Longtime Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen passed away Thursday at the age of 75 following a lengthy fight with Alzheimer’s disease.
Super Bowl-winning quarterback Peyton Manning shared that Bowlen’s drive to win him to sign with Denver after his period Indianapolis ended. Manning voiced his gratitude to the late owner in a statement issued Saturday.
“My deepest sympathies go out to the entire Bowlen family,” Manning explained. “I met Mr. Bowlen for the very first time when I played for the Indianapolis Colts and that I was in Hawaii in the Pro Bowl when he was there at his eponymous home. I saw him a few times throughout the years and had brief, brief conversations with him which I actually enjoyed.
“Coming to play here for Denver, even though his health was falling, I did like a few conversations with Mr. Bowlen. I was here a whole lot in the offseason. As soon as I signed with the Broncos, I was basically living at the centre — analyzing film, rehabbing and working out. I was usually one of the last to leave the facility during that time. I say,’I believed I had been the last to depart,’ but Mr. Bowlen was still there. He would normally be in the practice room on the elliptical, and I’d go in there and have discussions with him. He was asking me when we found a place to live yet, and I remember once I informed him we found a place to live, he told me he used to live right near there, and we spoke a little about that. Just brief, brief conversations, and I enjoyed that time with him.
“It was an honour to play for Mr. Bowlen’s organization, as I’ve said several occasions. I always had great respect for the Denver Broncos during my time playing for the Colts competing against his organization. So a lot of the credit goes to Pat Bowlen and also his wish to be the best and to win. That had a lot to do with me signing up with the Denver Broncos — which I understood Mr. Bowlen was about winning and I knew the people that he had hired would carry on that tradition and heritage. It was a great choice to come play — we live here now. I am thankful for Mr. Bowlen and the heritage He’s created with the Broncos, in the NFL and certainly in this Denver community. He’ll be missed by many. It was an honour to know Mr. Bowlen and a real joy to have played his team — the Denver Broncos.”
Bowlen will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame together with the 2019 course this August at Canton, Ohio.
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