It's no secret that Coloradans love their Broncos.
In a lot of ways, the NFL is like a religion in the Mile High City. Every football Sunday the city sits together to support the boys in orange and blue.
Of course, some people are bigger fans than others. As Super Bowl 50 approaches, we thought it would be cool to see which Colorado tech companies had the most rabid supporters. We went searching for the sorts of fans that name their first born children after John Elway, or decorate their homes in blue and orange, or get Broncos tattoos. Our search was easier than expected.
Behold: Colorado tech's 21 most hardcore Broncos fans.
Jason Collins, Vice President of Engineering at
What is your favorite Broncos moment? When I was 15 I met Bobby Humphrey, Tyrone Braxton and Steve Atwater at an autograph signing at a motorcycle store near where I grew up in Denver. I was the first one to show up and I was early, so I got to spend about 10 minutes talking to Steve Atwater about the punishing hit he put on Chiefs' running back Christian Okoye during a game in September of 1990. To this day, it is one of my top five memorable plays. Every safety I watch play the game is compared to Steve Atwater, so that was an extremely special 10 minutes for me.
How did you become a Broncos fan? My grandmother ran the Vitamin Cottage in Tamarac Square when I was growing up. At the time, all the Broncos shopped at her store for their supplements and vitamins, so I got to meet a lot of the players as a young kid when I would go to work with her. She and my uncle were lifelong fans, so I would spend nearly every Sunday with them watching the Broncos. I like to think I learned how to bleed orange and blue from them!
What was your first Bronco experience? My first game is memorable for all the wrong reasons. It was in the mid-80's at home in Mile High Stadium vs. the 49ers. My dad was on pain meds at the time for tooth issues he was having, and he failed to realize that mixing beer with pain meds probably wasn't a good idea. By halftime, he was so sick we had to leave the game.
Allyson Maness from
What is your favorite Broncos moment? My favorite Broncos moment would have to be the night the above picture was taken. My good friend got us tickets to the Broncos/Seahawks preseason game in 2014. As the stadium began to clear out towards the end of the game, one of the seating guards spotted my sign and brought us down to the front row and I got on the Jumbotron! It was such an amazing experience!
During the game, my picture was taken by someone at Mile High Sports magazine so I made it into one of their issues!
How did you become a Broncos fan? I became a Broncos fan as soon as I was old enough to yell touchdown! I am a Colorado native, so my parents (especially my dad) raised me to bleed orange and blue at any cost. There have been some ups and downs, especially this season, but I have a strong feeling this is our year to win it all!
What was your first Broncos experience? My first Broncos game was actually at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City in 2010. The Broncos were playing the Chiefs, and my cousin and I road-tripped out there for the game. We represented orange and blue in the land of the Chiefs! Needless to say, we made a lot of friends that day.
Deseree Martinez, Technology Product Specialist at
What is your favorite Broncos moment? Super Bowl XXXII, Neil Smith 250 pounds plus, recovering a fumble and running it 79 yards down the field to score a touchdown. All the guy could do was collapse in the end zone, trying to catch his breath while all of the other Broncos piled on top of him celebrating the touchdown. I love that moment!
How did you become a Broncos fan? I was born into a Denver Broncos family. My Grandpa not only instilled the love for the Broncos in me, but for the whole NFL. I am very honored to share the season tickets that he has had since the 1960s with my mom. He passed away almost 11 years ago, and watching the game just hasn’t been the same without him. But, I know he's cheering on his Broncos from the best seat in the house!
What was your first Broncos experience? I went to my very first game at the old Mile High Stadium with my grandpa when I was about eight years old. I was SO excited. It was very special to go with him. We were playing the Minnesota Vikings and it was FREEZING outside! The Broncos were up by the time the two minute warning came around, so my grandpa decided since we were going to win we should start making the long walk to the Broncos Ride. By the time we got onto the bus, we heard that the Broncos ended up losing at the last second! I remember being in shock and my grandpa being so upset.
