Paige: Dan Reeves Plowed His Way to Prominence with the Denver Broncos
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Paige: Dan Reeves plowed his way to prominence with the Denver Broncos By Woody Paige The Denver Post September 14, 2014 In 1965, Dan Reeves, an undrafted free-agent quarterback out of the University of South Carolina, was signed by the Dallas Cowboys, who intended to convert him into a safety. A year later, Reeves finished sixth in the NFL in rushing yardage as a starting running back and became a cover boy for Sports Illustrated as "The Unwanted Cowboy." He was quoted then as saying: "Someday I want to be a coach and own a farm." Two days ago, Reeves told me: "What I meant to say was I wanted to be a coach, so I'd never have to go back to the farm." Edd and Ann Reeves owned a 275-acre farm outside the county seat of Americus, Ga., and had a sickly child named Daniel Edward who spent his first six years mostly in bed and the next 12 working the farm and playing sports. "Farming is the hardest work in the world," Reeves says. "I'd be plowing on the tractor at 11 o'clock at night with the headlights on. I didn't want anybody to find out, but I was scared of the dark. All I knew was I wanted to go off to college and not be a farmer the rest of my life." When he was hurt as a high school senior, only one school — South Carolina — offered Danny a scholarship, and he accepted. But when he came back to be named the MVP in the state schoolboy all-star game, every university in the region — including the one he always wanted to play for (Georgia) — came calling to the farm. But his highly principled, religious father would not let his son go back on his word. After Reeves' pro career was ruined by a knee injury, Dallas coach Tom Landry kept him as a player-coach. Reeves played in two Super Bowls with Dallas and served as an assistant in three — one against the Broncos in January 1978. "I loved that Broncos 'Orange Crush' defense," he says now. Meanwhile, in 1981, Canadian Edgar Kaiser Jr., scion of a famous steel-and- shipbuilding family, bought the Broncos. He didn't know if a football was stuffed or pumped up. He called the one former NFL player he'd met, Fran Tarkenton, and asked for advice for a new coach. Hall of Fame quarterback Tarkenton said, according to Kaiser and Reeves, "If I owned a team, I'd hire Dan Reeves as my head coach. I admired the way he played, and I respect him as an assistant." Kaiser called Reeves ship to shore from his yacht. "I didn't know who he was, and I actually never knew Tarkenton either," Reeves said. "I was shocked. Kaiser told me he was sending me a plane ticket to get to his family estate on Orcas Island (near the U.S.-Canada border). I flew from Dallas to San Francisco to Vancouver, and a seaplane met me and took me to Orcas. I thought that Tattoo from 'Fantasy Island' was going to shout, 'The plane, boss, the plane.' Now, I'm really shocked. This guy shows up at the dock in a tuxedo with a glass of champagne and tells his staff to take my luggage to New Zealand. It's taken me forever to get here, and I don't want to fly to New Zealand. That was the name of one of Edgar's guest houses." Reeves said Kaiser never asked him a football question. "He wants to know how long a contract I want, and I said three years. He said fine. I should have asked for five. He asks if $105,000 would be about right for the first year. I said $125,000 sounded more right. I should have asked for a lot more. I asked for the final say (on personnel), and Edgar told me he didn't want me to trade a No. 1, 2 or 3 (draft choice) without his approval. We put it in the contract. "And I was hired." Dan's dream of being a head coach someday became reality March 10, 1981. He had another wish granted two years and two months later. And two No. 1s were traded ... by Kaiser. "Edgar was responsible for getting John (Elway). He called me and told me we had a chance, and wanted to know what I thought. I was all for it," Reeves said. "Edgar was close friends with (Colts owner Robert) Irsay. That changed the course of football history." In one of the most lopsided trades in sports history, the Broncos got Elway, the first overall pick in 1983, from the Baltimore Colts for the Broncos' No. 1 that year (Chris Hinton), a No. 1 in 1984 and quarterback Mark Herrmann — and the Broncos promised to play two exhibitions in Baltimore. In 10 seasons, Reeves and Elway went to three Super Bowls (in four seasons) together, but they generally were miles (and a mile high) apart. "My biggest regret is that we didn't win a Super Bowl for Denver," Reeves said. Reeves was fired after the 1992 season. "I wanted to coach in Denver forever," he said. He ultimately would take the Atlanta Falcons to the Super Bowl in the 1998 season — he had life-threatening, quadruple-bypass heart surgery late in the season — to play against ... Elway and the Broncos. Elway, in 16 seasons, lost three and won two Super Bowls. Reeves, in 23 years as a head coach, lost four. He holds the record of being a player, assistant and head coach in nine Super Bowls. Reeves and Elway are two strong-willed, stubborn, competitive fellows who, in truth, needed each other. When Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004, he asked Reeves to be his guest, and praised his coach from the podium. All the hard feelings evaporated into happiness. Elway and Pat Bowlen desired that Reeves be inducted into the Broncos' Ring of Fame this year. That will happen Sunday. Dan also belongs alongside Elway in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I asked Reeves: Is this closure for his 12 years with the Broncos? "This is excitement. This was my first head coaching job, and this is my greatest reward." Dan, 70, sometimes drives past the field in Georgia he plowed as a boy. Sunday, he deservedly will be back on the football field in Colorado, where he succeeded as a man. The farm boy became a great coach. Kickin' it with Kiz: Does NFL need female commissioner to clean up mess? By Mark Kiszla The Denver Post September 14, 2014 Rice, in a minute. With the enormous image problem facing the NFL, commissioner Roger Goodell's days are numbered. So to take the reigns of the league, I nominate Condoleezza Rice, a woman with strong Colorado ties and one of the most respected members of the George W. Bush administration. She would become the first African-American commissioner in a league dominated by players of African- American heritage; she would pass muster with women's organizations, and, most important, she knows football. The bottom line: If Rice has the skill to successfully serve as secretary of state and national security adviser, she can certainly run the NFL. Dennis, Grand Junction Kiz: Ray Rice out. Condoleezza Rice in. That could be a big net gain for NFL integrity. The suggestion makes sense. But dollars are all NFL owners really care about. So, unless Goodell proves damaging to the league's bottom line, I'm afraid what the commish knew about the videotape and when did he know it won't count for much in a game whose owners include Jim Irsay of Indianapolis and Jerry Jones of Dallas. Jeers for cheers. I laughed a bit when I read this in your recent column: "The league needs somebody to man up. ... It won't be Goodell, who apparently cares more about protecting league profits than promoting healthy respect for women." Since when has promoting healthy respect for women played any part in NFL thinking? Granted, banishing a player who punches out a smaller, weaker human in an elevator definitely sends a message that should promote healthy respect for women. But why is it, then, that at most NFL games we see a line of barely dressed women jiggling away, leading cheers? I don't see how an activity that is basically nothing more than soft porn promotes a healthy respect for women. Juliann, tilting against windmills Kiz: Yes, we love football in 'Murica. But not quite as much as 'Murica loves gambling or sex. So the NFL sells the people what they want. That's the American way. While we here at Kickin' It Headquarters like to think we run the world, don't count on us to eradicate fantasy football or scantily clad cheerleaders before the sun burns out. Knighton in shining armor. And today's parting shot gives Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton credit for tackling a tough issue. There are nowhere near enough class acts like Knighton in professional sports. He is right on about kicking Ray Rice out of the NFL and had the guts to speak out. That was a great column, Kiz. You always say it the way it is. Don't change. Denny, Littleton Klis: Roger Goodell has strong support from the CEO of Broncos By Mike Klis The Denver Post September 14, 2014 It was difficult to believe.