Last month we told you about Denver Bronco Quarterback Club member Jay Yoder’s participation in Craig Hospital’s Walk Against Paralysis. Here’s Jay’s story of his many years as a Bronco fan, thanks to Theresa Yoder.
As a young Kansas farm boy, Jay Yoder worked hard and had little contact with professional football. When he moved to Colorado to better himself in 1959, getting a job in home construction work, he soon became aware of a new TEAM in town, namely the laughable Denver Broncos.
Yes, talks abound over the next few years about the Broncos. However, getting acquainted with new friends who played this game called football, he was able to grasp the sport.
Upon attending a few games, as dates with his now wife occasionally, he was fortunate to watch games that had Johnny Unitas, Dick Butkus, Gayle Sayers, and Alex Karras [to name a few pro-players] coming to town to play those Broncos. These games spurred more interest in the sport, so when he heard about available Season Tickets through co-workers, he and wife set out to budget their monies to purchase same. By 1967 he was a proud Season Ticket Holder of two seats in the NW corner of Bears Stadium [behind home plate]. Much comradery was built with others in the area that became his “Bronco Family.”
The next big step for Jay to accomplish was joining the Denver Broncos Quarterback Club. At that time, late 60’s and through the 70’s, the QB Club was the official Booster Club of the Denver Broncos. Besides buying game tickets for less fortunate children, the Club also did its best to encourage knowledge of the game of football and help to increase the fan base of Denver’s team. Jay meeting players, hearing the Coaches explain game tapes and “the game” in more depth, created a well-grounded group of supporters.
During that time frame, the QB Club had two weekly meetings: Tuesday luncheons for the business crowd and then Thursday dinners for a more family friendly setting [giving working parents and school children a chance to get involve with THE TEAM]. Of course, meeting places changed, but the community of QB Club Members formed a family-style bond around their Broncos.
Along came Monday Night Football with Howard Cosell, and the irritation of the Denver Bronco fans having their TEAM being ignored during weekend game plays shown during half-time, stirred activities of throwing bricks at TV’s etc. Maybe a silly activity, but grounds for well attended Bronco Pep Rallies.
Then in the mid 70’s, Denver brought forth a Super Bowl bound TEAM of Talent. Again Jay accomplished a dream by attending that 1st Super Bowl in New Orleans, LA. A loss was yet another source of heartache, and years of verbal abuse. The Denver Broncos had several other Super Bowl bound teams with the same sad results.
A change in Coaches, Owners, and Media coverage over the years has the TEAM as one of global interest after the 1997 Super Bowl win over a favorite. This 5th Super Bowl appearance, by the Denver Broncos in San Diego, CA, was attended by Jay as a gift from his wife winning the tickets through public drawings. Wow! What an experience he still relives time and again. The Denver Broncos created their own spectacular Back-to-Back victory, by winning their 6th Super Bowl appearance in Miami, FL.
This action pushed “the team” to again acquire lots of folks jumping onto the Denver Bronco bandwagon. Yet it took another long period of time to produce what seemed to be, the best talent ever for another Super Bowl Trophy. The Broncos did just that during their 2013 Season, becoming the AFC Champions once again, and appeared in their 7th Super Bowl with devastating results.
So after 47 years, Jay is still an avid Denver Bronco fan and a faithful QB Club Member, facing the unknown about time needed to rebuild a winning team, and his recovery from such heartache of yet another Super Bowl loss.
All that is left to say is: GO BRONCOS GO.
Jay and Theresa happen to be my in-laws and you won’t find bigger Bronco fans or better people in the whole world. If you know them at all then you know Jay has just passed the 5 year survival mark after suffering a sudden and catastrophic spinal cord infection which has resulted in not only surviving but recovering from paralysis and a long road of continued recovery and rehabilitation at Craig Hospital with Theresa as his primary caregiver. Although they have not been able to attend a game in the last five years they continue to keep their season tickets giving others an opportunity to see a game in their stead and have never wavered in supporting “their team”. They are both truly miraculous people, I love them both dearly and am so proud of them. GO BRONCOS!!