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Elway: A Relentless Life
The unauthorized biography of John Elway, Hall of Fame Quarterback, two-time Super Bowl Champion, now President of Football Operations and General Manager of the Denver Broncos.
John Elway's historic moments are known by two-word phrases. He was at the center of the wildest play in college football history, simply known as "The Play." Before he signed a pro contract, there was "The Trade." His NFL career included "The Drive" and "The Fumble," and, of course, "The Helicopter," one of the most iconic highlights in Super Bowl lore. There are so many memorable comeback victories and heroic plays that people have to make lists rather than consider Elway in the context of any singular event.
Yet Elway's story is filled with one challenge after another. At Stanford, he never played in a Bowl game. He was ripped for being petulant after refusing to sign with the Baltimore Colts when he was drafted No. 1 overall, and later for his failure to get along with coach Dan Reeves. Over the first 10 years of his career, Elway led Denver to three Super Bowls, but lost in progressively worse fashion each time. Finally, after fifteen years of perseverance, Elway led the Broncos to back-to-back championships, including the biggest upset in Super Bowl history. Elway won the MVP award in his final Super Bowl and then walked away from the game.
Within four years, Elway's father and twin sister both died, and he went through a difficult divorce. Reeling in his post-retirement, he returned to football . . . at the bottom, running the Colorado Crush of the Arena Football League. He waited more than a decade to return to his beloved Broncos. While many people doubted him initially, Elway navigated the Broncos through massive changes and to victory in Super Bowl 50, making Elway the rare Hall of Famer to win a title both on and off the field. Elway has put his passion for competition on display in a way that only a handful of other NFL greats have ever done, and Elway is the most complete look at one of the most accomplished legends in the history of American sports.
John Elway's historic moments are known by two-word phrases. He was at the center of the wildest play in college football history, simply known as "The Play." Before he signed a pro contract, there was "The Trade." His NFL career included "The Drive" and "The Fumble," and, of course, "The Helicopter," one of the most iconic highlights in Super Bowl lore. There are so many memorable comeback victories and heroic plays that people have to make lists rather than consider Elway in the context of any singular event.
Yet Elway's story is filled with one challenge after another. At Stanford, he never played in a Bowl game. He was ripped for being petulant after refusing to sign with the Baltimore Colts when he was drafted No. 1 overall, and later for his failure to get along with coach Dan Reeves. Over the first 10 years of his career, Elway led Denver to three Super Bowls, but lost in progressively worse fashion each time. Finally, after fifteen years of perseverance, Elway led the Broncos to back-to-back championships, including the biggest upset in Super Bowl history. Elway won the MVP award in his final Super Bowl and then walked away from the game.
Within four years, Elway's father and twin sister both died, and he went through a difficult divorce. Reeling in his post-retirement, he returned to football . . . at the bottom, running the Colorado Crush of the Arena Football League. He waited more than a decade to return to his beloved Broncos. While many people doubted him initially, Elway navigated the Broncos through massive changes and to victory in Super Bowl 50, making Elway the rare Hall of Famer to win a title both on and off the field. Elway has put his passion for competition on display in a way that only a handful of other NFL greats have ever done, and Elway is the most complete look at one of the most accomplished legends in the history of American sports.
368 pages, Hardcover
Published September 15, 2020
40 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Jason Cole
1 book1 followerJason P. Cole is a selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and long-time sports journalist for publications such as The Miami Herald, the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Yahoo! Sports and Bleacher Report. He has won multiple awards for his work, including the five-year investigation of Reggie Bush for accepting illicit benefits at the University of Southern California. As a result of the investigation, Bush became the only Heisman Trophy winner to relinquish the award. Cole has done multiple investigations and authored seven books, including co-writing the autobiography of Simon Keith, who came back from a heart transplant to play professional soccer. Cole is also the father of two boys who became Eagle Scouts and is a passionate fan of his hometown Dodgers and Lakers. Cole hears voices in his head. They are Vin Scully and Chick Hearn from his childhood.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 12, 2021
Elway was a QB I only knew for the famous "Helicopter Play" in Super Bowl XXXII against the Packers. That tough and miraculous play does a good job of summing up his career as a QB and a football executive. I loved learning the spark and example his father, Jack, and mother, Jan provided to him as a young man. As a lifelong Colts fan, I found some of the most interesting chapters were about how Elway refused to play for the disastrous Baltimore Colts (I can't blame him), and how the Broncos worked out an unlikely trade to obtain him. It was also intriguing to see how events came full circle later in life when he recruited Payton Manning to come play for Denver when Payton's career with the Colts abruptly ended. After seeing the cut-throat world Elway lived in as a player and executive, I do not envy his job and have respect for his love and dedication to the game.
Not everything in the book clicked for me. I appreciated the author including a chapter on "Tebowmania" and Tebow's short-lived role as a Denver hero, but I felt some of his characterizations of him were harsh and unfair. Yes, the hype around Tebow was ridiculous and many of the fans that supported him refused to see flaws in his game, but to go from pointing that out to subtly tying this to his and his supporters evangelical Christian faith I think was a little demeaning. There were other points in the book where other players, coaches, and staff are not painted in a very positive light and their professional or character flaws are exposed. Some of these portraits left a bad taste in my mouth for how unforgiving the game can be as a business, but maybe this just proves the point that I would thankfully never be fit for that job. I would have also loved to hear more details about Elway's life outside of the football world. Football has played a big part in his life but I wish I knew more about the man and what makes him tick. He is still an unfinished life though and there is more of the story to be written.
Not everything in the book clicked for me. I appreciated the author including a chapter on "Tebowmania" and Tebow's short-lived role as a Denver hero, but I felt some of his characterizations of him were harsh and unfair. Yes, the hype around Tebow was ridiculous and many of the fans that supported him refused to see flaws in his game, but to go from pointing that out to subtly tying this to his and his supporters evangelical Christian faith I think was a little demeaning. There were other points in the book where other players, coaches, and staff are not painted in a very positive light and their professional or character flaws are exposed. Some of these portraits left a bad taste in my mouth for how unforgiving the game can be as a business, but maybe this just proves the point that I would thankfully never be fit for that job. I would have also loved to hear more details about Elway's life outside of the football world. Football has played a big part in his life but I wish I knew more about the man and what makes him tick. He is still an unfinished life though and there is more of the story to be written.
