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Neil Smith and the Kansas City Brigade square off against John Elway and the Colorado Crush Sunday

April 11, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Kansas City Brigade News Release


Usually the players take the pre-game spotlight because they go head-to-head on the field each week. Sunday's game against the Colorado Crush is different because a co-owner of the Brigade and one of the Crush are former NFL players who were both rivals and teammates. Brigade Vice President Neil Smith and Crush CEO John Elway have put away their jerseys and pads and will face off from the sidelines as their teams battle on the field.

A member of the Kansas City Chiefs Ring of Honor and a six-time Pro Bowl selection, Smith played his third game as a pro against Elway and the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium in 1988. The Chiefs won 20-13, the first of Smith's eight wins against Elway. In 1995 the Chiefs swept the season series, the only time that happened during Smith's tenure in Kansas City. Smith, the second overall pick in the 1988 NFL Draft, terrorized Elway in 18 regular season duels over nine years. He is one of only 22 players in NFL history to record over 100 career sacks, and 14 of them came at Elway's expense, the most by any player of the Denver quarterback. Smith joined Elway in Denver in 1997 and beat the Chiefs 14-10 in the divisional round of the playoffs that season. The Broncos would go on to win consecutive Super Bowls in 1998 and 1999, Smith's only trips to the championship game.

The first overall pick of the heralded 1983 NFL Draft class, Elway helped found the Crush in 2002 with Broncos owner Pat Bowlen. The team was an instant success on and off the field. The Crush won the Central Division and ArenaBowl XIX last year, and Elway received the AFL's Founders Award for significant contributions to the league. The NFL's all-time winningest quarterback, Elway is third in career attempts, completions and yards, and fourth in touchdowns. A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Elway won 10 of the 18 games played against Smith and the Broncos swept the season series in 1989 and 1991. His numbers against Smith's Chiefs from 1988-96 are: 315 completions in 556 attempts (56.7%) for 4,134 yards with 21 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, a 79.4 quarterback rating. Elway was winless in three Super Bowls before Smith arrived in Denver in 1997 and helped him win two straight.

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