.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But. But in the Green Bay, the one that we won, did you think we could lose? Cuz I wouldn't. Maybe it was just naivety, but I didn't think we could lose. I didn't think Green Bay could beat us.

[John Elway]

I didn't either. Especially with the game plan that we had.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right? Yes.

[John Elway]

And Mike and Gary did such a great job with that game plan. If you remember, they. We split you out the whole game.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

To get Leroy Butler out of the.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Out of the box.

[John Elway]

Cuz Leroy Butler was playing strong safety and he would mess. You never knew where he was going to be. He'd mess up the running game, he'd mess everything up. And that's why I think Gary might. Mike did such a fantastic job putting them outside. Plus they knew how good they were in the secondary. Right. Two great corners and Robinson and pre safety that they were that good that you know we're going to have to run the football.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

And by spreading everybody out, getting you out, getting Leroy Butler out of the box so he couldn't screw things up. And then TD just, you know, went crazy for us.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And, and I just, I often ask, I said, man, I wonder what. How many yards he would have had had he not missed the entire second quarter.

[John Elway]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Cuz he had 157 in three quarters.

[John Elway]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He might have been, he might have broke Timmy Smith record.

[John Elway]

No, no question, no question. He. Because he was. And that's the thing is. And I remember too, Green Bay put the extra guy they put down was a D lineman.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

Right. And. And so our guys up front, Nth Zimmerman, Habib and Tony Jones, I mean they just, they absolutely wore them out.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did you get sacked that game? I don't think you got.

[John Elway]

I don't think so. I don't think so. We didn't throw it. We threw it like 23, 24 times. Right. But no, they just wore him out.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I remember Gilbert Brown, big ribbon on one knee. Oh, he's on the sideline. Look at it.

[John Elway]

I know, I remember that game too. I remember late in the game, it's like we're going in to score our last touchdown.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

And Green Bay had called timeout. And I went to the sideline and I said, because we're on a one yard line. So. And they had a couple time timeouts left. I, so I went and I said, I said, Mike, let me, let me nose dive, let me sneak it to the half yard line. Make them use another timeout because they're not going to stop us. Right, right. And then Coops, I don't think we gotta do that. We ought to score the points. But you know, and then that's when the one they just, they talk about.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, we let them score. Y' all hadn't stopped him all day.

[John Elway]

I know they did let us go. They wanted the ball back.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They wanted the ball because they just open like I was like, well, damn, we did a great job on that. And you see Eugene Robinson, he comes down, he basically two hands touches like, okay, they get the ball back. And then I remember Greg Robinson, rest his soul. He's like, mike, how do you want to call it? And Mike was telling him, like, just do what you always done. Greg was a pressure guy. Greg loved to bring pressure. And I remember the last call and he's on the sideline. Bomb. Blow it up.

[John Elway]

Fourth and ten. Blow it up.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh yeah.

[John Elway]

And that's when. Cause we lost Steve Atwater, Steve Knott.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, Steve knocked out like he knocked out their guys. And one of our guys at that.

[John Elway]

Point in time, they knocked out Randy.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Randy Hilliard and Robert Brooks and himself.

[John Elway]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Crockett pulled his hamstrings, so he's out. So we're down three DBs in the secondary, right? And so I was like, oh, Lord. And then when I saw Greg on the sideline telling him, blow it up, I said, oh, man.

[John Elway]

Yeah, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And they. And I was like, man, it seemed like it's slow motion. It was just. I mean, like, I'm looking, okay, he's back. He throws the ball. I'm tracking the ball. And I was like, moly pink. But he been dropping them all year, so I'm not surprised. I don't know why I thought he was gonna catch it. And then I realized it's like. And we just erupted. We're standing next to each other. It's like we running onto the field, man.

[John Elway]

Oh, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That is the greatest feeling.

[John Elway]

That was.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That is the greatest feeling.

[John Elway]

It was the greatest win I ever had by far. The fact that it erased so many of those other things, but it was just. Yeah, I can still remember the feeling. And it's just in the second, it was hard to believe.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

It took us. It probably took me three days or a week to really figure out that we were world champions, but it was.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And then we get back to that parade and we see a million fans out there. It's like, yeah, it was unbelievable.