November 2, 2020
You're either going to hate Jason Cole's style of writing this biography, or you're going to love it. It's a lot different than most sports biographies in that Cole inserts himself some, he writes with a more open-throttled conversational, explanatory and opinionated way. I liked it. Some may not.
The book opens with Cole in the end zone watching Elway throw an incomplete pass while playing for Stanford. The pass went about 70 yards in the air and Cole compared Elway with at least three Greek Gods, Zeus and Thor included, for his arm and athletic abilities.
There's a lot of details about Elway's dad and his coaches. There's also a large section on the draft and how Elway decided not to play for Baltimore. Cole writes well enough to keep the readers' interest in dealing with drafts and negotiations. He also did that while writing about how Elway dealt with Peyton Manning in 2016 when Manning eventually retired.
Without even talking to Elway (He had access to his family, coaches and teammates, but not Elway himself) he does capture Elway's competitive drive. He also captured how Elway was not the most likeable character out there and had a way of alienating himself with many. Coaches, Manning, owners, et al., didn't develop many long-lasting relationships with him.
I was never a real Elway fan; I grew up in Minnesota and spent my time rooting for the Vikings and the NFC. However, this is an excellent read that looks at the life of one of the better players at a time when football was really relevant. Another good thing: Elway doesn't die in the end! I read a ton of sports bios and am saddened at the end when, although of course I knew this, they die. The best sports bio I've ever read was Allen Barra's book on Yogi Berra. The end is sad. The Billy Martin bio by Bill Pennington is another tragedy and the Lou Gehrig bio by Jonathan Eig moved me to tears. In this case, Elway is alive at the end and for that I'm happy.
The book opens with Cole in the end zone watching Elway throw an incomplete pass while playing for Stanford. The pass went about 70 yards in the air and Cole compared Elway with at least three Greek Gods, Zeus and Thor included, for his arm and athletic abilities.
There's a lot of details about Elway's dad and his coaches. There's also a large section on the draft and how Elway decided not to play for Baltimore. Cole writes well enough to keep the readers' interest in dealing with drafts and negotiations. He also did that while writing about how Elway dealt with Peyton Manning in 2016 when Manning eventually retired.
Without even talking to Elway (He had access to his family, coaches and teammates, but not Elway himself) he does capture Elway's competitive drive. He also captured how Elway was not the most likeable character out there and had a way of alienating himself with many. Coaches, Manning, owners, et al., didn't develop many long-lasting relationships with him.
I was never a real Elway fan; I grew up in Minnesota and spent my time rooting for the Vikings and the NFC. However, this is an excellent read that looks at the life of one of the better players at a time when football was really relevant. Another good thing: Elway doesn't die in the end! I read a ton of sports bios and am saddened at the end when, although of course I knew this, they die. The best sports bio I've ever read was Allen Barra's book on Yogi Berra. The end is sad. The Billy Martin bio by Bill Pennington is another tragedy and the Lou Gehrig bio by Jonathan Eig moved me to tears. In this case, Elway is alive at the end and for that I'm happy.
October 12, 2020
This spring, the ESPN documentary, The Last Dance captivated audiences in depicting, Michael Jordan and his final championship. The documentary brilliantly depicted the behind the scenes maneuvering behind the championships. The documentary was what drove the individuals , precisely Michael Jordan towards his pursuit of excellence.
Jason Cole has done the same thing only in book form chronicling John Elway’s quest for excellence. Elway is not really a sports biography but more of am way of telling the reader, Why John Elway mattered. This book is in some ways, a motivational book. Yes, John Elway like Michael Jordan had exceptional other worldly athletic skills but there are plenty of players who are gifted athletically but lack the mental focus to be a winner. Dak Prescott, the Dallas Cowboys QB has other worldly athletic skills but lacks the acumen to lead his team. The book, Elway gives you an insider’s view of what went on behind certain key decisions that created successes.
I found fascinating the section on Tim Tebow. I as a fan wondered why the Denver Broncos felt they had to dump Tim Tebow after Tim led them to a playoff victory. This book explained to me that John Elway recognized that Tim’s success on the field was all smoke and mirrors. In contrast you see how Peyton Manning managed the Denver Broncos to their last Super Bowl victory.
I’ve read many sports biographies over the years and I will say this, Elway by Jason Cole is a book that will remain on my bookshelf. This book was equal parts entertaining, illuminating and showed me what a competitor John Elway is.
Jason Cole has done the same thing only in book form chronicling John Elway’s quest for excellence. Elway is not really a sports biography but more of am way of telling the reader, Why John Elway mattered. This book is in some ways, a motivational book. Yes, John Elway like Michael Jordan had exceptional other worldly athletic skills but there are plenty of players who are gifted athletically but lack the mental focus to be a winner. Dak Prescott, the Dallas Cowboys QB has other worldly athletic skills but lacks the acumen to lead his team. The book, Elway gives you an insider’s view of what went on behind certain key decisions that created successes.
I found fascinating the section on Tim Tebow. I as a fan wondered why the Denver Broncos felt they had to dump Tim Tebow after Tim led them to a playoff victory. This book explained to me that John Elway recognized that Tim’s success on the field was all smoke and mirrors. In contrast you see how Peyton Manning managed the Denver Broncos to their last Super Bowl victory.
I’ve read many sports biographies over the years and I will say this, Elway by Jason Cole is a book that will remain on my bookshelf. This book was equal parts entertaining, illuminating and showed me what a competitor John Elway is.
October 30, 2020
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Before I moved to Kansas City, the Raiders were the AFC team I always rooted for. After moving to KC in 1988, I quickly became a Chiefs fan after Carl Peterson became general manager and built a team that contended for the playoffs every year. As a fan of those two teams, John Elway was a constant thorn in my side since no lead against the Denver Broncos was safe because the threat of an Elway-led comeback.
