FanHouse Q&A With John Elway

Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway joined FanHouse for an interview on behalf of Topps' Gridiron Giveaway, a promotion that allows you to win vintage Topps football cards and memorabilia. Elway talked at length about the current Broncos, including rookie sensation Tim Tebow. You can find that story here.

The full transcript of Elway's interview with FanHouse is below:

FanHouse: Well, for starters, can you give us a little info on Topps' promotion and how you became involved with it?

John Elway: I was a collector when I was younger. They asked me to get involved and it was a pleasure to get involved because of my history with it. The Topps Football 2010 set, they have a Gridiron Giveaway. One out of every six packs has a code card, and if you get one, you can receive an original Topps cards from the past 50 years.

FanHouse: Most of us have a bunch of trading cards stashed away somewhere from when we were kids. Do you have a collection saved, too?

John Elway: You know what I do, I've got a ton, they're all stuffed away. I tried to save them for my kids. Especially anytime you're in a set, they send you the whole set, so I've got tons of cards at the house. I haven't been through them in a while. Of course, I've got all the cards that they made of me, tried to save those for my kids.

FH: If you don't mind switching gears ... the Broncos played their third preseason game Sunday night, and it looks more and more apparent that Kyle Orton's in control of that offense. What's your take on Denver's QB situation?

JE: I think Orton having a year under his belt will be a big plus. Kyle's a good solid quarterback, the blue-collar guy that makes the right decisions. and he'll continue to get better. Obviously, Tebow's going to be the next in line. It gives Tim a chance to sit and watch and get a feel for what the NFL game is all about, also learn the game from a guy that's a pretty darn good quarterback. Jury's still out.

With Tim Tebow, there are a lot of intangibles people aren't taking into account. With his career in college, leadership abilities, work ethic, willingness to learn -- wanting to get better, wanting to be good -- he's the type of guy that can make your whole football team better. That's the direction Josh (McDaniels, the Broncos' head coach) wants to go, getting those strong leadership guys in there and Tebow leads the list.

FH: Tebow's career in Denver is obviously going to be compared to yours, especially given the amount of hype that's following him around. Have you talked with him at all about that situation?

JE: I have not, I've been around Tim a little bit and we've talked. The thing that I think I told him is to be patient. He had a tremendous amount of success in college and you make the jump to the NFL, which is a huge jump, not only with the ability and talent of the players but also the complexity of the game -- he's going to have his ups and downs. It's a good situation for him in Denver with Orton there -- they have an experienced QB that can win football games. To learn behind a guy like that is tremendous for Tim. Anybody that makes that step [up to the NFL] is biting at the bit to be successful, but it takes time and he's in a good situation that will afford him some time.

FH: There's been a lot made about Tebow's ability to make that adjustment to the NFL, and there's the ongoing argument about whether his intangibles can make up for his mechanical flaws. As a former quarterback, can a guy with those intangibles overcome physical inconsistencies?

JE: There's no style points in the NFL, it's all about winning football games. He's got the ability with his intangibles to make the plays at the right time. Again, I go back to his work ethic. It's just a matter of him continuing to grow. His accuracy's got to get better and his acclimation to the NFL game is going to take some time. I believe he's got a good chance to be very successful, because he has those attributes.

He's not going to be the Dan Marino-type that's going to sit in the pocket and beat you with his arm. He can beat you with his arm -- he's also got those other attributes to be able to run the football, make the big plays, but also his leadership abilities to rub off on the other guys in that huddle and make them a better football team.

FH: What was the transition period to the NFL like for you? Was it just a matter of the light going on for you at some point that convinced you that you could compete at the NFL level?

JE: I think that it's just a matter of getting snaps and a matter of time. I started my first game, played four [more] games and struggled, then I got benched for four games. Steve DeBerg got hurt and I got a second chance. The second chance I got, things were much easier and things had slowed down a little bit -- you had a chance to look at it from the outside.

He's going to get a chance to see it from the outside and see how everything goes and get a good grasp of it. Like I said, I think he's in a good situation. I liked mine, there's nothing like getting snaps in a game -- you're going to go through a lot of lumps, especially early, but Tim's got the mental attitude that he can take those lumps and continue to improve.