[John Elway]

Special time.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But, you know, the year before, like you said, we're 13 and three. I mean, we're cruising. We're crushing everybody. I mean, the game, the last game, you. You didn't play, I didn't play. Td didn't play. We played the Chargers. We had everything sewn up. And Mike like, hey, we just gonna take this time. Don't even worry about it. Blah, blah, blah. And then we get jagged. They had just been a team. They just came into the league in 95, like, oh, yeah, we got these bums.

[John Elway]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And we got out to a. I remember we got out to a 12 nothing lead. We go for two, you split out, split out, wide left. We throw the slant, and I don't open up far enough. And I was like, Damn. So it's 12 nothing instead of 14 nothing. And then the next three quarters, it was like a dream. It was like a nightmare.

[John Elway]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I mean, everything. We got a shallow. We got the perfect play. Call on the shallow cross. I mean, the guy gets picked, you throw it. And in the process of me pulling it in, I punch it out with my knee.

[John Elway]

Yeah, it was one of those days, right? I mean, you have those days. And Brunel and the Jags, they played really well. Brunel threw the ball really well and put it on target. So that though I think was what led to the next two years of that incentive. Knowing how bad that one hurt, you know, because I'm looking at it, too, is like, those Super Bowls were bad. That one was just as bad, too.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

Because I'm in my. I was in my 14th year that year. Yeah. And I mean, that. That. That window is really close.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[John Elway]

So, you know, that was as big a, you know, toughest losses, you know, I'd had, counting the Super Bowls. And so what do you think? You know, it set up the next two years for us, incentive wise, you know, and us thinking about how good we were and start concentrating. Like you just said, we got these bombs. Right. That's when it turned it around, and we just started concentrating on how well we were going, concentrate on our standards, what we had to play and how we had to play. And. And, you know, so that's, you know, I still believe that you got to have those tough ones that they say you don't forget that hurt that bad. You don't forget them. And it led us to those next team.

[Shannon Sharpe]

What do you think we did wrong?

[John Elway]

The Jacksonville game?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[John Elway]

You know, I don't. I think you just have those days, and I, you know, it's been a while since I've seen the film on the game.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I ain't never seen it. I don't want to see it.

[John Elway]

Yeah. You know, but. But, you know, I think it's just one of those things, and that's why you got to be ready, especially in the NFL. Anybody can beat anybody on a given day.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I think that's what.

[John Elway]

It doesn't matter if you're home field. You get comfortable being home field. And, you know, so, you know, and we had taken a week off. Right. Like you said.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep.

[John Elway]

You know, and I think, you know, you take that week off, your mind relaxes a little bit when, you know, when you're in the season, it's like bye weeks. When you're in the season, you can't. I could never get away. I never want to go on a vacation or anything, because I knew if you unload at all, it's twice as hard to get it back. And it takes you a couple weeks to get back. And so I think that, you know, we might unload a little bit. There weren't quite as sharp as we needed to be. And, you know, and they played well.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They played. They played really, you know, and I.

[John Elway]

Was kind of like last week with the Broncos, and, I mean, you look.

[Shannon Sharpe]

At the numbers, Jacksonville just played unbelievable.

[John Elway]

They played really Good.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They sacked him five times. Bo Nicks. I mean, the numbers might be a little distorted, but Jacksonville played extremely well offensively. Think every time, you know, we come with a blitz and then they throw the swing out to the back to 18 at the back side and they.

[John Elway]

Run it down the field, you know, we missed a couple tackles, you know, which. Which. Those. You know, it's funny and we've talked about this before. You look at an NFL game, there's five plays that make a difference.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep. Right? Absolutely.

[John Elway]

There's five plays that make a difference because everybody's so close. And you can always look at those. You don't know if that play. One place, first quarter, second quarter, but there's five plays that made a difference. And those five plays last week with the Broncos and Jags, the Jags made those five plays, and that's why they end up winning the football game.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You win that Super bowl in 32. The adulation. I. I don't know if I've. And I had. I had at that point in time. I had been around you long as a player. Long. Well, at Waterhead, but me and Atwater had been around you the longest. And I don't know if I've ever seen you that happy.

[HBCU Game Announcer]

What a matchup we got, y'.

[Shannon Sharpe]

All.

[HBCU Game Announcer]

This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop back. The band is rocking and the crowd lit Chance echo drum beat everybody showing that school pride. Game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there. Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Ashley fans, school colors everywhere and an ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo. No matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.

