Best Broncos to Ever Wear the Jersey Number: 60-69
USA Today recently presented its list of the best NFL players to wear a particular jersey number, a list that included four former Denver Broncos players: John Elway, Peyton Manning, Terrell Davis, and Gary Zimmerman.
As we approach the 2023 NFL season, let's have some fun and look at who were the best Broncos to ever wear each jersey number, from 0 to 99.
I used Pro Football Reference's Approximate Value to determine most of the selections. In a few cases, I selected more than one player, whether they were tied in PFR AV or there is more than one player who holds significance to the team's history.
In the seventh installment, which covers numbers 60 through 69, you will notice the majority of the players are among the top offensive linemen to play for the Broncos, including a Hall-of-Famer.
No. 60: Paul Howard | OG
The drafts from the 1970s tend to be better known for the defensive players who comprised the Orange Crush. But a third-round pick in 1973 became a key member of the offensive line.
Howard didn't start as a rookie but emerged in his second season and started five of 14 games. By his third season, he claimed a starting job.
From 1975 to 1986, Howard started 142 games at right guard. He spent his entire 13-year career with the Broncos, and while he may not have been a top player, he was key to the success of the Broncos running game.
No. 61: Tommy Lyons | OG
In recent years, Matt Paradis became a quality starter at center for the Broncos and was one of the key players on the Super Bowl 50 winning squad. But another offensive lineman gets the nod here.
Lyons was a 14th-round pick in the 1971 NFL draft. He was active for 11 games as a rookie, with one start. In his second season, he worked his way further into the lineup and started 10 games.
For the next two seasons, Lyons started 14 games at right guard in 1973, then switched between left and right guard in 1974. He started 10 games at left guard in 1975, then 14 in 1976 before his tenure ended.
No. 62: Dan Neil | OG
Tom Glassic, the Broncos' first-round selection in the 1976 NFL draft, made an impact on the team and started for the Broncos in their first Super Bowl appearance.
But the best Broncos player to wear this number started in the Broncos' second Super Bowl win. A third-round pick in 1997, Neil was a depth player, but he was thrust into a starting role in 1998 after former starter Brian Habib departed in free agency.
The Broncos' offensive line didn't miss a beat as Neil started all 16 games and played a key role in Terrell Davis rushing for 2,000 yards in the 1998 season. Neil would spend eight seasons with the Broncos, starting 104 games.
No. 63: Dave Costa | DL
The two most notable to wear 63 played in the franchise's earlier years. John Grant was a defensive lineman from 1973 to 1979 who started 36 games.
The other, Costa, also played defensive line for the Broncos from 1967 to 1971, during which time he had 37.5 sacks (though an unofficial stat at the time) and received three Pro Bowl nods.
Costa spent his first three seasons with the Raiders, then his fourth with the Buffalo Bills, before he joined the Broncos. After his time in Denver, he played two seasons with the Chargers, then returned to the Bills for his final season in 1974.
No. 64: Bill Bryan | C
We go back to the offensive line for the best to wear No. 64. A 1977 fourth-round pick, Bryan would go on to become an important part of the Broncos' offensive line.
Though he didn't start as a rookie, he claimed the starting job in 1978 and went on to start 151 of 153 games for which he was active.
Bryan may be most notable for being the center when John Elway took over as starting quarterback. It's also worth noting that Bryan, a Duke University graduate, holds the second-longest NFL career for a Duke graduate, behind only Hall-of-Famer Sonny Jurgensen.
No. 65: Gary Zimmerman | OT
Louis Vasquez played for the Super Bowl 50 team and received All-Pro honors in 2013. But as good as he was, the best Bronco to wear 65 has taken his rightful place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Zimmerman was taken in the first round of the 1984 supplemental draft by the New York Giants but never took a snap for them. However, he instead signed with the Los Angeles Express of the USFL and played for them for two seasons. When the USFL folded, the Giants traded his rights to the Minnesota Vikings.
Zimmerman then spent seven seasons with the Vikings before he was traded to the Broncos. He played left tackle for the Broncos from 1993 to 1997, getting two Pro Bowl bids and one first-team All-Pro honor, and was part of the first Broncos team to win the Super Bowl in his final NFL season.
No. 66: Tom Nalen | C
This one isn't even close. Nalen, a seventh-round pick in 1994, turned into one of the biggest draft-day steals the Broncos have ever had.
Nalen spent the majority of his rookie season on the practice squad but was active for seven games and started one. In 1995, he claimed the starting job and never looked back.
From 1995 to 2007, Nalen started 187 games and was named to five Pro Bowls with two first-team All-Pro honors. He was named to the Broncos Ring of Fame and is arguably one of the most overlooked players when it comes to Pro Football Hall of Fame consideration.
No. 67 (Tie): George Goeddeke | G/C
We have two players who tied in PFR AV, the first an offensive lineman from the Broncos' earlier years.
A third-round selection in the 1976 AFL draft, Goeddeke started five games at left guard as a rookie, then started all 14 games for the Broncos the next three seasons and received a Pro Bowl berth.
Goeddeke switched to center in 1971 and started 12 games. But he played just two games in 1972 and was out of the NFL after that season.
No. 67 (Tie): Doug Widell | OG
The other top Bronco to wear 67 also played offensive line. Widell was a second-round pick in 1989 and became a key player for the next four seasons.
Widell started 58 games for the Broncos at left guard for three seasons and at right guard for his fourth. He would play five more seasons after that, one with the Green Bay Packers, two with the Detroit Lions, and two with the Indianapolis Colts.
Widell had a brother who spent some time with the Broncos, too. Dave Widell was an offensive lineman who started his career with the Dallas Cowboys in 1988 before he joined the Broncos in 1990 and spent four seasons with the team.
No. 68: Rubin Carter | DT
Some fans will remember Zane Beadles, an offensive guard who played for the Broncos from 2010 to 2013. But the best Bronco to wear 68 is a member of the Orange Crush.
A fifth-round pick in 1975, Carter started seven games as a rookie. He then became the Broncos' starting nose tackle for the next six seasons.
Carter started just six games in 1982, then started 46 more games from 1983 to 1985 before injuries cut his 1986 season short. Carter finished with 30 sacks and went on to coach college football at Florida A&M and Purdue.
No. 69: Mark Schlereth | OG
We finish this list with an offensive lineman, one who was part of the Broncos' first two Super Bowl wins, though he didn't start his career with them.
Schlereth was a 10th-round pick by Washington in 1989 and started 59 games in six seasons. He signed with the Broncos as a free agent and played six more seasons, starting 81 games.
During his NFL career, Schlereth earned two Pro Bowl bids, one in 1991 with Washington and the other in 1998 with Denver. Schlereth went on to become a Denver radio host and an analyst for ESPN from 2004 to 2017, before joining FOX Sports to become a color commentator.
Our next installment will cover numbers 70 to 79. In the meantime, be sure to check out 0-9, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, and 50-59.
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