The Rocky Mountain Region along with the NFL have awoken this morning to the dual stunning news that Pat Bowlen has resigned his control over the Denver Broncos and is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The resignation is effective immediately with current team President Joe Ellis assuming control of the team.

"It's a really, really sad day," Ellis said in a statement to the Denver Post. "It's sad for his family, his wife and his seven children. It's sad for everyone in the organization. And it's sad for all the Bronco fans who know what Pat Bowlen meant to them as an owner. It's a day nobody wanted to see happen."

Denver Broncos Team President Joe Ellis. Getty Images.

Bowlen, 70, affectionately known by his employees as Mr. B., purchased the Broncos in 1984 from Edgar Kaiser for $78 million and led the team through 30 years of unparalleled success in the franchise's history. During his tenure as owner, the Broncos went to six Super Bowls, winning two Lombardi Trophies, and also succesfully lobbied for the approval by voters of Sports Authority Field at Mile High which replaced Mile High Stadium in 2000. Last year, Bowlen became the quickest to reach 300 wins by his 30th year of ownership.

Bowlen became one of the most respected and often sought out owners to chair important committees such as the NFL's labor committee which oversaw the collective bargaining process with the players' union and the broadcasting and NFL Network committees which has overseen the tremendous explosion of NFL coverage and revenue over the last several years.

In a statement released to the Denver Post, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated, "This is a sad day for the NFL. Pat Bowlen's leadership has been critical to the success of the Broncos and the entire NFL. From building a championship team that is a pillar of the community to his important work for the league on television and labor matters, Pat's love of the game drove him and we have all benefited from his passion and wisdom. But the time has come for Pat to focus on his health and we fully support him. Joe Ellis has been a trusted executive for Pat for many years after working with us at the league office. Joe's deep experience ensures that the Broncos will continue to have strong leadership."

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Getty Images.

When Bowlen took over as owner in 1984, head coach Dan Reeves and second year quarterback John Elway were already on the team. With Reeves as Bowlen's head coach from 1984-1992, the Broncos had six winning seasons and four AFC Championship appearances that included three Super Bowl trips in 1986, 1987, and 1989.

Former Denver Broncos Head Coach Dan Reeves. Photo: Denver Broncos.

Following the firing of Reeves, Bowlen hired defensive coordinator Wade Phillips as head coach. During Phillip's two years as head coach the Broncos were 16-16 (.500) with a wild card appearance in 1993 that saw them blown out by the Los Angeles Raiders 42-24. Bowlen dismissed Phillips following the 1994 season and targeted one man to replace him, San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator and former Broncos assistant, Mike Shanahan. The 49ers were coming off their Super Bowl XXX victory over the San Diego Chargers and Shanahan was the top candidate for several teams that year.

Finally having the head coach in place that he felt would lead his franchise to a Super Bowl victory, Bowlen gave Shanahan everything he needed to put together a championship team. Bowlen was not tight with the checkbook as the Broncos signed costless agents and their own players to contracts. Under Shanahan the Broncos finally reached the top of the NFL world in 1997 against the overwhelming favorite Green Bay Packers and again in 1998 against former head coach Dan Reeves' Atlanta Falcons. Elway retired from the Broncos in 1999 and the team spent the next 10 seasons searching for the heir to Elway at quarterback.

Former Denver Broncos Head Coach Mike Shanahan. Getty Images.

During the post-Elway era under Shanahan as head coach the Broncos reached the playoffs four times, winning just one playoff game as they reached the AFC Championship at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005. The Steelers upset the Broncos 34-17 in a loss that saw quarterback Jake Plummer have one of his worst games of the year, throwing for just 223 yards with one touchdown and two costly interceptions.

Three years later Bowlen made the painful decision to fire Shannahan, a man Bowlen often said had a job with the Broncos for life. With Shannahan gone Bowlen turned to 33 year old New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. It was a decision that would turn into his worst as owner of the Broncos. Under McDaniels the Broncos were plunged into one controversy after another involving his sour relationship with players, other head coaches, and eventually into a scandal similar to the Patriots "spy gate."

In a week 8 game of the 2010 season at Wembley Stadium in London, Steve Scarnecchia, who was hired by McDaniels to be the Broncos director of video operations, videotaped the 49ers walkthrough. The NFL investigated and fined the Broncos and McDaniels $50,000 each. It was determined that McDaniels did not order the filming but also did not report that the incident had occurred. The scandal battered the reputation of the Broncos, a reputation that Bowlen had worked hard to build into one of the best in football. This incident, combined with the growing revolt by fans over McDaniels' coaching decisions and the resulting 11-17 record during his tenure led Bowlen to fire him on December 7, 2010.

The McDaniels' firing ended one of the worst periods for the Broncos under Bowlen's leadership. As the 4-12 season of 2010 unfolded, rabid Broncos' fans whose no-shows at games numbered less than 100 most games, began not showing up in much higher numbers in protest of the direction of the team. Bowlen recognized his mistake in hiring McDaniels and went to work to correct it in order to rebuild his franchise.

"Not only is he firm in his commitment to winning, he also wants to make sure people in his organization do things the right way, and sometimes that's not always the case," said Ellis. "But when he saw mistakes, even if they were his own, he recognized them and corrected them quickly. That's the standard he set. It was clearly defined. It's easy to see and it's so easy for all of us to follow. That's what we're going to do in the future."

That night following the firing of McDaniels, Bowlen and his wife Annabel were spotted having dinner with Elway. Bowlen recognized how far the organization had fallen and he was determined to rebuild it. He could think of no other man better able to reestablish instant credibility to the franchise than the Hall of Famer and Broncos legend.

It was also at this time that Bowlen began paving the way for his exit from the team. He gave control of the day-to-day operations to President Joe Ellis and handed control of the football operations department to Elway. Elway wasted no time in establishing his mark on the team. Elway effectively became the team's general manager as he took charge of the hiring of John Fox as head coach and led the draft and costless agent signings. There was no doubt who was in charge of the Broncos and fans everywhere let out a sigh of relief that the dark days of the previous two years were finally over.

l-r: Pat Bowlen, Peyton Manning, and John Elway. Getty Images.

With Ellis and Elway running the team, Bowlen stayed at his home in Hawaii more often, returning to Denver for major announcements like the Peyton Manning signing in 2012 and the Super Bowl last February. Bowlen still maintained a voice in the organization but it was apparent to most in and outside of the organization that health issues were beginning to dominate Bowlen's attention in Hawaii.

"As many in the Denver community and around the National Football League have speculated, my husband, Pat, has very bravely and quietly battled Alzheimer's disease for the last few years," Annabel, said in a statement. "He has elected to keep his condition private because he has strongly believed, and often said, 'It's not about me.'

"Pat has always wanted the focus to be solely on the Denver Broncos and the great fans who have supported this team with such passion during his 30 years as owner. My family is deeply saddened that Pat's health no longer allows him to oversee the Broncos, which has led to this public acknowledgment of such a personal health condition."

Bowlen leaves the organization in good shape as the Broncos have won three straight AFC West titles and made it back to the Super Bowl last year for the first time in 15 years.

"The future is in good shape," Ellis said. "We have great people working in the football area. We have great people working in the business area. They're committed to our fans, the mission that Pat Bowlen has put in front of us. We want to carry that out on his behalf and on behalf of the fans and the family."

With a revamped defense and Manning still operating a high-powered offense the Broncos will have a terrific chance for Elway to stand on the podium in Arizona come February, 2015 and raise the Lombardi Trophy over his head while declaring loudly, "this one's for Pat."

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