[Big Long]

What's up, y'?

[Shannon Sharpe]

All?

[Big Long]

This is big loan from it's up there podcast. In this powerful episode, we're breaking down the danger of silence and how way too many of us are taught to protect the vibe instead of protecting ourselves. We spend more time researching cars, microphones, sneakers than we will researching on how to protect our bodies and our partners. If you have an honest conversation, one uncomfortable minute can save you a lifetime of regret. The CDC says nearly one in five people carry an STI and most don't even know it. Real intimate isn't built in the dark, is built in the disclosure. Condoms testing transparency. Those aren't passion killers. They're peace builders. It's too much risk in our silence. Speak up. You can listen to this special episode of It's Up There podcast with Lone, brought to you by Healthy Sexual from Gilead sciences on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.

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[John Elway]

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[Commercial Narrator]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

Like, okay, finally I got that Monkey off our back. And then there was a decision. Okay, you coming back. In the process of coming back, did you know at the. That season 16, that that was going to be your last year?

[John Elway]

I had a pretty good idea, you know, and I think that, you know, at 95, people were more. More people talked about me coming back than me really thinking I wasn't coming back. Right, right. I was planning on coming back. I was still healthy, had a good year that year, and, you know, didn't get banged up. The thing about in 98 was, you know, I fell on the ball in Cincinnati, down on the one yard lane that jumped on top of me and it popped a rib cartilage, you know. And so I came out the next week. I tried to play the next week against the Chargers. Bubby started the game. I was in there getting shot up, trying to figure out if I could. And I'll never forget. So then I come back in the second series, it's third and seven, and we bust. We busted a scheme, blocking scheme. Junior say, oh, because untouched hits me right here and I'm just like, you know. And then I pulled the hamstring against Dallas a couple games, two or three games there. And so it was just. I knew the body was breaking down a little bit. So after the 98 season, I kind of knew. And especially the way it finished. And then it was almost like even I was like, this is too weird that we're playing Dan in a Super Bowl. Right, Right. That how this comes full circle and everything that came about is that, you know, is God telling me something. Yeah, right. Number one. And number two is my greatest fear was I didn't want to play. Never wanted to play a Super bowl in the rain, right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep.

[John Elway]

Never wanted to play in the rain. And so that whole week I'm in my room watching the Weather Channel. I watched the weather Channel the whole week. It was 50, 50 whether it was going to rain.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep.

[John Elway]

And so we, you know, we get out, we win the game and do the selling. The trophy comes and get the trophy and it isn't 10 minutes later.

[Shannon Sharpe]

We get in the locker room and it opens.

[John Elway]

It just opens up. I'm like going, guys, telling me something. God, tell me something. But, you know, it was just, you know, for me to. To have. To have sets of fond memories and, you know. Yeah. And if I hadn't, I don't think if my body had reacted better the year before, where I wasn't hurt all the time.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

Or missed four games that I missed that, you know, I would have probably come back, but I was like, yeah, I don't want to. I. I didn't want to go out. I want to go out on top. I didn't want to go down this way, you know, so it was. It was the right time.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And remember in 97, we're in Mexico City and you tear your bicep.

[John Elway]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And I remember coming over there, I remember looking at it like John. It started like John tore his bicep, tore his biceps, like, damn, you gonna miss some time. And I remember going over there looking, and I was like, you folded your arm up. I was like, that's the first time you ever had definition of your bicep. You looked at me like, hey, I tore my bicep. You cracking joke. And so that's like it. But I guess a couple. I guess like you didn't tear it all the way off the bone because it's like you didn't miss any time.

[John Elway]

Well, I tore the. I tore the outside, okay? Right. The inside. If you tear the inside is the one. And now I tore the outside one. And people never knew, and I'd had a couple years, I'd have some tendonitis, right. You know, so it was hard to get loose and it was sore because of all the throws and.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

And so I tore the outside. And so that's when I rolled up, bundled up.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[John Elway]

And I was like, you know, that was the first week, first preseason game that went down there. So they said they really didn't know. Greek really didn't know. The doctors didn't know because they'd never really seen it with a thrower. Right, right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

With a football player. I guess that's a baseball injury or something, right?