Elway tracks the Hall of Fame quarterback’s life, beginning with his childhood then continuing on through his high school career and his college years at Stanford University. The remainder of the book covers Elway’s active playing career with the Broncos and his post-playing career as an executive in the Arena Football League and again with the Broncos. Although his statistics didn’t always reflect it, Elway had exceptional physical and mental skills and a work ethic that was second-to-none.
I gave Elway four stars on Goodreads. The author seemed overly-lavish with his praise for his subject, and I might just still be harboring some resentment for the things Elway regularly did to my favorite teams. I appreciated the in-depth chapters about Elway’s baseball career, starting in high school and continuing on through his days as a minor league player in the Yankees farm system. I also learned some interesting things from the chapters about Elway’s college recruitment and the problem of having Tim Tebow as the Broncos quarterback.
Before I moved to Kansas City, the Raiders were the AFC team I always rooted for. After moving to KC in 1988, I quickly became a Chiefs fan after Carl Peterson became general manager and built a team that contended for the playoffs every year. As a fan of those two teams, John Elway was a constant thorn in my side since no lead against the Denver Broncos was safe because the threat of an Elway-led comeback.
Elway tracks the Hall of Fame quarterback’s life, beginning with his childhood then continuing on through his high school career and his college years at Stanford University. The remainder of the book covers Elway’s active playing career with the Broncos and his post-playing career as an executive in the Arena Football League and again with the Broncos. Although his statistics didn’t always reflect it, Elway had exceptional physical and mental skills and a work ethic that was second-to-none.
I gave Elway four stars on Goodreads. The author seemed overly-lavish with his praise for his subject, and I might just still be harboring some resentment for the things Elway regularly did to my favorite teams. I appreciated the in-depth chapters about Elway’s baseball career, starting in high school and continuing on through his days as a minor league player in the Yankees farm system. I also learned some interesting things from the chapters about Elway’s college recruitment and the problem of having Tim Tebow as the Broncos quarterback.
October 25, 2020
For this and other book reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com
What on earth is a Wisconsin gal doing reading a biography about the quarterback that was responsible for the Green Bay Packers’ only Super Bowl loss? I like football, and I can appreciate a really good athlete. I’ve always been magnanimous to other teams and players. I attribute it to the fact that I was born on Super Bowl Sunday, 1973. That was the Super Bowl of the undefeated Miami Dolphins. I used to have a Green Bay Packers license plate that said SPRBL 7, which probably confused the heck out of other drivers!
As of 2017’s NFL off-season, Elway held at least 33 Broncos franchise records, including:
Completions: career (4,123), playoffs (355), rookie season (123)
Passing Yards: career (51,475-Brett Favre has 71,838 )
Passing Touchdowns: career (300), playoffs (27) (Brett Favre has 508, just sayin’)
Sacks (516) Favre has him beat there, too, with 525
On to the book. Jason Cole had unprecedented access to everyone EXCEPT John Elway when writing Elway: A Relentless Life . His family provided interviews, his friends, his teammates, his business partners. And maybe that’s why I had problems with the book.
The first several chapters are all about Jack Elway, John’s football coach father. There’s backstory, then there’s backstory. The reader gets a really good feel for who John Elway’s dad was. Then there’s even a short chapter on Elway’s mom, Jan. That chapter felt like it was thrown in there to try and even out the overwhelming praise Cole had for Jack Elway and the way he raised his kids, even though football consumed him so much he wasn’t around much when his kids were growing up.
Then, when John Elway starts playing football, we get a whole chapter on the man who was his high school football coach before actually getting to how Elway performed. Several chapters make up the draft and the deal that traded Elway from the Colts to the Broncos. It involves lots of people with lots of backstory, but I didn’t feel I got a glimpse of who Elway was in all of this, besides the #1 player in the draft.
Almost the whole book is like this. You’re 40% into it before Elway even gets traded to the Broncos. Then there’s chapter after chapter on coaches and other important people in Elway’s life of a Bronco. It takes until you’re 70% into the book before you get to Elway’s defining Super Bowls. As painful as it was for a Green Bay Packers fan to read the chapter on Super Bowl XXXII, I thought it was well done, as was the succeeding chapter on Super Bowl XXXIII.
One of the things I like to know about when I read about someone in the public eye is how they are as a human being off the field, with their families. After Elway retires from the Broncos, there’s a short chapter on the dissolution of his marriage to Janet, and a brief biographical sketch of each of his four kids. Then there’s another brief chapter on meeting and marrying his current wife.
I thought the section on the Arena Football League was pretty good, as you got a feel for Elway’s actions and the work he put in to making a success into his team. The same can be said about his work as an executive with the Broncos and the moves he made to create another successful team. But at times, like earlier in the book, Elway is overshadowed by the other people: Tim Tebow, Peyton Manning, etc.
Elway: A Relentless Life is for diehard Broncos fans, if you want to know everything about the people that surrounded Elway during his climb to the top as a player and as an executive. As for getting to know the man himself, this book is sadly lacking.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
For more reviews, check out www.bargain-sleuth.com
What on earth is a Wisconsin gal doing reading a biography about the quarterback that was responsible for the Green Bay Packers’ only Super Bowl loss? I like football, and I can appreciate a really good athlete. I’ve always been magnanimous to other teams and players. I attribute it to the fact that I was born on Super Bowl Sunday, 1973. That was the Super Bowl of the undefeated Miami Dolphins. I used to have a Green Bay Packers license plate that said SPRBL 7, which probably confused the heck out of other drivers!
As of 2017’s NFL off-season, Elway held at least 33 Broncos franchise records, including:
Completions: career (4,123), playoffs (355), rookie season (123)
Passing Yards: career (51,475-Brett Favre has 71,838 )
Passing Touchdowns: career (300), playoffs (27) (Brett Favre has 508, just sayin’)
Sacks (516) Favre has him beat there, too, with 525
On to the book. Jason Cole had unprecedented access to everyone EXCEPT John Elway when writing Elway: A Relentless Life . His family provided interviews, his friends, his teammates, his business partners. And maybe that’s why I had problems with the book.