For some reason, that game has always been one that I think about whenever football season comes around!
Steve Ward, Project Manager at
What is your favorite Broncos moment? Aside from our two Super Bowl victories, I'd have to say it was when Steve Atwater absolutely crushed Christian Okoye and let the world know that Okoye could be dropped like a sack of potatoes.
How did you become a Broncos fan? I was born and raised here in Denver, and let's face it... Broncos fandom is something you're born with. It's in your blood!
What was your first Broncos experience? Denver's stadium will always be Mile High to me, but watching the Broncos play during Terrell Davis' rookie year was really when I found my appreciation for the team and what they meant to me personally. I still get goosebumps every time I hear "IN-COM-PLETE!!!"!
Vidya Vasuduvan from
What is your favorite Broncos moment? Seeing Peyton Manning back in action and wearing #18 proud. Also, WE'RE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!
How did you become a Broncos fan? Initially I never "got" football and would just sit in silence as play-by-plays of previous games were discussed in depth by my coworkers. All of that changed when I won tickets to the Dec 28th Broncos vs Bengals game. I won the tickets through AppThis' Ugly Christmas Sweater contest, and it never felt so great to be so ugly.
What was your first Broncos experience? I sat with my coworkers in the nosebleed seats in frigid temperatures, and it didn't bother us one bit. The game was enthralling, the crowd was crazy, and after a nail-biting four quarters and an overtime, we won!
Rebecca Wollard, Learning & Development at
Tell us about your favorite Broncos experience: We went to the first Patriots vs. Broncos game of the season, a game we were not predicted to win, given the unbeatable streak that the Patriots were on. But we did. We won in overtime, the crowd was amazing, I lost my voice, wore an orange mustache, and got to go onto the field. It was incredible.
Luis Pacheco, Front Line Engineer at
How did you become a Broncos fan? I became a Broncos fan way back when John Elway was our quarterback and my dad took me to the Seattle Seahawks vs. the Broncos at Mile High Stadium. Ever since then I've been a fan of the Denver Broncos.
What was your first Broncos experience? I was about seven years old when I went to that first game with my dad, and all I remember was that it was really intense. It didn't matter that the weather was 20 degrees, or that there were as many Seahawks fans as there were Broncos fans. All that mattered that day was that I became a diehard Broncos fan and that they won the game. GO BRONCOS!
Roxy, The Mascot
Are you a good boy? Yes you are a good boy. What's your favorite Broncos moment? My favorite Broncos moment is whenever they make Tom Brady cry.
Good boy.
Jake Gibbons, Senior Front End Developer at
What is your favorite Broncos moment? After a loss on a freezing December night at Mile High, Dennis Smith pulled a four-foot-tall me out of a throng of fans to sign a Christmas gift for his biggest fan, my mother. That dedication to Broncos fans stayed with me as my family watched John Elway — whom I named my son, Elway Gibbons after — again demonstrating his legendary perseverance by helicoptering his way to his elusive first Super Bowl victory. The Broncos have always embodied hope in my family.
Kelsey Cullen from
What is your favorite Broncos moment? Hopefully, it will be winning Super Bowl 50! But, right now it's probably attending the Super Bowl parade in 1998, or watching PFM throw TD #509.
How did you become a Broncos fan? I was born and raised a Broncos fan.
What was your first Broncos experience? I was barely 3 months old when I went to the game with my dad. He didn't miss a home game for 16 years, and I am currently on a 4 year streak! He's my favorite Broncos watching partner. The orange sweater I am wearing, my dad wore to all Broncos home games in the 80s!
Adam "Krame-Train" Kramish from
How did you become a Broncos fan? Being Colorado born and raised, I basically came out of the womb wearing a John Elway jersey. During Superbowl XXXII, one of the greatest moments of my life was watching the Great One dive for the most epic first down in Broncos history, forever known as 'The Helicopter'.
Mike Liller, Account Executive at
What is your favorite Broncos moment? This one is kind of a no-brainer, John Elway's helicopter in SuperBowl XXXII, happiness only topped by my wedding day and birth of my son.
