KNOW YOUR 1980s DENVER BRONCOS

This week, #23, Sammy Winder.

Sammy was not the flashiest of the Broncos’ running backs in the 1980s, but his steady work and dependable reputation makes him the quintessential example.  He joined the Broncos in 1982 after being drafted in the fifth round, and went on to play his entire career with Denver, retiring after the 1990 season. He led the Broncos in rushing for five straight years, from 1983-1987, and remains the team’s third all-time leader rusher.   Sammy’s best season came in 1984, when he rushed for 1153 yards and made his first Pro Bowl.  His 14 rushing and receiving touchdowns in 1986 resulted in his other Pro Bowl trip, as well as the team’s first Super Bowl berth of the 1980s.  Later in his career, he made a transition out of the starting running back role, splitting carries with other backs and even taking on the role of fullback.

He played in Super Bowl XXI, in which the Broncos were pummeled by the New York Giants 39-20, Super Bowl XXII, in which the Broncos were pummeled by the Washington Native Americans 42-10, and Super Bowl XXIV, in which the Broncos were pummeled by the San Francisco 49ers 55-10.

So what makes Sammy Winder so awesome? Most importantly, Sammy Winder has the best running back name in the history of sport (excepting possibly Craig “Ironhead” Heyward).  But beyond that, he was a steadfastly dependable cog in the team machine.  He wasn’t the fastest or strongest running back around.  Even at his peak he never finished among the league’s top ten rushers.  (A 1999 “catching up” profile of him in Sports Illustrated starts: “When Denverites hear the name of Sammy Winder, a former star running back for the Broncos, they show all the excitement of a fern.”)  But he did what was asked of him, year in and year out, and that was to be the featured running back in Dan Reeves’ prehistoric offense.  You see, Coach Reeves had at his disposal one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, John Elway, and capitalized on this situation by insisting on a run-first offense.  As my Dad once put it, the Dan Reeves playbook was, from first down through fourth: run right, run left, pass, punt.  Sammy fulfilled his role, whatever it was from year to year, with class.

After retirement (Sammy stepped away at a relatively young 31, opting to leave while he was still healthy rather than chase a few more years, probably with another team), Sammy returned home to Mississippi.  He lives there with his family and owns and operates a construction company with his brother.

Image from SI Vault – Cover of volume 61, no. 17, October 8, 1984.