The first several chapters are all about Jack Elway, John’s football coach father. There’s backstory, then there’s backstory. The reader gets a really good feel for who John Elway’s dad was. Then there’s even a short chapter on Elway’s mom, Jan. That chapter felt like it was thrown in there to try and even out the overwhelming praise Cole had for Jack Elway and the way he raised his kids, even though football consumed him so much he wasn’t around much when his kids were growing up.
Then, when John Elway starts playing football, we get a whole chapter on the man who was his high school football coach before actually getting to how Elway performed. Several chapters make up the draft and the deal that traded Elway from the Colts to the Broncos. It involves lots of people with lots of backstory, but I didn’t feel I got a glimpse of who Elway was in all of this, besides the #1 player in the draft.
Almost the whole book is like this. You’re 40% into it before Elway even gets traded to the Broncos. Then there’s chapter after chapter on coaches and other important people in Elway’s life of a Bronco. It takes until you’re 70% into the book before you get to Elway’s defining Super Bowls. As painful as it was for a Green Bay Packers fan to read the chapter on Super Bowl XXXII, I thought it was well done, as was the succeeding chapter on Super Bowl XXXIII.
One of the things I like to know about when I read about someone in the public eye is how they are as a human being off the field, with their families. After Elway retires from the Broncos, there’s a short chapter on the dissolution of his marriage to Janet, and a brief biographical sketch of each of his four kids. Then there’s another brief chapter on meeting and marrying his current wife.
I thought the section on the Arena Football League was pretty good, as you got a feel for Elway’s actions and the work he put in to making a success into his team. The same can be said about his work as an executive with the Broncos and the moves he made to create another successful team. But at times, like earlier in the book, Elway is overshadowed by the other people: Tim Tebow, Peyton Manning, etc.
Elway: A Relentless Life is for diehard Broncos fans, if you want to know everything about the people that surrounded Elway during his climb to the top as a player and as an executive. As for getting to know the man himself, this book is sadly lacking.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
For more reviews, check out www.bargain-sleuth.com
October 8, 2020
I wanted to dislike this book. The tone is jarring, old-boy’s-club stuff from page one, Cole inserts way too much of himself into what is supposed to be a biography, and you ultimately don’t get a great picture of what makes Elway tick, but for all that, I enjoyed myself. There’s just enough here to make it worth recommending, and Cole does a good job setting up narrative tensions that pay off later in the book. I just finished Jeff Benedict’s THE DYNASTY, and where it felt like that story just got too sprawling for Benedict, here it feels like while Cole may stray from the main point from time to time, he always returns to a central idea. It’s far from a perfect book, but Broncos fans will find plenty to enjoy here, and I think even casual football fans will enjoy it.
September 13, 2020
Let me say upfront I have never been a fan of the Bronco's or John Elway. Especially when Mr. Elway came out of Stanford in 1983 and told Baltimore that he would not play for them that he would go play baseball with the Yankees and I am a lifelong Yankees fan. Now put all this aside if you grew up around the time Elway was drafted you probably know most of the story. From the time that he was coming up through high school and eventually going on to Stanford University with father who was a football guru in his own right but who was wise enough to not dabble to much in his sons career as he moved along. Even knowing all the back story even a hardcore Elway fan should be able to pick up some tidbits of information you did not know. I was amazed to learn how close he was to playing someplace else other then Denver. Since 1967 when the NFL and AFL started a joint draft there have been up to writing of this book 712 quarterbacks drafted. Now this does not include all the free agents.
Of the 712 quarterback only 25 have one a superbowl and only 11 have been inducted to the hall of fame. That means only 2.5 to 3.5 percent have reached a level of greatness those are crazy numbers.
As i pointed out earlier this covers Elway's career all the way upto his current position with the Bronco's and will touch a little bit on his family life. This is a good read even for a non-Elway fan. Thank you Netgalley and Hatchette books for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.
Of the 712 quarterback only 25 have one a superbowl and only 11 have been inducted to the hall of fame. That means only 2.5 to 3.5 percent have reached a level of greatness those are crazy numbers.
As i pointed out earlier this covers Elway's career all the way upto his current position with the Bronco's and will touch a little bit on his family life. This is a good read even for a non-Elway fan. Thank you Netgalley and Hatchette books for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.
December 5, 2025
I give Elway: A Relentless Life by Author Jason Cole 4 stars. I really enjoyed and agreed with the theme of Elway’s story being centered around his many battles against adversity throughout both his Football career as well as his entire life. To begin, I do believe that this story is focused around battling through adversity because Jason Cole states, “As Elway knelt on the final play… all he could feel was the burden coming off his shoulders and the rush of joy flowing through his body… Elway felt it was for everybody… It was for all the Broncos players who had been apart of the previous four Superbowl losses” (Cole 225). This quote resonated with me and my theme because of the fact that John Elway and the Broncos had gone through so much pain and disappointment, but they never let it stop them from achieving their dreams and end goal of winning a championship together and leaving their marks on NFL history. Equally important was the character and personality of John Elway. I really liked and enjoyed his characterization throughout the book. He is described as a compassionate, team oriented, uplifting man with the true traits of a leader, but he is also a very self-serving and family oriented man who always makes sure he gets what he wants. Those of which are the expectation for a franchise Quarterback of John Elway’s caliber. These key characteristics of Elway’s are put on full display when his teammate Steve Watson looks back on their past and states, “‘John comes back into the huddle and he was smiling,’…’It was like he loved it. I remember he said,’If you work hard good things are going to happen.’ Then he smiled again, I think it calmed us all down” (Steve Watson 155) This quote is a testament to both the character and leadership of John Elway throughout his career. These traits helped him lead the Broncos to several legendary moments and victories throughout his career, with that exact quote and huddle coming right before the legendary “Drive” against the Cleveland Browns in the 1986 AFC Championship Game. Although this is true, there was definitely another side of Elway who was in a way very stubborn and self-serving. This is shown on multiple occasions throughout the book with one instance coming when Jason Cole states, “Just as Elway had worked to control his career so he didn’t have to play for an organization like Baltimore, he wasn’t going to let anyone dictate his life” (Cole 180) This quote works as an example that Elway, though a great leader and very kindhearted person, also had the backbone to make his opinion known and was willing to stick up for both himself and his family. The context of this quote came from a rumor that had circulated to Elway’s attention about a speculated trade that would completely uproot the lives of Elway and his family by sending him to Washington. He was having none of it, and in turn it had completely soured the relationship between him and Head Coach Dan Reeves, leading to Reeves departure not long afterward. Now that Elway’s character has been established that leads me to my climax in the story and it comes when Jason Cole states, “Elway looked up and said, ‘They’re never going to forgive me.’ he was devastated, knowing fan reaction would be brutal, he felt he had let his teammates, the organization, and the entire city down. The Super Bowl losses were starting to weigh on him. His wife, Janet later stated, ‘ He didn’t want to eat. He didn’t want to talk. He was just miserable’” (Cole 174). I believe this to be the climax of the story because of how devastated John was over the span of 3 crushing Super Bowl losses in which his Broncos looked like they stood no chance. This then led Elway to begin questioning his own abilities, and it made him wonder if he was capable of winning the big game. Though in classic Elway fashion, he moved on, (though it was very difficult to do so) and continued to put his nose to the grindstone and didn’t let even his worst losses get the better of him. Finally, the imagery used by Jason Cole in this book is truly admirable and he does a great job of helping the reader visualize what he is explaining through the eyes of John Elway and his life experiences. One quote that I used as an example of this is found on page 64 of the book and states, “ On the mound, Elway somehow fell in control. The stage, as Strawberry alluded to, wasn’t too big for Elway. Sure, he was in Dodger Stadium with 20,000 people watching and the city title on the line, but the moment was never too big for Elway… people often asked Elway how he handled the big moments, his answer was that he blocked out as much as he could” (Cole 64). I really admired this use of imagery from Jason Cole because of the job he does to really help the reader visualize and understand the atmosphere as well as the pressure placed onto Elway even as a high schooler. I especially enjoyed his mention of the amount of fans in the stands as well as the fact that they played this championship game in Dodger Stadium. One of the most electrifying atmospheres in all of Baseball and even sports in general. In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book and the time that Jason Cole took to establish all of Elway’s personal connections and how meaningful and impactful some of the most important people in his life really were to him even throughout his career, as well as the trials and tribulations Elway had been put through throughout his early years into his Football career from injuries in high school, to heartbreak in both college and the NFL, but I very greatly enjoyed being able to see and almost experience John Elway’s greatest accomplishments and moments of his life almost as if I were there with him to see them. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has even a slight interest with the sport of football because John Elway’s love and sacrifice for the game almost feels contagious through this book and it just helped me fall into an even deeper love with the sport of Football.
5 unknown words: Agape, Egalitarian, Ostensibly, Indelible, Burgeoning
5 unknown words: Agape, Egalitarian, Ostensibly, Indelible, Burgeoning
April 29, 2020
Very good book. Like how it focused on Elway’s upbringing and his rise to the NFL instead of jumping quickly to the Bronco years. Really enjoyed the detailed insight on how Elway wound up with Denver and then also his experiences as a GM.
November 13, 2020
What a fascinating look into the life and times of Elway. As a Broncos fan, I loved reading this book and feeling connected to someone that runs our organization!
September 4, 2021
Good bio on one of the greatest to play QB.
Worth reading for any sports fan.
Worth reading for any sports fan.
August 11, 2025
Being a Broncos fan since birth (okay, that's a stretch but you get the idea) I walked the whole epic story of Elway since April 1983 day by day. I knew most of his story. But being a kid at the start, you get the PG-rated details and missed some of the meaningful prologue. This book goes back to John's parents and gives sanguine detail to the home life, the "normal" John Elway grew up in. The book's not a tell-all, but it helps fill in the details from John's side and gives the behind-the-scenes detail you'd expect.
There's little effort to compare his stats or figures to contemporaries, so don't go looking for arguments to support some theories of greatness. But if you want to know why John still looks up to his dad, what he felt when Huizenga bought his branded dealerships, how he managed to land Peyton Manning in Denver, and why he's still driven to test himself, this is a good book to understand John Elway from his perspective. It is a human book written to show a human being who despite his flaws, lives to compete because it's his thing.
As a fan, it brought me the goods of being close to someone I look up to without leaving me feeling like I was reading a hagiography or an exposé. It paints its subject well, filling in the corners and leaving the reader satisfied enough. But if you're looking for what he thought of Tebow or extraneous matters, you'll come away empty-handed, and honestly, you probably should. You have to draw the line somewhere.
What I truly loved, this book actually does confirm I'm not the only one who believes his impact led to Irsay moving his franchise from Baltimore to Indianapolis and to Cleveland losing the original Browns to Baltimore and indirectly why Cleveland needed an expansion franchise. It's a logical possibility to say the former and a probability to say the latter.
This book is perfect for any Broncos fan, especially those born after 1980. who wouldn't remember the first three Super Bowl appearances. It's probably not for Cleveland fans of either the old or the new Browns franchise, and the Drive really did make him incredibly unpopular there. But seriously, if your old team does so well as to bring home two Lombardi trophies after it leaves you, maybe it does have a grain of truth as to why NFL football struggles in Cleveland. Maybe.
As with most biographies, there aren't a great deal of photos in the print version, but there are just enough to get the highlights of his life. Certainly, it feels absolutely essential to include the Helicopter Play and his holding up the first Lombardi. But missing are some Super Bowls he appeared in and one he won. Also of note, the audio copy and the copy I own are different versions with significant differences especially in the last chapter, which is to be expected of a living biography.
Final words: A great Broncos book especially because of his adopted city's continued love for him, and a good book for collectors of case studies of great quarterbacks in the NFL.
There's little effort to compare his stats or figures to contemporaries, so don't go looking for arguments to support some theories of greatness. But if you want to know why John still looks up to his dad, what he felt when Huizenga bought his branded dealerships, how he managed to land Peyton Manning in Denver, and why he's still driven to test himself, this is a good book to understand John Elway from his perspective. It is a human book written to show a human being who despite his flaws, lives to compete because it's his thing.
