12-21-2007, 02:39 AM
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#1 (permalink)
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FBF All Star Running Back!
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 637
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A Record 15 Years In The Making
Quote:
By Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- As a third-round pick of the Broncos in 1993, Jason Elam enjoyed a lofty draft status as far as kickers go. But his expectations for his Denver tenure were as modest as one might expect from someone who breaks into the NFL as an undrafted free agent.
Career survival, not smashing success, was his first objective.
"When I came in, I was really hoping to just get a year or two under my belt and then bounce around the league for four or five years," he said. "That's what kickers do."
Elam, though, has never been the ordinary kicker -- or NFL player, for that matter.
He's the only player to open his career with 15 consecutive 100-point seasons, a streak he extended by scoring seven points in the Week 15 defeat at Houston. He's a world traveler, a published author and, as of this coming Monday night, the man who has played more games for the Broncos than anyone else.
Denver's trip to San Diego will mark Elam's 235th career contest, surpassing the franchise standard established by John Elway between September 1983 and January 1999. When Elam first arrived in Denver, Elway was in the heart of his prime years; his name stood as tall as the light stanchions at Mile High Stadium.
No wonder, then, that the accomplishment of endurance has yet to sink in for Elam.
"It really hasn't," Elam said. "I always think of John. John is John. He's the man around here. I remember coming in as a rookie and I felt like a little kid around John. I wanted to go up and get his autograph all the time.
"He was so good here and it's gone by so fast and I just never anticipated anything like this happening. But I just feel very blessed to have been able to play with one team for so long and have a long career."
While he can't get the same distance he once did -- evidence of which came in 2002 when he ceded kickoff duties to the team's punters -- Elam's right leg remains as accurate as ever. His 85.7-percent success rate for the season is 5.2 percent better than his career percentage.
If he can keep his field-goal percentage over 80 percent, it will give him his fifth season of 80 percent success or better in the last six campaigns. For comparison's sake, Elam was at 80 percent or better in five of his first nine seasons.
"What he has done on the field speaks for itself," Broncos Head Coach Mike Shanahan said. "It's nice to have a guy you can count on and someone you can consider a team leader."
And leaders don't milk accomplishments. They smile, nod their head and move on to the next task. Stepping onto the field Monday night won't leave Elam starstruck over his accomplishment
"You're usually focused on the game and what you have to do and that's more along the lines of what you're doing," Elam said. "I'm sure down the road I can look back on a lot of things in my career and have a lot of very fond memories.
"To be able to play for 15 years, you don't even think about that -- let alone with one team. It's been awesome -- and then to play not only with one team, but (to play) here in Denver. It's a great city (with) great fans (and a) great organization.
"It's been awesome."
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Clutch kicker Jason Elam
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"Great is a word that's overused in our profession, but it's appropriate when you're talking about Champ Bailey"
Peyton Manning
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A Record 15 Years In The Making
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