How did you become a Broncos fan? How I became a Broncos fan? Easy, I was born this way and thankful everyday I didn't grow up with some 2nd rate football team like the Kansas City Chiefs.
What was your first Broncos experience? The Hit Heard Around the World — When Steve Atwater put the Nigerian Nightmare out of his misery.
Nate Kuhl, Lab Manager at
What is your favorite Broncos moment? There are so many, but the one that jumps out: John Elway's helicopter dive in Super Bowl XXXII.
How did you become a Broncos fan? I'm not sure, but I probably didn't have a choice. They've been my hometown team my whole life, so no other team has ever been a consideration. I've been through a ton of ups and downs through the years with them!
What was your first Broncos experience? The one that sticks out is a game when I was a kid. A couple of friends and I were selling candy bars for school in front of the old Mile High Stadium on game day. When our chaperone wasn't watching, we traded all of our candy bars for tickets to the game. We got to go to the game and had a blast, but our parents ended up having to pay for all the candy bars.
Allie Barker from
What is your favorite Broncos moment? My favorite Broncos moment, aside from the beautiful win last weekend against the Patriots, was when we won in the first play of overtime against the Steelers with Tebow at the helm in January of 2012. My sister thought she had time to go to the bathroom after regulation, and ended up missing the TD in the first play. She'll never live that moment down.
How did you become a Broncos fan? My Grandfather, Larry Varnell, was instrumental in raising money to build Mile High Stadium and keep the Broncos in Denver in 1966. He was later inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, and continued to be very involved with the Broncos organization. My father inherited his love of football and the Broncos, and I grew up bleeding orange and blue. Side-by-side with my dad, we never miss a game, or a chance to talk Broncos.
What was your first Broncos experience? I was actually born at halftime of the Denver Broncos vs. Dallas Cowboys game on August 26, 1989 (which we won in OT). Although I don't quite remember the game, I think it marks my first Broncos experience! My dad had tickets to the game in his pocket, but I suppose he had other places to be.
Andy Zurcher from
How did you become a Broncos fan? My parents bought season tickets in 1969, so I became a fan in elementary school watching Floyd Little, Randy Gradishar, and my favorite Rick Upchurch. Today, I still go to games with mom and dad, but now I bring my own kids and it's fun to watch them catch Broncos fever.
What was your favorite Broncos moment? Working alongside a Steelers fan at Dobot, I have to say my favorite moment of 2015 was a recent playoff game which had some high stakes. The loser had to wear the opposing team's jersey on Monday. My son put on his "good luck helmet" in the 4th quarter to ensure the Broncos victory, and that helmet became part of the bet the next day. Awesome.
Genevieve Hudak, Engineering Lead at
What is your favorite Broncos moment? My favorite Broncos moment is kind of a reoccurring one, where we make some amazing comeback in the 4th quarter to win the game. It happens all the time, and I always know that will be our strongest quarter of the game.
How did you become a Broncos fan? I was basically born a Broncos fan. I’m a Denver native, and I remember watching the games with my mom while she taught me to crochet when I was a little girl. She would always be yelling at the TV during the games so it really got me into it.
What was your first Broncos experience? My first Broncos game experience (that I remember) was at the original Mile High Stadium. My dad won some tickets to a playoff game at his work’s Christmas party, and gave them to me. I think we played Kansas City.
Shane Rourke from
What is your favorite Broncos moment? When John Elway signed my homemade banner at a home game. He drove past me, but then his wife made him back up and sign it. I was 12 years old and made a six-foot long banner that said "Bring the Magic Back to Mile High Stadium."
I had no idea I would get him to sign it that day, but my brother talked me into waiting after the game until we were the last ones there. We were able to see all the players pull off in their cars. One by one, and hour by hour, we waited until Elway and his family finally drove out.
I saw two things when he pulled towards us: 1. Elway looked at the banner, and looked at me, and decided to keep driving. 2. I could see through the back window of his SUV and saw his wife hitting him and making him backup.
