On the day the Denver Broncos officially end their 2017 training camp, they also celebrate the beginning of their franchise. Today, the Denver Broncos wrap up camp and celebrate their 58th birthday.
While the public portion of training camp ended on Saturday, the Broncos held their final training camp practice in front of a crowd of VIPs at UCHealth Training Center on Monday.
Led by Bob Howsam, an executive with the Denver Bears minor league baseball team, Denver was awarded a charter franchise in the newly formed American Football League on Aug. 14, 1959. Pro football would debut in the Mile High City one year later.
Howsam previously tried to bring major league baseball to Denver with the founding of the Continental League, which he hoped would rival the National and American leagues. When the league never got off the ground, Howsam turned his attention to starting a football team. After his bid for a NFL franchise did not pan out, Howsam joined Lamar Hunt, Bud Adams Jr., Harry Wismer, Barron Hilton, Ralph Wilson Jr., Billy Sullivan and a group of investors to form the AFL and its eight charter teams.
The group self-applied the nickname the “Foolish Club” for trying to take on the National Football League. A decade later they were a part of the league, and 58 years after their founding the Broncos are one of the most successful franchises in league history.
In 58 seasons, the Broncos have produced…
3 World Championships
8 Super Bowl Appearances
10 AFC Championship Games
15 AFC West Division Titles
22 Playoff Berths
29 Winning Seasons
What may have seemed like a foolish venture for Howsam back in 1959 has grown to become a brand and product worth $2.4 billion.
