5. John Elway
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On top of everything he accomplished on the field over the course of his 16-year NFL career, the way his career unfolded at a macro level — four Super Bowl losses in his first eight seasons, and then back-to-back Super Bowl wins in his last two seasons — is worthy of a storybook in and of itself. The #1 overall pick of the famous 1983 NFL Draft is still considered, to this day, one of the most coveted draft prospects in league history.
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After finally leading the Denver Broncos to a Super Bowl (doing so in 1997 and 1998), Elway is one of only six quarterbacks in NFL history to pass for at least 3,000 yards in at least 12 different seasons, and his 148 wins as a starting quarterback is the 4th-most of all time.
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