Denver Broncos Memory Series photo gallery: See the team's greats (before 1985)

True Broncos fans tend to hang on to anything and everything associated with the team -- and my late Uncle John certainly qualified. He passed away a few years ago, but this weekend, I was given an envelope containing some of his Broncos treasures, including a slew of cards that...

By Michael Roberts

April 5, 2011

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True Broncos fans tend to hang on to anything and everything associated with the team -- and my late Uncle John certainly qualified. He passed away a few years ago, but this weekend, I was given an envelope containing some of his Broncos treasures, including a slew of cards that were part of a KOA-sponsored "memory series." Top prize: tickets to the 1985 Super Bowl!

And that wasn't all. Scratch offs at the bottom of the cards gave locals a chance to win assorted Dairy Queen treats, rolls of film (remember those?) and even a boneless ham!

As for the players featured, they included greats such as Floyd Little, very goods like Craig Morton, a bunch of players mainly remembered by geeks like me (yes, I still recall Fran Lynch, Bobby Anderson and Claude Minor) and one guy who was a mystery to me -- Bob Scarpitto. According to his Wikipedia page, Scarpitto was a halfback, flanker and punter from Notre Dame who played for the Broncos from 1963 to 1967 between stints with the San Diego Chargers and the Boston (yes, Boston) Patriots. He was also an American Football League all-star in 1966.

And I thought I was a real fan.

By the way, the Scarpitto memory series card says he played for Denver from 1962 to 1967. Could a Wiki page have an inaccuracy? Perish the thought!

Page down below to see the entire collection, supplemented by a handful of McDonalds cards featuring mid-Eighties Broncos such as Steve Sewell and Dave Studdard, plus, as a bonus, a ticket from a Denver Gold game. Thanks, Uncle John.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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