As a fan, it brought me the goods of being close to someone I look up to without leaving me feeling like I was reading a hagiography or an exposé. It paints its subject well, filling in the corners and leaving the reader satisfied enough. But if you're looking for what he thought of Tebow or extraneous matters, you'll come away empty-handed, and honestly, you probably should. You have to draw the line somewhere.
What I truly loved, this book actually does confirm I'm not the only one who believes his impact led to Irsay moving his franchise from Baltimore to Indianapolis and to Cleveland losing the original Browns to Baltimore and indirectly why Cleveland needed an expansion franchise. It's a logical possibility to say the former and a probability to say the latter.
This book is perfect for any Broncos fan, especially those born after 1980. who wouldn't remember the first three Super Bowl appearances. It's probably not for Cleveland fans of either the old or the new Browns franchise, and the Drive really did make him incredibly unpopular there. But seriously, if your old team does so well as to bring home two Lombardi trophies after it leaves you, maybe it does have a grain of truth as to why NFL football struggles in Cleveland. Maybe.
As with most biographies, there aren't a great deal of photos in the print version, but there are just enough to get the highlights of his life. Certainly, it feels absolutely essential to include the Helicopter Play and his holding up the first Lombardi. But missing are some Super Bowls he appeared in and one he won. Also of note, the audio copy and the copy I own are different versions with significant differences especially in the last chapter, which is to be expected of a living biography.
Final words: A great Broncos book especially because of his adopted city's continued love for him, and a good book for collectors of case studies of great quarterbacks in the NFL.
March 6, 2022
For years I waited for an autobiography or biography on John Elway, and in 2020 (the year Elway's biography came out) I finally found one. Granted, I didn't start reading this biography until February 2022 but that's beside the point.
Elway by Jason Cole was a well-researched and passionate biography on the greatest football player in Denver Broncos history. Elway was more than a biography on the Hall of Famer's career as the starting quarterback for the Broncos. The book also delved into his personal life and how his trials and tribulations on and off the field made him the strong-willed man that he is today.
One of my favorite parts of this book was when the author decided to break it down on why the Broncos never won a Super Bowl in their three tries in the 1980s (1986, 1987, and 1989). Unlike a lot of writers, broadcasters, and football fans since January 1990, Cole bothered to see what was wrong around those AFC Championship Broncos teams and why they couldn't help Elway get a Super Bowl ring in their three big game appearances.
My favorite chapter in this book was chapter 22 (The End with Reeves). And there's two reasons why. That chapter was candid about how Elway and his head coach at the time Dan Reeves reached their peak in terms of their dislike for each other. And the best paragraph in that whole chapter in my opinion was on page 186 (paragraph four), when Cole described the overrated (my words, not Cole's) Three Amigos, which consisted of Broncos receivers Mark Jackson, Vance Johnson, and Ricky Nattiel. All three of those receivers disappeared or were ineffective in all three of Denver's Super Bowl appearances in the 80s.
Pros of Elway: Elway was a revealing and objective book. This book described the ups and downs of Elway's career on and off the field so you could come away from this book with a better understanding of what Elway was about as a football player and human being.
Cons of Elway: Could have done without chapter 12 (Kill or Be Killed). That chapter was mainly about a fraternity Elway pledged to when he was at Stanford. That chapter barely even talked about Elway, and it was full of stuff that had nothing to do with the narrative of this book. The Tebowmania chapter (chapter 31) and the myriad amount of angry Broncos fan Twitter posts in certain chapters of the book were unnecessary. To me, those were attempts to appeal to the Millenium or Z generations readers who the author and the books' publisher hoped would buy the book.
In closing, Elway is a good book to add to a John Elway fan or football historian's book collection. You can't come away from this book and not be educated on what made Elway tick or who or what helped him become the strong-willed person and three-time Super Bowl champion (two rings as a player and one as a Broncos team executive) that he is today.
Elway by Jason Cole was a well-researched and passionate biography on the greatest football player in Denver Broncos history. Elway was more than a biography on the Hall of Famer's career as the starting quarterback for the Broncos. The book also delved into his personal life and how his trials and tribulations on and off the field made him the strong-willed man that he is today.
One of my favorite parts of this book was when the author decided to break it down on why the Broncos never won a Super Bowl in their three tries in the 1980s (1986, 1987, and 1989). Unlike a lot of writers, broadcasters, and football fans since January 1990, Cole bothered to see what was wrong around those AFC Championship Broncos teams and why they couldn't help Elway get a Super Bowl ring in their three big game appearances.
My favorite chapter in this book was chapter 22 (The End with Reeves). And there's two reasons why. That chapter was candid about how Elway and his head coach at the time Dan Reeves reached their peak in terms of their dislike for each other. And the best paragraph in that whole chapter in my opinion was on page 186 (paragraph four), when Cole described the overrated (my words, not Cole's) Three Amigos, which consisted of Broncos receivers Mark Jackson, Vance Johnson, and Ricky Nattiel. All three of those receivers disappeared or were ineffective in all three of Denver's Super Bowl appearances in the 80s.
Pros of Elway: Elway was a revealing and objective book. This book described the ups and downs of Elway's career on and off the field so you could come away from this book with a better understanding of what Elway was about as a football player and human being.
Cons of Elway: Could have done without chapter 12 (Kill or Be Killed). That chapter was mainly about a fraternity Elway pledged to when he was at Stanford. That chapter barely even talked about Elway, and it was full of stuff that had nothing to do with the narrative of this book. The Tebowmania chapter (chapter 31) and the myriad amount of angry Broncos fan Twitter posts in certain chapters of the book were unnecessary. To me, those were attempts to appeal to the Millenium or Z generations readers who the author and the books' publisher hoped would buy the book.
In closing, Elway is a good book to add to a John Elway fan or football historian's book collection. You can't come away from this book and not be educated on what made Elway tick or who or what helped him become the strong-willed person and three-time Super Bowl champion (two rings as a player and one as a Broncos team executive) that he is today.
