Broncos’ Elam was living a fantasy
Adam Rank | Tags: Gisele Bundchen, Jason Elam, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady
Everybody dreams of scoring the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. I dream of being Jason Elam.
Elam retired from the Broncos on Wednesday, after signing one of those sentimental one-day contracts, and capped one of the greatest careers in NFL history. You can have the storied careers of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, I would stack Elam’s resume up against either of those guys.
Elam played football at the University of Hawaii, for the Rainbow Warriors. And after that, living in Denver and Atlanta ain’t bad either.
Elam is a two-time Super Bowl champion. Watch the “Lost Rings” series on NFL Network to see how much these players want to win one title. And better yet, he’s a kicker, so it’s not like he has taken any big hits or even had to spend time practicing.
Brady has three titles, but he had to rehab like no other after injuring his knee and missing nearly every minute of the 2008 season. Elam likely spent that time working on his short game. (He’s probably a scratch golfer, too.)
Manning does have a ring, but Elam was considered clutch.
And the coup-de-gras, Elam married a Broncos cheerleader, even though most NFL teams have rules against fraternization with the cheerleaders. The hero got the cheerleader, just like Shane Falco in “The Replacements.”
Again, Brady has Gisele. But he also has TMZ cameras dogging him. Score one for Elam.
That cheerleader wife was the reason why I often used my last draft pick to take Elam in my fantasy draft. Be honest, kickers are an after-thought. So why not go after the one with the cheerleader wife, living the life that straddles the line between admiration and envy?
Godspeed Elam, thanks for the inspiration and some fantasy titles, too.