FH: You've expressed some interest in the past about rejoining the Broncos as a part-owner. Is that something that's still on your radar?

JE: That'll always be on my radar, and it's something I would like to do. We'll see if the situation ever arises. Obviously, football's been a part of my life forever, it's something you never lose. Being able to be involved in something like that is a goal of mine.

FH: Was it disappointing for you the way that things ended with the Arena Football League? (Eds. Note: Elway was co-owner of the AFL's Colorado Crush from 2002 until the league suspended operations in 2009. The league returned in 2010, but the Crush are not currently a member.)

JE: It was. I think that, you know, with the way that everything went down -- trying to improve [the league] and not being able to get all the owners on the same page ... we could never get to a 75 percent vote so we could all agree on which way the league should move. That was frustrating, because I enjoyed being a part of that league. I thought it was fun to watch, but also a good ground for players to get a chance to continue playing. I don't believe you get better -- you can get stronger in the weight room -- but I don't believe you get better as a player in the weight room. Especially with NFL Europe going away, that was a great developmental type league to get players playing time, give them a chance to improve and get a shot at the NFL.

I'm glad to see [the AFL] back -- at a different level and different degree -- but giving players a chance to play.

FH: Would you consider returning to an ownership role in the new AFL or in the UFL?

JE: The reason I got in the AFL was I wanted to get that experience on the management side, which was invaluable for me. From that aspect, it was great to be involved in, I enjoyed it very much. Being involved in that capacity reassured my thought process that I'd like to get back in the NFL and be involved in an ownership group.

FH: We asked our readers if they had any questions they wanted to ask you, so here's one that came in via Twitter: With all the attention the offense got on your Super Bowl teams, do you think the defenses were underrated?

JE: Any time you have an offense, and you have guys we had on offense like Terrell Davis, who was a great back, and the points were were able to put on the board ... but to win championships, you have to have a great defense. A lot of times, a great defense doesn't get the glory it deserves when they're able to get the offense on the field to control the football, like we were able to do. We wouldn't have won those championships without the defense that we had.

FH: Do you see any of those championship teams on the current Broncos teams or is it still a work in progress there?

JE: It's a work in progress, obviously, when you get a new head coach and new philosophy, it takes time to turn the team over and get the team in position that Josh wants right now. They're going through transition, but they've been through two drafts (with the current coaching staff). They need those young guys to come in and play and continue to improve. The capability is there, but Josh knows what it takes, and it's going to take some time to see if they can get the job done or not.

FH: Is it too early to get predictions out of you? Who do you think will play in the Super Bowl?

JE: There's always easy ways to go. I think New Orleans will be back, they still have the fire burning and I don't see too many people stopping them on the offensive side of the ball. The AFC side is a different look. Indy is the easy pick, but I think Baltimore is the most rounded football team and most physical football team, so I'm going to take Baltimore.

FH: Would you have enjoyed playing in an offense like the Saints have?

JE: Absolutely. I think Sean Payton is a great offensive mind and it's a great situation for Drew Brees. There's a guy, when you talk about physical talent that doesn't compare -- he can throw an accurate ball, but he physically doesn't have the stature of a lot of guys. But when you talk about a guy with all the intangibles, Drew Brees is a guy with those things that make you a winner.

FH: Have you watched any of the "Hard Knocks" series on HBO? Would you have been opposed to having cameras around like that throughout training camp?

JE: I think, as a player, it wouldn't have impacted nearly as much as it does on the management side. Players go out and practice, but you get in those offices where the management talks about players, I think that is the intriguing side, at least for me. If I was on the management side, I'd have a different feeling, I'm not sure I'd want them around all the time.

FH: One last question: How are you keeping busy these days? Still getting out on the golf course a lot? (Eds. Note: Elway has participated in the Celebrity Players Tour for years and hosts an annual golf tournament, The John Elway Classic.)

JE: Still playing quite a bit of golf, as much as I can. I'm back in the car business, I've got four dealerships -- three in Calif., one in Colorado. I'm always looking at business deals. I'm staying plenty busy.