ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — During his annual pre-training camp press conference, President/CEO Joe Ellis on Friday echoed a number of national media members when he expressed his support for Owner Pat Bowlen's Pro Football Hall of Fame candidacy.
The Contributors Committee will convene on Aug. 23 to nominate a pair of individuals as finalists for this year's class, and Ellis made it clear he believes Bowlen deserves to be chosen for the Class of 2019.
"It's well-deserved," Ellis said. "It's time. This is the year. It'll be a great thing for him and a well-deserved honor and I'll be very happy when it happens."
If Bowlen were to be nominated on Aug. 23, he would join the group of finalists that can be elected on the eve of Super Bowl LIII to next year's class.
And while Ellis — who has worked with Bowlen for nearly three decades — knows Bowlen would not want the attention that has built around his Hall of Fame case in recent years, the honor would still mean a great deal.
"It would mean a lot for him and his family, first and foremost," Ellis said. "He would never admit that. He's very modest and very humble, and I'm not sure he'd enjoy all the attention that this has created for him. But certainly it's well-deserved."
