The Professional Football Writers of America have selected Broncos Executive Vice President of Football Operations/General Manager John Elway as the 2016 Jack Horrigan Award winner.
The organization lauded not just Elway's success in building the Super Bowl 50 champions, but also his candor with the media, saying in a press release, "[Elway] has a refreshingly candid and open media policy."
"Since John Elway returned to the Broncos in 2011, he had been in the uncommon position as a Hall of Fame player who was now a team's chief football decision-maker," said PFWA President Jeff Legwold, who covers the Broncos for ESPN.com. "And after the 2015 season, he is the only person to have started at quarterback for a Super Bowl winner and then returned as a team's top football executive to win another. Elway was cited by the PFWA membership for his willingness to offer perspective on what's happening in the league as well as candid, honest assessments of events surrounding the Broncos in both good and difficult times."
The PFWA gives the Horrigan Award to league or club officials for their qualities and professional style in helping pro football writers do their jobs. Jack Horrigan was a sportswriter for United Press International and the Buffalo Evening News before becoming the public relations director for the American Football League and later, the Buffalo Bills.
Elway is the third member of the Broncos organization to receive the honor from the PFWA, joining Floyd Little (1976) and Bob Peck (1978). He is also the 43rd person to win the award in its history.
