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Sports Watch
DENVER'S the hottest team in the National Football League right now and Broncos' kicker Jason Elam, the former University of Hawaii standout, is certainly getting his kicks. Jason Elam’s
season is up,
it’s goodFive straight weeks and five victories have propelled the Broncos, once given up for dead with the Denver press writing their epitaph, right back in the AFC West race. They're just one game back of the Oakland Raiders.
"It's getting interesting now. I think the pressure's now on them. We've scored 38 points in each of our last three games, no matter who's our quarterback," Elam said.
Elam's also on a roll. He set the NFL record by kicking his 302nd consecutive extra point in the Broncos' 38-23 victory over New Orleans last Sunday. He'll try to add to it tomorrow when they host the Seattle Seahawks.
It's quite an accomplishment and something the Georgia native never expected, especially considering Hawaii was the only Division I-A school to offer him a scholarship. The rest, as they say, is history.
After inscribing his name in the UH and Western Athletic Conference record books, Elam first made history in the NFL, tying Tom Dempsey's record for the longest field goal -- a 63-yarder.
Now he holds the NFL record for most PATs in a row.
"You never think you'll make 302 times in a row," Elam said. "But, it's more of a tribute to the offensive line. That's 302 times that they didn't let anybody through."
At UH, Elam made 158 of 161 extra points including 91 in a row over a 2 1/2-year period.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, has the shoe he used for the record-tying field goal. Now it wants teammate Mike Anderson's game jersey after he broke the NFL's single-game rookie rushing record of 251 yards in the same game that Elam set his PAT record.
"It seems like we've added quite a few things from the Denver Broncos the last few years," said Hall of Fame official Joe Horrigan, referring to Elam's donation as well. "This is another major milestone."
CANTON also obtained another souvenir this season -- Cincinnati running back Corey Dillon's game jersey -- also thanks to the Broncos.
Dillon eclipsed Walter Payton's NFL single-game rushing record with a 278-yard game on Oct. 22 as the previously winless Bengals stunned the Broncos.
"It was one of those things when nothing went right for us," Elam said. "But maybe it woke us up. We had a bye after that, so we had two weeks to think about it."
The Broncos haven't lost since. One of their key victories was over Oakland on "Monday Night Football" when quarterback Brian Griese played with a shoulder injury. "I can't believe he finished the game," Elam said.
Even with Griese sidelined since then, the Broncos haven't stopped scoring and Elam hasn't stopped converting extra points.
With Gus Frerotte taking over for Griese, and Anderson making "um-um good" like Campbell Soup as Terrell Davis' backup, the Broncos are suddenly 9-4 and not only thinking playoffs but a lot more.
"A lot of things have to happen. But I still think we can win out and get a bye and home-field advantage," Elam said.
"I believe Griese is ready to play, but Gus is very capable. He was a Pro Bowl quarterback with the Redskins."
Elam remembers Frerotte when they played against each other at Aloha Stadium in 1992 when UH beat Tulsa, 38-9, before the latter joined the WAC.
"We won, so I didn't want to bring it up."
Bill Kwon has been writing about
sports for the Star-Bulletin since 1959.