Sports Watch
For Elam, the former University of Hawaii kicker who'll be starting his fourth year with the Denver Broncos, marriage means that his life is just taking off, to use another aeronautical metaphor.
We caught up with Elam by telephone at his Denver home. Even though it's the off-season, Elam has never been busier. Wedding plans, you know.
In addition, he was preparing to take yet another pilot's license - this time as an flight instructor for multi-engine airplanes. Elam already has an flight instructor's license for single-engine planes, besides his pilot's license for single and multi-engine planes.
"About the only thing left for me after this is an airline transport pilot's license," says Elam.
Which means?
"I could fly for Aloha Airlines once my career's over," Elam said. "Oh, yes. I'd love to fly for Aloha, if they'd have me."
For now, though, Elam plans to keep on kicking in the National Football League and flying recreationally.
With a five-year contract that pays him nearly a million dollars a year, the sky's the limit for Elam, who holds every UH kicking record.
Especially now that he and quarterback John Elway are linked with the Broncos for five more years. Elway, 37, recently signed a five-year contract, making him the Broncos' quarterback for life.
MEANWHILE, Elam's passion for flying continues unabated even though there were two sobering experiences recently - the air-crash deaths of Nebraska quarterback Brook Berringer and 7-year-old Jessica Dubroff.
Elam thought Berringer's death was very unfortunate, especially since Berringer had about 150 hours of flying experience. Elam had even more than the usual empathy because Berringer was a fellow football player and pilot.
"It's very unfortunate. But things like that happen and it's not something that would cause me to give up flying," Elam said.
As for baby Jessica, Elam felt that tragic incident gave flying a bad name. He doesn't think a 7-year-old has any business flying an airplane.
"Flying's not that easy," Elam says. "Maybe if they got to a certain altitude they might let her take the controls. But I know she was not capable of taking off and landing. It's tricky."
Elam was around 6 when he first got interested in airplanes. And got to ride in them, not fly them, although he remembers sitting in his father's lap and being allowed to take hold of the controls. But it wasn't flying, according to Elam.
Ralph Elam, Jason's father, was a police chief in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and had a lot of friends stationed at nearby Eglin Air Force Base.
The fascination with flight was simply only a fascination until Elam graduated from the University of Hawaii.
He took his first flying lesson in Atlanta, while back home awaiting the 1993 NFL draft. "It was something I did to take my mind off of the draft," Elam said.
NOW flying has become a passion for Elam, who is among 10 NFL players who have a pilot's license. One is Denver teammate Gary Zimmerman, another is Dallas kicker Chris Boniol. Former Tampa Bay coach Sam Wyche flies his own plane.
"I fly whenever I get a chance and take up whoever I can talk into going," Elam said. What makes it convenient is that the Centennial Airport where he flies out of is right across the Broncos' practice facility.
Elam will literally come down to earth for his wedding to Denver Broncos' cheerleader, Tamy Cline, May 25 at the Castle Pines Country Club.
His best man? Not his holder, Tom Rouen, or long snapper Jeff Robinson.
"My dad," says Elam, who'll be honeymooning in the Caribbean.