May 2, 2023
1.4/5: Please stop spoiling your own book
I'm biased. I'm a broncos fan who grew up watching John Elway and the late 90s mini-dynasty. This book should have been a fun, well-researched nostalgia trip about a good player who dealt with a bunch of buttkickings in Super Bowls and stayed strong enough to bow out on top.
And I'll admit, it's well researched. So that's neat. Otherwise, there's 3 big cons of this book that basically ruin it:
1. The author's almost childlike idolatry of Elway as someone who could basically do no wrong. I say this as a former child who idolized Elway...we're terrible writers. Cole writes with such a zealous love for John and his family that it almost feels uncomfortable sometimes. Critics of Elway get whined at, whether it's Terry Bradshaw or random Twitter people (which he basically devotes the last few pages to complaining about. It's a wet blanket of an ending). And you see logical flaws everywhere. He goes on a rant about how Elway isn't a problem drinker a few chapters after stories about drunken fratfests at Stanford. The idolatry is paper thin.
2. The author somehow spoils the ending of every important game, life event, or interesting detail before he actually gets to writing about it, and it kills every piece of emotional heft of the book. A family tragedy is glossed over because it was mentioned in passing 20 chapters ago. A fun, exciting Super Bowl turns boring because "oh yeah, the Broncos won" punches you in the first sentence of the chapter. It happens over and over again. It's not even foreshadowing, it just gives away the plot. And with that...
3. The football parts just...aren't written well. Some books, like Friday Night Lights, are poetic in their descriptions of the blood, sweat, and tears of football. Others get your heart rate up about every 4th down conversion. This book writes the games (which were good games! I watched them!) dry and monotonous, like a sentient box score. The description of the ending of Super Bowl XXXII was disappointing. The idea that the most iconic scene of Super Bowl XXXIII was Elway taking the trophy from Bradshaw is ridiculous. Elway played fun and exciting football, and it's written as just...bland.
Sorry, long rant, I apologize. I've never read Cole's other work, maybe it's better. It's certainly better than what I can write. But this one didn't work. Probably my least favorite book read so far this year.
I'm biased. I'm a broncos fan who grew up watching John Elway and the late 90s mini-dynasty. This book should have been a fun, well-researched nostalgia trip about a good player who dealt with a bunch of buttkickings in Super Bowls and stayed strong enough to bow out on top.
And I'll admit, it's well researched. So that's neat. Otherwise, there's 3 big cons of this book that basically ruin it:
1. The author's almost childlike idolatry of Elway as someone who could basically do no wrong. I say this as a former child who idolized Elway...we're terrible writers. Cole writes with such a zealous love for John and his family that it almost feels uncomfortable sometimes. Critics of Elway get whined at, whether it's Terry Bradshaw or random Twitter people (which he basically devotes the last few pages to complaining about. It's a wet blanket of an ending). And you see logical flaws everywhere. He goes on a rant about how Elway isn't a problem drinker a few chapters after stories about drunken fratfests at Stanford. The idolatry is paper thin.
2. The author somehow spoils the ending of every important game, life event, or interesting detail before he actually gets to writing about it, and it kills every piece of emotional heft of the book. A family tragedy is glossed over because it was mentioned in passing 20 chapters ago. A fun, exciting Super Bowl turns boring because "oh yeah, the Broncos won" punches you in the first sentence of the chapter. It happens over and over again. It's not even foreshadowing, it just gives away the plot. And with that...
3. The football parts just...aren't written well. Some books, like Friday Night Lights, are poetic in their descriptions of the blood, sweat, and tears of football. Others get your heart rate up about every 4th down conversion. This book writes the games (which were good games! I watched them!) dry and monotonous, like a sentient box score. The description of the ending of Super Bowl XXXII was disappointing. The idea that the most iconic scene of Super Bowl XXXIII was Elway taking the trophy from Bradshaw is ridiculous. Elway played fun and exciting football, and it's written as just...bland.
Sorry, long rant, I apologize. I've never read Cole's other work, maybe it's better. It's certainly better than what I can write. But this one didn't work. Probably my least favorite book read so far this year.
November 17, 2025
Far from just a surface-level retelling of Elway's pro career, this really dives into the essence of John Elway. I probably wouldn't have listened otherwise as I'm already quite familiar with the lore, having picked up with Elway and the Broncos as a kid in the mid-80s. We learn how the Elway we know was made - the genealogy, the geography, the anatomy, the sociology. It's not just "Elway played quarterback at Granada Hills High School" it's "let me tell you all about Granada Hills High School." And that's the strength of the book. You get a little impatient as a reader, like "when are we getting to the good stuff?" but the backstory is the good stuff or at least it was for me. Although I did get a little bored with the Stanford years.
The author's writing style is a little disjointed and he jumps around the timeline quite a bit. It seemed like there were a dozen references to the famous '82 Cal-Stanford game before we actually got there. He also has a habit of giving the end result of a game, season, or situation and then going back and telling the story in detail. Maybe the assumption was that the reader already knows the end result and in my case, yes, I usually did, but...still annoying.
I don't know what "unauthorized biography" is supposed to mean other than Elway gave no firsthand accounts of the events. Otherwise, it seems completely authorized. Look no further than the fact that there is a whole chapter on current wife Paige but relatively little information about ex-wife Janet. The book is pretty light on criticisms of Elway other than to provide the common criticisms and then imply that they're wrong. Near the end it seemed to give Elway a pass on the post-Manning years and the revolving door of coaches and quarterbacks that followed as the franchise tumbled from the top of the football world. I mean write the book you're going to write but it is clearly pro-Elway, why are we trying to make it seem otherwise.
Overall, a good read/listen and I would recommend to anyone interested in an Elway deep dive.
The author's writing style is a little disjointed and he jumps around the timeline quite a bit. It seemed like there were a dozen references to the famous '82 Cal-Stanford game before we actually got there. He also has a habit of giving the end result of a game, season, or situation and then going back and telling the story in detail. Maybe the assumption was that the reader already knows the end result and in my case, yes, I usually did, but...still annoying.