How did you become a Broncos fan? I grew up in a pretty dysfunctional household. Looking back, the Broncos were one of the most consistent things in my life as a youngster. They brought me joy, distraction, and something to look forward to. And, of course, all those Elway fourth quarter drives.
What was your first Broncos experience? I was in elementary school and my dad got us two tickets to the Raider game. It happened to be one of the coldest games in Bronco history and after getting bundled up my mom decided to enforce mom law and not let us go. That was my first game experience that I will never forget or forgive my mom for.
Daniel Stowe, Director of Technology at
What is your favorite Broncos memory? Winning week 14 of the 1998 season. The Broncos, 12-0, pulled out a victory in a nail-biter against their division opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-31, to remain undefeated.
How did you become a Broncos fan? In a way, I was raised into it. Between my uncle, a diehard fan who hosted most of the Sunday games, and my parents hosting many playoff parties, it was hard not to get hooked.
What was your first Broncos experience? The first one I was old enough to be really immersed in was the 1989 AFC Championship game against the Cleveland Browns. I was 8 years old and became a Broncos fan for life.
Tyler Knight, CoFounder at
What is your favorite Broncos moment? My favorite Broncos moment was this year when we played the Patriots at home on November 29th. Regardless of the sub-zero temperatures and blizzard-like conditions, I snagged some tickets and attended the game. It was amazing to see an overtime victory by the Broncos over the Patriots in the Mile High City during a snow storm.
How did you become a Broncos fan? I became a Broncos fan two years ago when I first moved to Denver from the East Coast. Virginia isn't home to any football teams, so it was easy becoming a Broncos fan!
What was your first Broncos experience? My very first Broncos game was the very first game of the 2014 season at home vs. the Colts. My girlfriend, who is a Colts fan, and I enjoyed our very first football game together. However, she didn't enjoy it as much as I did, because the Broncos ended up winning!
John McGaughy, QA Engineer at
What is your favorite Broncos moment? I scored awesome lower level seats for the AFC championship. North end zone, where we saw the first Daniels' touchdown, Von’s massive third down sack on the three yard line, and Brady’s incomplete pass on the two point conversion to win the game! Celebration and confetti ensued.
How did you become a Broncos fan? Growing up in Atlanta, the Falcons were always terrible, so every kid in middle school had another team they liked. I loved John Elway and had a corduroy Broncos hat that I always wore. The full time transition was complete when I moved to Denver in 2001.
What was your first Broncos experience? My first Broncos game was opening night of what was then called Invesco Field at Mile High. We beat the Giants on an energetic and fun night. Easy Ed McCaffrey broke his leg and never played football again. That special night was September 10, 2001. The sad events of the next morning made that game a chill-inducing memory for life.
Scott Klein from
What is your favorite Broncos moment? My favorite Broncos moment was during the AFC championship this year when we played the Patriots. I was downtown at Rhein Haus, a new bar on 14th and Market, and somebody that worked there auto-programmed all of the TVs to switch to the Panthers/Cardinals game a few minutes before it was scheduled to start. It was a nail biter when the Pats completed two fourth down passes to Gronkowski, one for a first down and the other for a touchdown.
Right as the two-point conversion play was about to start, every single TV in the bar switched over to the Pats/Cards game (which hadn't started). The place went nuts, and it was such a cool moment to be among other fans in such a tight game. We didn't see the defensive stop for the 2-point play, nor the ensuing onside kick. Somebody called a friend and had them narrate over the phone, and the bar folks got just as excited as somebody shouted what was happened.
How did you become a Broncos fan? I've been an NFL orphan for most of my life, and I loved the culture that the Broncos team have built. An aging quarterback still trying to get it done, a nasty defense, and an iconic stadium overlooking what makes Denver such a special town — the Rocky Mountains. For Christmas this year I got a Von Miller jersey and some happy feet broncos slippers, sealing in the fandom for years to come.
