We didn’t need a stay-at-home order to break out 9NEWS’ latest version of Broncos trivia.
With no games scheduled in the present, and the future uncertain, a look back at what was has become a necessity to die-hard Broncos fans.
The guess here is: The following 9 question Broncos trivia quiz will challenge even its most dedicated followers. So much so that were grading on a curve:
5+ correct answers: Broncos genius.
4 correct: Broncos know-it-all at the neighbors’ next to-be-determined Saturday night party.
3 correct: A once-serious Broncos fan who is now into Ozark.
2 or less: What kind of dip should I bring whenever there’s a Broncos game party again?
Good luck.
QUESTIONS
1. This was the first Broncos player to have a kickoff return and punt return for a touchdown in the same game:
A. Floyd Little
B. Rick Upchurch
C. Gene Mingo
D. Al Frazier
E. Trindon Holliday
2. This Broncos player collaborated with iconic NFL writer Paul Zimmerman to write about his life story and the 1977 Broncos:
A. Craig Morton
B. Tom Jackson
C. Lyle Alzado
D. Randy Gradishar
E. Haven Moses
3. This Bronco has scored the most defensive touchdowns in team history:
A. Aqib Talib
B. Randy Gradishar
C. Louis Wright
D. Mike Harden
E. Billy Thompson
4. Steve “Greek” Antonopulos has been a Broncos trainer since 1976, and he became the team’s head trainer in 1981. Who had been the Broncos’ head athletic trainer the previous 18 years?
A. Fred Fleming
B. Vince Garcia
C. Dave Cilladi
D. Allen Hurst
E. Fred Posey
5. Each of these players shares the Broncos’ record for 2-point conversions scored with three except for this one:
A. Emmanuel Sanders
B. Terrell Davis
C. Shannon Sharpe
D. Ed McCaffrey
E. Gene Prebola
6. What movie did Colorado’s No. 1 power sports couple - former Broncos receiver Ed McCaffrey and his wife Lisa - see on their first date?
A. When Harry Met Sally
B. Pretty Woman
C. Sleepless in Seattle
D. Jerry Maguire
E. Pretty in Pink
7. This Broncos defensive end suffered partially torn left triceps in a preseason game, then tore his right triceps in a regular season game and still finished that season with 8.5 sacks.
A. Elvis Dumervil
B. Neil Smith
C. Alfred Williams
D. Rulon Jones
E. DeMarcus Ware
8. The coronavirus pandemic threatens to shorten the NFL’s season for the first time since 1987, when a players strike canceled one week of games and used replacement players for three others. Who was the Broncos' leading receiver during their three-game replacement portion with 24 catches for 236 yards?
A. Rick Massie
B. Joe Dudek
C. Steve Watson
D. Nathan Poole
E. Bobby Micho
9. Besides replacement player games, the Broncos’ 1987 season was also remembered for:
A. John Elway winning his only NFL MVP Award.
B. The birth of The Three Amigos – Vance Johnson, Mark Jackson and Ricky Nattiel.
C. The Fumble.
D. The Broncos taking a quick 10-0 lead in Super Bowl XXII only to give up 42 unanswered points to Doug Williams and Washington in a 42-10 loss.
E. All of the above.
ANSWERS
1. D. Al Frazier
In a Dec. 3, 1961, game against the Boston Patriots at Bears Stadium, Frazier returned a punt 54 yards for a score and then went 90 yards for the franchise’s first touchdown off a kickoff return. The Broncos still lost, 28-24.
2. C. Lyle Alzado
The book was titled, “Mile High: The Story of Lyle Alzado and The Amazing Denver Broncos.”
3. E. Billy Thompson
The former cornerback and safety returned a franchise-most four fumble recoveries for touchdowns and had three pick-sixes during his 13-year career from 1969-81.
Aqib Talib is next with six defensive touchdowns, all on pick sixes. Mike Harden, Tyrone Braxton, Chris Harris Jr. and Randy Gradishar are tied for third, with four defensive touchdowns. Harden also had a punt return for a touchdown.
4. D. Allen Hurst
Fred Posey was the Broncos’ first trainer from 1960-62. Hurst was in charge of the trainer’s room from 1963-80. “Greek” Antonopulos was his assistant from 1976-80, then became head athletic trainer in 1981, a position he held until 2017 when he was promoted to director of sports medicine, while Vince Garcia became the day-to-day head of the trainer’s department.
Cilladi was the Colorado Rockies’ first head trainer in 1993, a position he held through the 1998 season.
Fleming has been with the Broncos for more than 40 years as a do-everything director of special services.
5. A. Emmanuel Sanders
Prebola, a Broncos tight end from 1961-63, had three, 2-point conversions, a team record he held alone until another tight end, Shannon Sharpe, scored his third 2-point conversion in Game 2 of the 1997 season.
Davis and McCaffrey later converted three, 2-point conversions.
Sanders had two, 2-pointers.
6. B. Pretty Woman
Ed was a senior receiver at Stanford and Lisa Sime was a senior soccer player at the school when they met at a friend’s birthday party where Ed summoned up the courage to ask her to a movie.
It turned out to be the 1990 blockbuster romantic comedy starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts.
Ed and Lisa married and had four athletic sons who attended Valor Christian High School, and all received NCAA Division I football scholarships. Ed is now head coach of the University of Northern Colorado’s NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision program.
7. C. Alfred Williams
The former Colorado Buffaloes All-American and national champion was a first-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1991. He had two heart surgeries early in his career to address an accelerated heart rate, and later had 13.0 sacks in his first season with the Broncos in 1996.
He suffered torn triceps in each arm during the 1997 season, but the reward for playing through pain was a Super Bowl ring.
Williams later became Denver’s No. 1 radio sports personality with the FAN before moving to KOA last fall.
8. E. Bobby Micho
The fullback/tight end/H-back was the favorite target of replacement quarterback Ken Karcher as he had 9, 6 and 9 receptions in the Broncos’ three replacement games. The Broncos went 2-1 in replacement games, which counted in the team’s overall 10-4-1 record that was good enough for the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed and a first-round bye.
Micho had one more catch for 6 yards later in the season as a regular player but did not play in another regular-season game after 1987.
9. E. All of the above.
Elway was only the 11th-rated NFL quarterback with an 83.4 passer rating in the interrupted 1987 season, but his signature Monday night performance against the vaunted Chicago Bears defense put him over the top.
He drew 36 votes for MVP, while the 49ers’ duo of Jerry Rice (30 votes) and Joe Montana (18) split votes.
The 5-foot-9 Nattiel was the Broncos’ first-round draft pick in 1987, when he joined the 5-11 Vance Johnson and 5-9 Mark Jackson as Elway’s widely-popular receiver trio.
In an AFC Championship Game rematch at Mile High Stadium, a year after "The Drive" in Cleveland, Browns running back Earnest Byner was about to go in for the tying touchdown with just over a minute left in regulation when he had the ball stripped by Broncos cornerback Jeremiah Castille, who also recovered the fumble.
The Broncos then suffered their second consecutive decisive Super Bowl defeat to Washington.
RELATED: Mountains? Broncos games? Kyle's home studio?; Update your Zoom with these Colorado backgrounds
SUGGESTED VIDEOS | Sports
