John Elway kids: How many children does the legendary Super Bowl-winning NFL QB have?
John Elway is finally leaving the world of professional football.
Last week, the Denver Gazette's Chris Tomasson confirmed that Elway had ended his front-office tenure with the Denver Broncos when the NFL began its new season on March 1. Now, he is stepping away from the NFL for good, as he told Tomasson's coworker Woody Paige:
“I don’t have that desire to climb another mountain again. I’ve been to the summit a bunch of times in 62 years."
While he did not expound on it in with Paige, Elway possibly has his family in mind. He has four children from his ex-wife Janer (nee Buchan): Jessica, Jack, Jordan, and Juliana.
Only son Jack initially followed in his father's footsteps, playing quarterback at Arizona State. In 2014, he was arrested for domestic violence against his then-girlfriend, but he received only a fine.
Jessica, meanwhile, played collegiate basketball at Stanford. Not much is known about Jordan and Juliana.
Elway is currently married to former Raiders cheerleader Paige Green, whom he met during a Los Angeles golf tournament held by Marcus Allen. They have no children.
Why is John Elway leaving the Denver Broncos?
In the same interview, Elway had a simple reason on why he was walking away from the franchise that he long called home:
“...It was time to step aside and let all the new people take over. I’ve been with the Broncos for 28 years over the past 40 years since I came to Denver, and I can’t think of a better ownership that (the late) Pat (Bowlen) could have as his successor. ...I’ll always be a Bronco and a fan, and I told (CEO) Greg Penner I’m here if they call on me for anything.’’
He also said he now plans to focus on his business ventures, which include his eponymous steakhouses and car dealerships:
“I’ve got the restaurants and car dealerships and other [businesses] to keep me busy enough.”
However, he still has one last public appearance in mind:
“I still would like to be in a cowboy movie, but I’m a bit old. They aren’t making many Westerns any more. Maybe I’ll call Kevin Costner and get a part in Yellowstone TV series.”
A look back at John Elway's career: How successful was he with the Denver Broncos?
John Elway spent his entire NFL career with the Denver Broncos, both as a player and as an executive.
He was the first overall pick of the star-studded 1983 class for the then-Baltimore Colts, but he refused to play for the franchise. He managed to force a trade to the Broncos by threatening to quit for baseball.
Upon landing in denver, Elway established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but despite winning MVP in 1987, he was initially unsuccessful in the Super Bowl, losing XXI (New York Giants), XXII (Washington Redskins), and XXIV (San Francisco 49ers, in the biggest blowout in the game's history). But in the 1997 season, he finally ended his failures by winning XXXII against the Green Bay Packers. He then retired from play after winning XXXIII against the Atlanta Falcons and being adjudged its MVP.
In 2011, Elway returned to the Broncos as general manager and was instrumental in bringing Peyton Manning onboard. Together, they reached two Super Bowls, winning 50 in what would ultimately be Manning's final game. Elway was promoted to president of football operations in 2021, but stepped down in 2022 to become a consultant to his successor George Paton.