[John Elway]

Yeah, yeah. And so they said, well, we're gonna wait seven, ten days. And so, you know, got treatment on it for the, you know, next 10 days. And when I came back out, I was like. I was like a new.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You was hungry. I was like, man, he done fooled us.

[John Elway]

The tenor knives. He just wanted days off.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He wanted days. That's what that was.

[John Elway]

But it was like the tendonitis was gone. Everything was gone. And so, you know, I just. I just had a bigger bicep than you do.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Do you think if you had come back, if Mike had done a great job and come back, do you think we could have three peated, you think we could have made it back to the playoffs and then rolled a dice that didn't interest you?

[John Elway]

Yeah, that did. I. I wasn't sure we could do that. I had looked at the schedule.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[John Elway]

You know, and so, I mean, I think that, yeah, we probably had a good enough football team that we could have, and the mindset was good enough.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

And so, yeah, I think we could have. But it was, like I said, get back to the. On the personal side and the physical side, whether, you know, I don't. I'd be able to hold up what.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Went into the decision. You make the decision. You're like, God has shown me something. I'm coming full circle. My first NFL coach, I played him in the circle. Super Bowl. I hated playing in the rain and definitely didn't want to play a Super bowl in the rain. And 10 minutes after I get this trophy, we get off that stadium, the heavens open up. And so now you got to make a decision. How long did it take you to come to that decision that, you know what? This is it.

[John Elway]

You know what? I want to really take my time. Right. I wanted to take the time because I didn't want to say, okay, you know, you got to get away from the game. Yeah, you got to get away. Obviously, we're at a high win in the super bowl. And. And so to me, I had to get away from it to be able to make a sound decision on what was right or wrong. I wanted to see how I. Because I felt great at the time winning a Super Bowl. I wanted to see how I felt about the same things. I was thinking three, four months later.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right?

[John Elway]

So I, you know, so I just took the time, you know, and I, you know, I think, Shannon, the other thing is it was getting tougher to play in cold weather.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes. You know, that's what I tell people about.

[John Elway]

It's tougher getting complaining in the cold weather and.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And.

[John Elway]

And then all the other stuff. Right. The media stuff and all that kind of stuff. I'd been doing it for so long, it's like, do you want to come? You know, and I despise it then. So it's like, you know what? You really want to come back, do that, you know, and, you know, you spend more time with the kids. So all those things were factors to where I said. And plus, you know, to be able to write off on the sunset. Think back, you know, your last game was, you know, super bowl and two Super Bowl. That's two years back to back, have great memories and, you know, to where I didn't want to. I didn't want to clunker thrown in there at the end if I couldn't, you know, physically, I couldn't handle anymore. So that's why I think it was. It was the best decision.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right. I remember, you know, John going to retire here and that. But you postponed it because you were supposed to do it and Columbine happened, so you had to postpone it a month.

[John Elway]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And then, you know, we came out there and, you know, I remember like, damn.

[John Elway]

I know. I, you know, and I didn't want to. I didn't want to retire. I didn't. I want this thing to be 27. Yeah. Because it was so much fun. But, yeah, it was just a. You know, and I. There's, you know, and I talk to my dad a lot. He was always a good sounding board. And, you know, because I. Because, you know, as players, Shannon, we're the last ones to know that we're not as good as. Right. We always think that this is what our confidence is, what made us who we are right now with the talent, too. But the confidence of what we had is really what made us what we were and the players that we were. And so that's why I always wanted to bounce it off my dad, to say, okay, am I. Am I seeing the same things? You know, because I asked him after 97, I said the same thing. He goes, john, you haven't lost a step. Da, da, da. You can still play. Boom, boom, boom. You know, and plus the offense was so friendly with Terrell and behind me, the offense and playing for Mike was great. So, you know, that's what made it so tough. But it was, you know, 98. It was more physical than anything, whether I could take the whole year. And I mean, I could now, right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, yeah. But I think, you know what the biggest thing is, John, as we get older and this is. And I never talked to you about this, is that we just can't do it with the regularity. We once could when we were younger. Yeah, I could put together 100 yards. 100 yards. I remember. You know, we played. We play the. The Chargers. Here I go 13 for 153, three touchdowns. Play of the week, come back against Baltimore, nine for 161 and then another 100. I could do that as I got older. 100, then you get a 40, you get 30, you get 25.

