/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63902031/Screen_Shot_2019_05_26_at_11.23.01_PM.0.png)
Good morning, Broncos Country!
An NFL icon died Sunday - and every football player who ever came into the pro ranks and proved his low draft expectations wrong has him to thank.
That’s because the two-time Super Bowl MVP and Hall-of-Fame quarterback out of the University of Alabama named Bart Starr was drafted in the 17th round of the 1956 draft, the 200th player.
But as Peyton Manning noted when he won the NFL award named after the Hall-of-Famer, Starr “transcended the low expectations ... and made a meaningful and lasting impact on this league and on everyone he came into contact with to this day.”
Starr’s impact on football - as well as football players - was indeed far and wide.
LEGEND.
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) May 26, 2019
RIP, Bart Starr pic.twitter.com/itNkk8SZJU
After Green Bay lost the first NFL championship game in 1960, the Packers never lost another playoff game under Starr, going 9-0 in playoff games - including the two Super Bowl victories over Kansas City and Oakland.
He was a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, leading the Packers to NFL titles in 1961, ’62, ’65, ’67 and ’68. Starr was the 1966 NFL MVP and was named to the 1960s All-Decade team. He also was named MVP of the first two Super Bowls.
Starr had an unremarkable career at Alabama, but Green Bay Packers’ coach Vince Lombardi liked his mechanics, arm strength and decision-making.
Starr once gave Lombardi credit for creating a remarkable quarterback out of him: “If you work harder than somebody else, chances are you’ll beat him though he has more talent than you.”
It was that mentality that helped Starr propel his Packers to an unforgettable win in 1967 over the Dallas Cowboys in what has become known as the “Ice Bowl.”
At kickoff, the temperature was -13 degrees Fahrenheit.
— NFL (@NFL) May 26, 2019
Bart Starr passed for two touchdowns and scored the game-winning rushing TD in the coldest game in NFL History: The Ice Bowl. (1967 NFL Championship)
(via @NFLThrowback) pic.twitter.com/c5xtr1uQ04
But Starr wasn’t just known for his professional football career. His iconic “gentlemanly” demeanor was the true inspiration for the NFL’s “Bart Starr Award,” given annually since 1989 to the NFL player with the “most outstanding character.”
“While he may always be best known for his success as the Packers quarterback for 16 years, his true legacy will always be the respectful manner in which he treated every person he met, his humble demeanor and his generous spirit,” Starr’s family said in a statement on Sunday.
It is incredibly fitting that Manning was a Bart Starr Award winner.
With good mechanics and a football IQ unmatched in the NFL, Manning’s style would have no doubt been appreciated by Starr. And of all the “good people” playing in the NFL, Manning was always the epitome of “humble demeanor and generous spirit.”
Manning’s words in his acceptance speech in 2015 said as much:
“The man for whom this award is named stands as a true champion and among the all-time greats of this game. I am humbled and grateful for this award.”
Come to think of it, the only thing Bart Starr might have had against Peyton Manning was that he went to the University of Tennessee.
But being a gentleman, I doubt it.
RIP, Bart Starr.
Twitter Tribute to Bart Starr
Bart was a true gentleman, a great player and a great pioneer for the NFL. He set a tremendous example for all QBs to emulate.
