Ring of Fame moment ‘special,’ ‘unforgettable’ for Broncos greats
Oct 25, 2016, 4:29 AM
John Lynch spent just four years with the Denver Broncos, but the Hall of Fame finalist certainly made them count.
In each of his four seasons in orange and blue Lynch made the Pro Bowl — joining five Broncos as players to achieve such a feat in his first four years.
He helped Denver to a No. 8 ranking in total defense during his time in Denver, along with helping lead the 2015 unit that gave up the fewest points per game (16.1) by the club in more than a decade en route to an AFC West crown and conference title shot.
But despite the accolades and praises, as a banner dropped to reveal his name on the Ring of Fame facade at Mile High on Monday, Lynch said his four years in Denver were “so powerful” that they felt like a whole career’s worth of time.
“To be honest, when you’re playing you never think about these things,” Lynch said of the honor. “ But now you get a chance to look back and enjoy what you were able to do with your teammates, and it’s … I keep using the word special because that’s really what it is. It’s going to be unforgettable.”
Lynch joined fellow Broncos defensive great Simon Fletcher and former teammate Jason Elam on the field Monday as the franchise honored the three Ring of Fame inductees with a halftime ceremony.
And all three conveyed appreciation to the Broncos and owner Pat Bowlen, along with the fan in Broncos Country.
“I thought about my mother, and she’s here. And my children … I think I have to them how appreciative and how indebted our family is to the Denver Broncos organization and the fans,” said Fletcher, an orange and blue lifer who never missed any of the 172 games he played in during his 11 years in Denver.
Elam, who played 15 seasons of his 17-year career in Denver, called it just an honor to included with the men whose names he kicked in front of for a decade and a half.
“Just to look around at the names in the Ring of Fame, those are guys that I’ve looked up to and watched every Sunday growing up,” Elam said. “To be able to hang out with them all week and for my name to go up there with theirs, it’s unbelievable.”
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.