SAN DIEGO -- Here's a salute to the Denver Broncos for winning one for the underdogs everywhere. Ex-’Bows share in the
Broncos’ Super momentThey went from Super zeroes to Super heroes by stunning the heavily favored Green Bay Packers, 31-24, in the most competitive Super Bowl since the New York Giants beat Buffalo eight years ago.
The Packers, who considered themselves the Second Coming of the great Green Bay teams that won the first two Super Bowls under Vince Lombardi, got their comeuppance instead.
One word summed it up for the Broncos, their quarterback John Elway and the American Football Conference -- finally!
Denver finally won a Super Bowl, avoiding the embarrassment of becoming the first team to lose five Super Bowls.
Elway finally got his Super Bowl championship ring after being the losing quarterback in three Super Bowls.
And the AFC finally ended a 13-game losing streak to the NFC.
Elway got his long-sought ring and Bronco running back Terrell Davis walked off with the MVP trophy. But two former University of Hawaii players shared the Super moment with them.
''Unbelievable, unbelievable,'' starting defensive tackle Maa Tanuvasa said in the Bronco locker room after the game.
''We never imagined it'd be this way. But all of us guys stuck together, going against the odds, and we came out on top. Knowing that we were the underdogs and everybody saying that they were going to kill us made this a lot sweeter.''
DENVER became only the second wild-card team -- the other was the 1981 Oakland Raiders -- to win the Super Bowl. But the Broncos did the Raiders one better by having to win three postseason games to get here.
Along with the rest of the Broncos, Tanuvasa was elated that Elway finally got what he deserved -- the one thing that was missing in his brilliant 15-year NFL career.
Elway and the Broncos got what Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre called ''The greatest thing the NFL has to offer,'' namely a Super Bowl championship ring.
''I'm happy that Elway finally got his championship,'' Tanuvasa said. ''But a lot of the other guys here don't have rings either. So it's a bonus for everybody.''
Tanuvasa didn't care to know his ring size before the game. Not that he was superstitious. But he's going to look into it now.
Elam knew beforehand. ''It's a size 11 and I'll be wearing it here,'' he said, pointing to the ring finger of his right hand.
''I've been extremely blessed. It's been unbelievable what has happened to me,'' said Elam, whose 51-yard field goal, which gave the Broncos a 17-7 lead in the second quarter, was the second longest in Super Bowl history.
''Even going back to Hawaii and everything, having a chance to play for the Denver Broncos, making the Pro Bowl and playing for the fans there again and now this, the Super Bowl championship,'' said the fifth-year Broncos' kicker. ''It's something I'm going to cherish the rest of my life.''
ELAM didn't know whether his field goal was good at first, even though he knew he hit it solidly. ''There were so many flash bulbs that went off at once when I looked up. I didn't see it coming down."
The victory made up for a ''down'' year for Elam, who made only 26 of 36 field goals during the regular season.
''Yeah, I'll take the season I had personally any day if we're going to win the Super Bowl,'' he said.
For Elam and Tanuvasa, winning at Qualcomm Stadium brought back memories of their 1992 Holiday Bowl victory there as UH teammates. Back then it was known as Jack Murphy Stadium.
''This is a whole lot different, though," said Tanuvasa.
You bet it is. This victory came in the biggest football game of the year.
Salute that.