LAKE TAHOE, Nev. -- National Football League
Hall-of-Famer John Elway has been named recipient of the "Brodie
Award," recognizing an individual's accomplishments in both a chosen
profession and in the sport of golf.
The award is named for former National Football League Most Valuable
Player (1970) John Brodie, the one-time San Francisco 49ers
quarterback and Senior PGA Tour player. It is given each year by
organizers of the American Century Championship celebrity golf
tournament in Lake Tahoe. Previous winners include Brodie, Mario
Lemieux, and Rick Rhoden.
Since retiring after the 1998, Super Bowl-winning season, Elway has
managed to spend more time on his golf game while pursuing myriad post
playing career interest. He has made a name for himself in the
American Century Championship by registering eight top-ten finishes.
Maintaining his amateur status through the years, he has also claimed
11 Club Championships as a member of Castle Pines Golf Club (4) in
Castle Rock, CO; the Vintage Club (5) in Palm Springs, CA; the Black
Rock Golf Club (2) in Coeur d'Alene, ID. In addition, he was
victorious at the 2007 ATD Skills Challenge with partner Natalie
Gulbis. As host of the Sun Microsystems John Elway Golf Classic for
five years, he was instrumental in raising $3.5 million for charity
and has contributed to fundraising efforts at scores of Celebrity
Players Tour competitions. Over $75,000 has been donated in his name
the American Century Championship charities as a result of his amateur
status prize money donations.
The two-time Super Bowl Champion reached great heights in his 16-year
playing career with the Denver Broncos. After being drafted in both
the NFL and MLB drafts in 1983, Elway chose football, a decision that
would bring him to the heights of his profession. He is one of only
three quarterbacks to pass for over 50,000-yards in a career and he
made six Super Bowl appearances. In his final season he became the
third quarterback with 300 career touchdowns and had his 36th career
300-yard passing game. That same year, he was voted as the Super Bowl
MVP.
Elway was also honored by being named to six Pro Bowls and taking home
the league MVP for the 1987 season and AFC MVP for the 1993 season.
Over the course of his career, his leadership and determination
created a name for the Denver Broncos franchise. He has since
re-entered professional football through the Arena Football League as
the co-owner and Chief Executive Officer of the Colorado Crush.
Brodie, the former Stanford All-American, switched his focus from
football to golf after retirement and qualified for the Senior PGA
Tour in the mid-1980s. He found success among the best competitive
players over the age of 50 and captured the title at the 1991 Senior
Pacific Championship, defeating Chi Chi Rodriguez and George Archer in
a playoff.
The Brodie award is selected by a panel of tournament officials and is
awarded at the event, scheduled this year for July 11-13. The
tournament is nationally televised by NBC Sports and ESPN2.
The event is sponsored by American Century Investments, a premier
investment manager serving financial intermediaries, institutions and
nearly 2 million individual investors.
For further information, contact:
Steve Griffith
Phil Weidinger
Vizion Group
Weidinger Public Relations
484/433-7757 (East Coast)
775/588-2412 (West Coast)