I don't know what "unauthorized biography" is supposed to mean other than Elway gave no firsthand accounts of the events. Otherwise, it seems completely authorized. Look no further than the fact that there is a whole chapter on current wife Paige but relatively little information about ex-wife Janet. The book is pretty light on criticisms of Elway other than to provide the common criticisms and then imply that they're wrong. Near the end it seemed to give Elway a pass on the post-Manning years and the revolving door of coaches and quarterbacks that followed as the franchise tumbled from the top of the football world. I mean write the book you're going to write but it is clearly pro-Elway, why are we trying to make it seem otherwise.
Overall, a good read/listen and I would recommend to anyone interested in an Elway deep dive.
February 8, 2021
A Fascinating Look at One of the Greatest Quarterbacks
Author Jason Cole has written an entertaining story about the life of John Elway, one of the greatest quarterbacks in football. While unauthorized, the detail built into this book is interesting. I listened to the audiobook of ELWAY: RENTLESS PURSUIT cover to cover.
ELWAY is full of details about his various key games and other significant events. As a Bronco fan living in Colorado, I enjoyed these stories and details but also enjoyed learning the details about Elway’s life and commitment to practicing his craft and skill.
Whether listening to stories about Elway’s father, coach Jack Elway, who chain-smoked and drank martinis or Elway’s disciplined workout routine or his love of technical gadgets, ELWAY is a page-turner and worthwhile listening. Recommended.
W. Terry Whalin is an editor and the author of more than 60 books including his latest 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed .
Author Jason Cole has written an entertaining story about the life of John Elway, one of the greatest quarterbacks in football. While unauthorized, the detail built into this book is interesting. I listened to the audiobook of ELWAY: RENTLESS PURSUIT cover to cover.
ELWAY is full of details about his various key games and other significant events. As a Bronco fan living in Colorado, I enjoyed these stories and details but also enjoyed learning the details about Elway’s life and commitment to practicing his craft and skill.
Whether listening to stories about Elway’s father, coach Jack Elway, who chain-smoked and drank martinis or Elway’s disciplined workout routine or his love of technical gadgets, ELWAY is a page-turner and worthwhile listening. Recommended.
W. Terry Whalin is an editor and the author of more than 60 books including his latest 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed .
January 9, 2021
A decent book on John Elway by longtime football writer Jason Cole. The book kind of goes to far astray at some points. The entire chapter about what Elway's fraternity did in college seemed a bit much and not really about him. I felt there wasn't enough about Elway and what he did in big games, especially in the second half of his career with the two Super Bowl wins. At times it was really good though, as I liked reading about his time with the Broncos in the 80s and early 90s. The section on Elway as GM also barely seemed to be about him and was more about Denver as a team with Tebow and Manning, although parts were interesting. I didn't know how much Denver didn't want Tebow as the quarterback. This book is probably a 3.5 rating as it left me wanting more, but also wishing I hadn't read a lot that was left in.
November 23, 2021
A painful reading experience! Elway is presumed to this God-like being. Everything he does is right while others are invariably wrong. Lost 3 Super Bowls in 4 Years? It's all Dan Reeve's problem! Luring Peyton Manning from Indianapolis? Two alpha males cannot co-exist in San Francisco. Yet somehow someway they can co-exist in Denver?? Just look at Denver's pathetic records after Manning retired and Elway's "impeccable" draft results. I don't know how much money Elway doled out to commission this "infalliable" biography. What I know is almost everything is "True and "incontrovertible"! Whaft a "well" commissioned "masterpiece'!!
November 21, 2020
I remember the night we walked past Dan Reeves at the Denver Nuggets basketball game and asked him if it was true that we were going to get John Elway. Dan only smiled, which confirmed what we hoped. John gave us many years of great Bronco football as a player, and gave us a new era of greatness with his signing of Peyton Manning and the defensive players that brought us Super Bowl 50. I mostly enjoyed the book, but the author did seem to insert himself into the story too much.
March 25, 2025
Not bad, but a little too rah-rah. Cole gives very little weight to any side of the conversation that doesn't put Elway in the best light. Also includes some criticism/ adversity which is overblown for dramatic effect. I don't think any serious author should include Tweets from random users in their work, social media can be nitpicked to make any outlandish view seem legitimate. Overall good book, very comprehensive.
February 21, 2022
This book was a WHOLE LOTTA football! An in-depth look at all of the Elway playing years, the inner workings of management and coaching, the many subtle nuances of drafting the right players, and the politics of ALL of it. However, I most enjoyed the personal stories of John's upbringing, and his amazing family.
January 6, 2021
Great Book
The book was well written and contained a lot of great stories of John Elway and his desire to be the greatest at everyone he did. I was aware of some the highlights but enjoyed the behind the scenes stories of his success and failures.
The book was well written and contained a lot of great stories of John Elway and his desire to be the greatest at everyone he did. I was aware of some the highlights but enjoyed the behind the scenes stories of his success and failures.
June 12, 2021
Cole closely explores the intricacies of Elway’s life—from his tight-knit relationship with his father, Jack, to his God-given abilities and years of success on the football field, to his makings as a Super Bowl-winning NFL executive.
September 22, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyable read. Fast paced, interesting and well written. I recommend it highly to anyone interested in NFL football. This was a very engaging, well researched portrait of an incredible athlete. Great job, Jason!
April 10, 2023
Enjoyed this one a lot. Was too young to see the prime Elway, but I remember him winning two at the end and give him a ton of credit for Super Bowl 50. A very interesting guy who maybe was before his time?
January 13, 2025
A very interesting book on the life of Elway and football in general. He played for the Broncos but never got along with his coach Dan Reeves. They had different views on just about everything. His personal life was another story. He loved football though and would never give it up.
January 25, 2021
Loved it! Elway is the man!
April 8, 2021
Considered giving this a 5. Its VERY good. The post-playing career stuff alone is worth your time.
July 15, 2021
Not my kind of book, it’s written unusual. Elway comes off as a huge asshole in the book. It a fine book, nothing to set it apart from other sports biographies.
November 27, 2022
Entertaining read, but the consistent fact errors and the scattered telling of several narratives within the larger story held this book back from being all that it could have been.
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