— John Elway (@johnelway) May 26, 2019
My thoughts are with Bart’s wife, Cherry, and the entire Starr family. #Legend pic.twitter.com/TaXXCqVN18
Bart Starr was a true gentleman and one of the kindest people I knew. I had elbow surgery following our ‘95 Super Bowl in Birmingham and Bart made a visit to the hospital. To this day, not sure how he even knew I was there. #ripbart
— Troy Aikman (@TroyAikman) May 26, 2019
One of the greatest field generals in NFL history:
— NFL Throwback (@nflthrowback) May 26, 2019
Five-time NFL champion
MVP of the first two Super Bowls
Three-time NFL passing leader
1966 NFL MVP
9-1 postseason record
Rest In Peace to the legendary Bart Starr. pic.twitter.com/MzOIzPy0PX
Bart Starr was the most kind, thoughtful and classiest person you could ever know. I consider myself extremely lucky to have called him friend and to have been mentioned in the same breath. Deanna and I are praying for Cherry and the Starr family. #RIPBartStarr
— Brett Favre (@BrettFavre) May 26, 2019
On the eve of the @packers' 100th season, Bart Starr wanted to read a letter he had written to @AaronRodgers12.@peter_king found out what that letter meant to the QB from Green Bay. pic.twitter.com/uTcegQGdlK
— SNF on NBC (@SNFonNBC) May 26, 2019
I’ve had the privilege of meeting many talented, grounded and giving athletes in my career, especially while working in Green Bay. Few will ever measure to the dignity and character of Bart Starr. Blessings to his family on the loss of such a great man. #Packers #BartStarr pic.twitter.com/S3hVXFwGbF
— Timothy Blotz (@TimBlotzFOX9) May 26, 2019
Career Playoff PR
— Ryan Michael (@theryanmichael) May 26, 2019
(Min. 10 starts)
1. #BartStarr = 104.8
2. #KurtWarner = 102.8
3. #MattRyan = 100.8
4. #DrewBrees = 100.0
5. #AaronRodgers = 99.4
6. #JoeMontana = 95.6
7. #RussellWilson = 94.9
8. #TomBrady = 90.5
9. #JoeFlacco = 88.6
10. #TroyAikman = 88.3
11. Peyton/Eli = 87.4 pic.twitter.com/kePkw8NjDp
Horse Tracks
Green Bay’s greatest quarterback dies at 85
Though he was a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl MVP, the play and game Starr is most remembered for is the iconic 1967 Ice Bowl against the Dallas Cowboys.
Bart Starr, unflappable quarterback who led Packers to five NFL titles, dies at 85 - The Washington Post
He was a linchpin of coach Vince Lombardi’s 1960s dynasty and the MVP of the first two Super Bowls.
Peyton Manning receives Bart Starr Award
Peyton Manning was presented with the Bart Starr Award Jan. 30, 2015.
Packers legend Bart Starr passes away at age 85 - NFL.com
Green Bay Packers quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bart Starr passed away at the age of 85, the team announced Sunday.
Bart Starr was Hall of Famer on and off the field - NFL.com
Growing up 90 miles north of Green Bay, Steve Mariucci loved the Packers and idolized Bart Starr. He recalls how his boyhood hero eventually became his mentor, inspiration and dear friend.
Green Bay's greatest quarterback dies at 85
Though he was a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl MVP, the play and game Starr is most remembered for is the iconic 1967 Ice Bowl against the Dallas Cowboys.
From the Archives: Peyton Manning receives Bart Starr Award
Peyton Manning was presented with the Bart Starr Award Jan. 30, 2015.
Packers legend Bart Starr passes away at age 85 - NFL.com
Green Bay Packers quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bart Starr passed away at the age of 85, the team announced Sunday.
Bart Starr was Hall of Famer on and off the field - NFL.com
Growing up 90 miles north of Green Bay, Steve Mariucci loved the Packers and idolized Bart Starr. He recalls how his boyhood hero eventually became his mentor, inspiration and dear friend.
NFL coaches learning from indoor football experience | SI.com
More coaches with indoor football experience are climbing the ranks in the NFL, in an era when more plays from far-flung corners of the football world are trickling up to the top level.
NFL summer subplots: One burning question for each AFC team - NFL.com
Is Pittsburgh's offense greater than the loss of its parts? Can the Colts take the next step? Will Houston's offensive line be its undoing (again)? Jeremy Bergman digs into one burning question for each AFC team.
Denver Broncos: Undrafted rookie spotlight on TE Austin Fort
Former Wyoming Cowboys tight end Austin Fort signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent. Does he have a shot to make the team?
Mason's Mailbag: Gary Zimmerman a true Broncos Hall of Famer
Also, a statistic that shows why Steve Atwater should already be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Five Undrafted Free Agents who could make Denver Broncos final roster
The Denver Broncos are known to add at least one UDFA to the final roster. Who has a chance to keep the streak alive? Here are a few who have a good chance.
The Ravens completely changed their offense without telling Lamar Jackson - The Washington Post
It's okay, they finally filled him in at OTAs.
2019 NFL season: One key homegrown player for each NFC team - NFL.com
Mitchell Trubisky is critical to the Chicago Bears' season, while Chris Godwin could be a 100-catch player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Gregg Rosenthal identifies one key homegrown player for every NFC team heading into the 2019 NFL season.