Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen died on Thursday evening after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. On Saturday, former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning released a statement that included a story about the kind of conversations he used to have with Bowlen in the team’s training room.
“In my first year in 2012, I was here a lot in the offseason,” Manning said, via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala. “As soon as I signed with the Broncos, I was basically living at the facility — studying film, rehabbing and working out. I was usually one of the last to leave the facility during that time. I say, ‘I thought I was the last to leave,’ but Mr. Bowlen was still there.
“He’d usually be in the training room on the elliptical, and I would go in there and have conversations with him. He was asking me if we found a place to live yet, and I remember once I told him we found a place to live, he told me he used to live right near there, and we talked a little about that. Just short, brief conversations, and I enjoyed that time with him.”
After being released by the Indianapolis Colts in 2012, Manning signed a four-year, $96 million contract with the Broncos. Manning said in his statement that the winning culture Bowlen built in Denver was a large reason why he decided to sign with the Broncos. The two-time Super Bowl champion also noted that it was an “honor” to play for the late owner.
“I’m grateful for Mr. Bowlen and the legacy that he’s established with the Broncos, in the NFL and certainly in this Denver community,” Manning said. “He will be missed by many. It was an honor to know Mr. Bowlen and a real pleasure to have played for his team — the Denver Broncos.”
