Denver Broncos Roster News 2015: Pat Bowlen Inducted into Ring of Fame
Sunday night was a memorable one for the entire Broncos organization as team owner Pat Bowlen was inducted into the team's Ring of Fame. Bowlen's family came to receive the honor, with the presence of the first Broncos championship team, the franchise's greatest players, and in front of a boisterous home crowd.
It was also a fitting end to the night when the Broncos won against the Green Bay Packers, 29-10 at the Sports Authority Field. Denver is now 7-0 and is one of the hottest teams in the NFL this season. Bowlen wasn't actually on hand to receive the honor, but his family was more than enough to liven up the crowd at halftime.
The 71-year-old majority owner of the Broncos is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He purchased the majority share of the club in 1984, the same year he became CEO, but his battle with the disease forced him to step down in July of last year.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
He was aptly represented, though, by his wife Annabel and their children, as well as several members of the family.
Mike Shanahan, The Broncos' former coach, said that Bowlen deserved the recognition because he's the best owner. He added, "I can't begin to tell you how much he has meant to me and the time we spent together, not only as a head coach, but an assistant coach."
The entire ceremony was filled with color, reminiscing, and a lot of memories with players as well as coaches from the 1997 Broncos team that won the first-ever championship for the franchise. As a show of respect and acknowledgement, the current Denver team donned the 1997 team uniform, which incidentally was made with Bowlen contributing to the design.
The Ring of Fame is actually one of the first things Bowlen created when he took over as team owner. With the presence of 20 other Ring of Fame members, he officially became the 28th member last Sunday.