[John Elway]

The consistency level is you can't do.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It with the consistency. And you like, damn, I'm still in my mind. I'm still. I still see the same thing. I'm still yoked up. Why ain't getting.

[John Elway]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You just can't do it.

[John Elway]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And you're the. You're the. You're the lake. I remember watching myself.

[John Elway]

You're the first one to know. You would have never got to where that was anyway. Right. Because you didn't have the confidence level to believe that you could still play.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

Because that's what.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You know, that drove us.

[John Elway]

That drove us.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And then I remember watching myself at practice one time. It was cold, and we was. I was like, damn, that guy moving slow. That's me. Oh, no. Yeah.

[Commercial Narrator]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It time. It time to go. It's time to go to the house. I sure hope something else opens up. But you see, Tom played till he's 43. Philip Rivers after five years.

[John Elway]

Yeah. Yeah. That was pretty amazing. I watched him play last night. I didn't see him the first one. I watched it last night.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Pretty good. He played really good. You know, look, he's never been a mobile guy. He's never going to be mobile. So if he wasn't mobile in his 20s, what makes you think he's gonna be mobile?

[John Elway]

He's not going to be mobile. And that's why I think he was able to come back, because he never used mobility as that was never his. You know, it'd been tougher for a guy that used his mobility to come back after five years because you're not gonna be able to move.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

Like he could. But Philip was a pocket guy, as was Tom.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

So I think that's what extended their careers, too, is the fact that they were never the mobile guys. And so they just had to stay in the pocket, get protected, and they still could throw the ball. And. And so, you know, plus, the rules are so different now.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They're different. You can't attack the quarterback.

[John Elway]

No.

[Shannon Sharpe]

All that. You can't drop your weight on the quarterback. They live to drop their weight on the quarterback.

[John Elway]

That used to be the worst. Because everybody asked me, they always say, okay, John, who hit you the hardest? Right. I'm like the ground. When they land on me and I hit the ground, that's what hurt the most.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Exactly.

[John Elway]

And. Right. So they take. You know, they take that one out, which, you know, protecting quarterbacks, trying to keep them upright is, you know, good for the game.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

It's just. It's just changed from when we played there. I mean, back in the day, there.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Was nothing off limits. They could hit you anyway.

[John Elway]

Try to get us out of the game.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Commercial Narrator]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That was the whole thing, to knock.

[John Elway]

The quarterback out, because that wasn't. That gave you an advantage.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Absolutely.

[John Elway]

It gave you a team for your team, an advantage of the. Their starting quarterback was out.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

If we can get them out, we got a better chance to win.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You're the exact John Elway, the same abilities. You. You're immobile as you are. You have the arm strength. You play in the 80s and 90s. Let's just say you. You came in in the 2000s or the 2010s. Could you have played more than 16?

[John Elway]

I think so. I think so.

[Shannon Sharpe]

With the rules the way they are now.

[John Elway]

Rules now. Yeah, I think so. You know, but, you know, again, I. In the right situation now, I'd love to play for Mike again.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right. Yeah.

[John Elway]

I think that offense.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You see Kyle, what Khalid doing with.

[John Elway]

Ernie, and I think he's. Kyle is the best offensive coordinator in league now, too. Right. I mean, what he does. And you know, in that offensive quarterback, fairly, because everything is built off the running game, which makes it so much easier. And then play action, you stand back there with, you know, you got five yards, you can see the whole field and all that. So, you know, it would have depended on, you know, this.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right. Situation.

[John Elway]

Yeah. The situation in the offense. But.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But you look at all these guys now. You look at Kyle, you look at Sean McVeigh, you look at Andy Reid, all those, those west coast products that came out of that west coast prodigy. You look at their quarterbacks.

[John Elway]

Yeah, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They're lighting it up.

[John Elway]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

What rule do you wish that in the 80s and 90s when you were there, that they have now for the quarterback was instituted back then, that you.

[John Elway]

Can'T hit them low, can't hit the quarterback low. Right. Because now. Because when you're a quarterback and you're in the pocket and now all of a sudden you're throwing a fight, you know, I'm throwing you on a D on a post route.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

All my weights on that front foot.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep.

