DENVER, CO ? Football leaders and owners from across the country are paying tribute to the longtime, iconic Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, who passed away at 75 after battling Alzheimer's disease. Fans have been stopping by Broncos Stadium at Mile High to drop off flowers and notes for the football legend under his statue.
Bowlen, who is set to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August, is the first owner in NFL history with 300 wins over his first 30 years.
In a statement, Bowlen's family said he passed away late Thursday night "peacefully at home surrounded by family."
"His soul will live on through the Broncos, the city of Denver and all of our fans.
"Our family wishes to express its sincere gratitude for the outpouring of support we have received in recent years. Heaven got a little bit more orange and blue tonight.
"Pat Bowlen had a competitive spirit with a great sense of humor. As fun-loving as he was, he always wanted us to understand the big picture. We will forever remember his kindness and humility.
"More important than being an incredible owner, Pat Bowlen was an incredible human being."
Bowlen was introduced as majority owner of the Broncos on March 23, 1984, and made it clear throughout his ownership that he wanted the organization to be focused on winning and making a difference in the community.
"Nobody is going to care whether the team is worth a billion dollars or whatever," Bowlen once said. "That doesn't matter. It's more about how successful you were as an organization and as a team on the field and in the community."
With his immeasurable impact on the Broncos, the NFL and the community, Bowlen firmly established himself as one of the greatest contributors in professional football history.
Referred to as "Mr. B" by many, Bowlen built a culture of winning within the Broncos that resulted in unprecedented sustained success. The Broncos posted as many Super Bowl appearances (7) as losing seasons under Bowlen, including the club's back-to-back World Championships following the 1997 and 1998 seasons and its victory in Super Bowl 50 after the 2015 season.
The first owner in NFL history with 300 wins over his first 30 years, Bowlen frequently said that the word "rebuilding" was not in his vocabulary. He had an annual training camp tradition of predicting a 19-0 record and Super Bowl victory for the Broncos.
"One thing that's important to me is that we put a team on the field that can contend," Bowlen once said. "I like to think that [the Broncos] are going to win the Super Bowl every year. I get a thrill out of that, and I know how much that means to Colorado and to Denver."
The Broncos averaged more than 10 wins per year during Bowlen's 35 seasons, tying for the second-best overall winning percentage of all NFL teams (.596, 354-240-1) and posting a league-high 199 regular-season home wins. Among the 123 major North American professional sports franchises (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB), only the San Antonio Spurs, New England Patriots and Los Angeles Lakers had a better overall winning percentage than the Broncos under Mr. Bowlen.
No NFL owner during the last 35 seasons had more winning seasons (21) and playoff berths (18) than Bowlen, who helped Denver become the only team with 90+ wins over each of his first three decades of ownership.
Bowlen was unwavering in his support of the thousands of players he proudly called Broncos alumni, creating the team's Ring of Fame in 1984 as one of his first contributions as owner. Famously proclaiming, "This one's for John," after John Elway and the Broncos won their first Super Bowl during the 1997 season, Bowlen had a special relationship with players throughout his ownership.
Elway released the following statement after Bowlen's death:
"Pat gave me so much and he was someone that I always looked up to. He gave this team everything we needed to be the best and compete for championships, and the focus was always on football. That's all you can ask for in an owner?yet he did more. He was a tremendous mentor to me and a tremendous friend. Pat was a great listener, always asking what was going on, and I learned so much from watching him. He was a terrific leader. Whether things were going right or things weren't going right, he would always let you know what we needed to get better. He did a great job of applying pressure at the right times but always trusted his football people to make the right decisions. Other than his family, nothing meant more to Pat than making sure the Denver Broncos were successful. What he did for this team, this city and the entire NFL will never be matched. His shoes will never be filled. I will miss Pat greatly and will always treasure the times we had together. We'll continue to take care of his team as if he were here today. My deepest sympathies are with Annabel and the entire Bowlen family."
In an effort to deflect attention and praise toward players, staff and the fans, Bowlen would often say, "It's not about me" when asked about the success of the Broncos.
"I would much rather operate behind the curtain and let the athletes and coaches be the entertainment," Bowlen once said. "I think that's the way that it should be."
Joe Ellis, Broncos president and CEO, issued the following statement:
"This is a very sad day for our organization, our community and the National Football League. Pat Bowlen was the heart and soul of the Denver Broncos. Not only was Pat a Hall of Fame owner?He was a Hall of Fame person. His competitiveness, kindness and humility are the qualities that I will always remember. Even during his battle with Alzheimer's, you could still see that same strength and dignity in Pat that he brought to the office every single day for more than 30 years.
"Pat was the driving force in establishing the championship culture of the Broncos. He was also an extraordinary leader at the league level during a key period of growth. It wasn't all about what Pat did as an owner, but it was the way he did it. The relationships he enjoyed with his players were real and sincere. Pat truly cared about the players in a very genuine way and always wanted them to get the credit. He preferred to be in the background and put every resource toward winning Super Bowls. With the fans, Pat felt in many ways that his team belonged to them and approached things with that in mind. There will never be another owner like Pat Bowlen. My heart goes out to his wife, Annabel, all of his children and all of our fans."
David Baker, Pro Football Hall of Fame president and CEO, said that Bowlen's leadership "helped shape the NFL into what it is today."
"He also transformed the Denver Broncos into one of the finest franchises in the league and gave a winning identity to an entire region," Baker said in a statement. "He was a man who lived life with passion, conviction and demonstrated the highest level of integrity at all times. We are fortunate to have 'knocked on the door' of the Bowlen Family while he was still with us and we will preserve his life of character and legacy forever in Canton."
Although Bowlen had a reduced role with the Broncos in recent seasons as he focused on his battle with Alzheimer's disease, he continued to have a positive impact on the community. The public announcement of his Alzheimer's diagnosis in July 2014 has helped raise awareness and funds for a disease that currently affects more than 5.8 million Americans.
The Broncos have joined with the Bowlen family in taking an active role in the Alzheimer's community following Mr. Bowlen's diagnosis, including the team adding the Alzheimer's Association Colorado Chapter as a flagship community partner. Led by Pat Bowlen's wife, Annabel, the Bowlen family and the Broncos, "Team Super Bowlen" has raised nearly $500,000 during the last five "Walk to End Alzheimer's" in Denver.
The Broncos this past season hosted their inaugural "Alzheimer's Awareness Day" at UCHealth Training Center during a training camp practice, encouraging all fans to wear purple in support of the Bowlen family and many others affected by Alzheimer's. The event raised more than $40,000 as the largest fundraising day ever for the "Walk to End Alzheimer's" in Colorado.
"Pat was driven by the will to succeed and his competitive spirit made him a great leader," said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement. "We all will greatly miss him and his kindness, passion and wisdom."
"Our league is better because of Pat's extraordinary contributions."
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