ChiefsPlanet - The new John Elway

The family resemblance is striking

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Out of the shadows
John Elway III is carrying on the family trade in Colo.
Posted: Wednesday October 18, 2006 1:15PM

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....nb/index.html

John Albert Elway III has lived his entire 17 years in the gigantic shadow cast by his Hall of Fame father, retired Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway.

But Jack, as he is called, has never been given anything because of his pedigree, which includes a grandfather who was a successful college football coach and a mother, Janet, who was a collegiate swimmer at Stanford. Instead, he has paid his dues at every level of football before advancing to a starting quarterback position this fall as a junior at Cherry Creek (Englewood, Colo.) High.

He was introduced to football at a young age, playing Pop Warner ball as a second grader, but it didn't come easy.

"It was kind of hard at first," Jack said. "I didn't really always understand how the whole offense worked. It [football] really wasn't that big of a deal at that point."

His mother remembers those early years, saying, "He was not that interested in football and, in fact, would become very nervous while I was driving him to games. He would count the stoplights and could hardly wait to get home to his video games. Today he adores the game."

During his freshman season at Cherry Creek, Jack shared quarterback duties and started at linebacker for the freshman team. His sophomore year he moved to the junior varsity, where he continued to learn the system as a starting quarterback.

As this year started, Jack had to battle a transfer for the starting quarterback position on the varsity squad. Coach Greg Critchett said they went down to the final pre-season jamboree before Jack earned the starting nod.

The words pressure and steady improvement help to describe Jack's budding career. First the pressure. What more needs to be said than someone named Elway living in a Denver suburb? As a youngster, Jack always wore his dad's famous No. 7 uniform. However, as he reached varsity status, he hesitated. "It was kind of a big thing for me to be labeled," he said. "I could have been my own person. But I'd been No. 7 my whole life and decided to keep it."

Critchett says his young signal caller has "handled it really well. Things don't quite faze him. I think there is pressure there. We've tried to keep him away from some of that stuff. It's tough, because there was a lot of hype even before he won the starting job."

Elway's varsity debut had a circus atmosphere with heavy media coverage and TV cameras everywhere. He passed for 114 yards and one touchdown and ran nine times for 39 yards and another TD as the Bruins posted a 56-20 victory against Denver's Montbello High. "I was really nervous before that game," he conceded. "There was a lot of pressure -- a lot on my back. After the first series, it all went away and I got comfortable."

"I think any dad would like to have his son follow in his footsteps." John said. "We gave him the opportunity and it was a matter of whether he liked it or not. All I try to do is release [the pressure.] I don't see it [in Jack's play this year.] All he's got to do is play the best he can. We'll take one level at a time."

Following his retirement from the NFL, John began coaching Jack's team when he was in sixth grade. Janet believes that John gave their son a lot of "comfort and support." Their relationship helped his love for football grow and his throwing mechanics and ability to read defenses steadily improved. In later years, he began to get a great feel for the pocket -- an intangible, again from his dad.

Jack's improvement has not only been from year to year, but even from game to game. In this year's fifth game, a 33-3 victory over Smoky Hill, he drilled 22-of-27 passes for 293 yards and one touchdown. On another occasion, he broke loose for a 65-yard touchdown on an option play. In his first six games (a 3-3 record), he completed 81-of-153 passes for 985 yards and four touchdowns, throwing three interceptions. He also ran 42 times for a net of 225 yards and six TDs. He missed last week's game due to a hip injury and could miss a second game this week.

One of the keys to Jack's improvement is a growth spurt of almost four inches in the past two years. He now is 6-3 and a solid 190 pounds. At the same age John was 6-0 and 170 pounds. While John was famous for scrambling, he says his son is quicker. Jack runs the 40 in 4.66 seconds. John said he ran the 40 in around 4.9 at the same stage and his NFL best was 4.74. Jack also has a vertical jump of more than 30 inches and has a throwing range of around 65 yards.

Critchett has watched his young protégé grow from an "awkward" freshman into what he now terms a poised, "physical specimen. He's sharp, understands the game and has really good decision-making skills. In terms of the pocket, he senses things. He's throwing the ball better every week. He's probably more of a drop-back passer, but he has the ability to scramble. We're just excited."

Jack, who also plays basketball, idolizes his father, of course, but he is a big Peyton Manning fan, having attended his camp last summer. He also likes to swim and draw.

He has a 3.5 GPA and his favorite subject is physics. He hasn't thought much about college but said, "I want to get out of state. I would definitely go to Stanford. I love it over there."

John gets the last word on his son. He said, "He's just developing his confidence and still is in the process. Every snap he takes, he gets better. He can take it as far as he wants to take it. He's getting a taste of it this year. He's got the physical tools."