[John Elway]

Right. And so that's. That's the most vulnerable. Your left leg's the most vulnerable. And so when those guys falling off, you know, and they're falling off blocks, a lot of times they're hitting you low.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[John Elway]

You know, you're worried about that. So it makes you, you know, you're more conscious of your legs.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[John Elway]

And it makes you not as accurate as you should be because you're, you know, now you want to get the weight off that leg so it's not stuck in the ground when they hit it. And 300 pounds, and then, you know, crest the. Crest the knee. And so, so to me, if they took that, if the Below the hit rates on quarterbacks. To me, it would have been much.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Better because they didn't change the rule. That's the Brady rule. Because Brady, when. Brady in 2008 when he got here. Because if you remember in 99, the exact same thing happened to Trent Green. Rodney Harrison hit Trent Green and put him out. That's how Kurt Warden got his start. They ended up winning the Super Bowl. But it wasn't until Brady, when I think Bernie Pollard did it, hit him in his knee. And they changed. The next year, they changed it.

[John Elway]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And now you got all these rules. Defenseless receivers, the incidental contact, if you weren't looking at me and I'm on the backside, they're not throwing a flag. Cause they would tell you, well, he's not looking at you. You know why? Cause he holding me. He can see they holding me. That's why he's not looking.

[John Elway]

Right, right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But now they just have these rules. Now I just, I look in amazement, John. I was like, how? These guys just be running Scott ass free.

[John Elway]

I know it. You know, and the thing is, is, it's like, you know, the other thing too is what I, you know, they've done a good job with it. You know, you always. They always go, look, yeah, no, I can't stand that. The quarterback gets hit in the head. He looks with a hand. Yeah, it's a penalty. I'm like, why does he have a helmet on? Right. I mean, I, I'm still a quarterback, but I still, you know, because I remember when I was coming in the league, Jack Lambert said, we need to put skirts on quarterbacks.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[John Elway]

You remember they said that back in the early 80s, Jack Lammers, go put a skirt on. I'm like, I'm one of these guys. I get hit all the time too. Not, not as much as they get hit. Right. So I always wanted quarterbacks to have the, you know, toughness, a little bit of the toughness and those type of things. And you know, they just, they've taken it to another level with way it is now. But, you know, and it changes the game.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It does.

[John Elway]

It changes games. And people don't realize a 15 yarder, if a guy goes up to block a pass, comes down and glances the quarterback's helmet.

[Commercial Narrator]

I.

[John Elway]

And I, I don't remember any quarterbacks getting going to the tent after they've got hit with a hand. Nah. For concussion. For concussion protocol.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, no. It was. No. Well, I don't even know if they use the term concussion. They just say, you got your Bell rung or you got Dean.

[John Elway]

Oh, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And so you know.

[John Elway]

Oh, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I was just watching something on Pat McAnally. Pat McAnally got knocked. He was the pointer and a receiver for the Bengals. He ended up getting knocked out of the game. He laid motionless for 10 minutes. They carted him off and he ends up coming in, catching the game with a touchdown. There is no way they would allow that to happen. I said, I've never seen anything like this happen before in my life.

[John Elway]

I know. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

This concludes the first half of my conversation. Part two is also posted and you can access it to whichever podcast platform you just listened to part one on. Just simply go back to Club Shay Shay profile and I'll see you there.

[HBCU Game Announcer]

What a matchup we got, y'.

[John Elway]

All.

[HBCU Game Announcer]

This is that classic HBCU vibe. Nonstop pop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echo drum beat. Everybody showing that school pride. Game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there. Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Half passionate fans, school colors everywhere and an ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo. No matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.

[Commercial Narrator]

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[Trainer Games Announcer]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

This is where mindset comes in.

[Trainer Games Announcer]

Someone will be eliminated.

[Commercial Narrator]

Pressure is coming down.

[Commercial Voice]

Trainer games on Prime Video January 8th.

[John Elway]

Watch the trailer on Trainers CleanerGames.com did you know Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop. Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere, and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lgusa.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11 PCMag Reader's Choice used with permission. All rights reserved.

[Trainer Games Announcer]

Season 2 of Unrivaled Basketball is here, and the talent is unreal. The best women's players on the planet are running it back with even bigger moments and bigger stakes. Don't miss as Paige Becker, Snafeeza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more take the court and redefine the game. This isn't your regular season. This is unrivaled, where the pace is faster, the energy is higher and every athlete shines. Unrivaled basketball season two, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5th on TNT, TruTV and HBO. Max.