Former Denver Broncos coach Dan Reeves didn’t always see eye-to-eye with former quarterback John Elway. In fact, Reeves used a first-round draft pick on a quarterback while Elway was still in his prime!
Reeves selected UCLA quarterback Tommy Maddox with the 25th overall pick in the 1992 NFL draft. Elway, who now serves as the team’s general manager, was asked about that moment during his pre-draft press conference Tuesday.
“I was standing at the baggage claim at [the airport] and we needed a wideout,” Elway said. “I said, ‘Oh, [Carl] Pickens must have been gone.’ He didn’t go until the second round.”
Elway was then asked if he was upset about the Maddox selection.
“Sure. Yeah, how’d that work out?” Elway asked with a smile.
Maddox started in just four games in two years in Denver before the team traded him to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a fourth-round pick. Reeves was fired following the 1992 season.
After firing Reeves, the Broncos turned to Wade Phillips for two seasons before hiring Mike Shanahan in 1995. Shanahan turned out to be the perfect match for Elway — they won back-to-back Super Bowls together in 1997 and 1998.
Maddox turned into a journeyman quarterback and spent time in the XFL and AFL. He retired from football after failing to make an arena team’s roster in 2006. It’s safe to say Elway had good reason to rib Reeves for that draft pick.
