This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/6/2006.
Before John Elway's arrival in Denver prior to the '83 season, the Broncos were a team mired in mediocrity and needed a quarterback and a supreme leader. Luckily for the Bronco's and their fans, a young quarterback from Stanford was holding out from the Baltimore Colts, threatening to play baseball if he wasn't traded. Elway was traded to the Broncos for two veteran players and a 1984 first-round pick; and it stands to this day as the greatest trade in Denver Broncos history. From 1983 through 1998, Elway led his team to five victories in six AFC championship games and two Super Bowl wins. Elway’s record 47 fourth quarter game-winning or game-tying drives are legendary. In the 1986 AFC title game, Elway engineered a 98-yard come-from-behind touchdown drive to tie the Cleveland Browns and send the game into overtime. The Broncos went on to win 23-20. Today, the Elway-led fourth-quarter rally is simply referred to as "The Drive". Before that season, in 1985 Elway's Hall of Fame career started to take flight. This Official "Riddell" helmet is from Elway's 1985 campaign. The outside of the helmet is all blue featuring the team's orange/white/blue denver logo on each side. Down the center of the helmet there is one orange and two white plastic strikes. On the orange stripe, there is some actual dirt that has withstood the test of time. In the back of the helmet in the lower right-hand corner their is a white plastic decal which was Elway's number "7". Directly next to that is the warning sign from the manufacturer. The helmet shows great game-use and has some white paint chipping and scratches in several areas. The inside of the helmet has a Riddell tag reading "m155" above the left ear flap, signifying the model. Directly on the opposite side, there is orange electrical tape with Elway's number "7" on it. Directly above that, there is a sticker which has the year on it, which is 1985. The white steel facemask as well as all original inside padding is fully intact. The helmet shows very good game use.