How Did The Denver Broncos Become The Broncos?

On August 14th, 1959, Denver was given the chance to have a professional football team in the AFL (American Football League).

Bob Howsam was the first owner of the Denver Broncos. Before he owned the Broncos he owned the Denver Bears, a minor league baseball team for the MLB New York Yankees. Bob, his brother and father all built a stadium for the baseball team called Bears Stadium. After some renovations and expansion on the stadium, it grew bigger to what you now know it as today, Mile High Stadium.

After Bob acquired the new AFL expansion team they needed a name, so he went to the public and asked. The city held a contest asking all residents to come up with a name for the new football team according to MSN. After looking at over 500 entries, Ward Vining from Lakewood, CO entry of the Broncos won and that's what the teams name has been ever since according to Mile High Report. This wasn't the first time a professional team in Denver used the mascot of a bronco. In 1921, Denver had a team that was apart of the Midwest Baseball League, they were also called the Denver Broncos.

The first year they competed as a team they won their first AFL game against the Boston Patriots 13-10. In 1967, the Broncos were the first AFL team to beat an NFL team, the Detriot Lions 13-7.

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