SUCCESS STORY
John Elway and Special Opportunities, Family Background, and the Matthew Effect
By Andrew Dzurik | Finance and Economics Major
On September 25th, 1982, the Stanford Cardinals, led by professional prospect John Elway, battled the 13th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. Everyone thought this game unwinnable for the 0–2 Cardinals. They did not, however, take into account the comeback legend, John Elway.
Ohio State dominated the start of the game. The Buckeyes scored 13 unanswered points in the first half and shut down Elway’s offense, but the third quarter was a different story. The Cardinals returned with 13 unanswered points to tie up the game 13–13 going into the fourth quarter. This was John Elway’s time to shine. Ohio State struck first with a 2-yard gallop by Tim Spencer, the Buckeye tailback. The Cardinals responded with a 47-yard field goal that brought the cardinals within 4. As the Buckeyes tried to keep their 20–16 lead by killing time, Mike Tomczak, the Ohio State quarterback, mistakenly threw an inception which gave Stanford the Ball at the Ohio State 48 yard line with only 2:35 left in the game. Elway dropped back on his first pass and threw an interception turning the ball over to the Buckeyes. With 1:38 to play and a long second down ahead of the Buckeyes, Tomczak underthrew his open target and gives up the ball again. In only 5 plays and 34 seconds, Elway drove his team down the field, connecting with Vincent White for the go ahead touchdown and the 23–20 upset victory. John finished the game with 35 competitions, 407 passing and 2 touchdowns (College Football Belt 1).
The success John Elway experienced throughout his football career is unmatched. Elway is one of the most prolific quarterbacks in history, but what makes Elway special? John played in the NFL, when thousands of other quarterbacks who worked just as hard fall short. His circumstances allowed him to become a Hall of Fame player. His wealthy parents, the fact that his father was a Division 1 head football coach, and his opportunities allowed John to succeed. He did not become a Super Bowl champion by himself. His family background, “The Matthew Effect”, and special opportunities made John “the comeback kid”.
One day in Aberdeen, Washington, Elway picked teams for a class competition in his kindergarten class. Because he loved to be the center of attention, he always wanted to be captain when teams were picked, and did not accept anything less than the best. After both captains had picked, Elway’s teacher decided to make the two teams more even. Elway began to cry because the worst player was assigned to his team. John had no problem questioning authority. Elway wanted to be the best and nothing was going to stand in his way (Price 3).
A child’s upbringing has a huge impact on his life. Children from different socio-economic classes and geographical locations behave differently. Annette Lareau, doctor of sociology, states, “ (Pierre) Bourideu argues that individuals from different social locations are socialized differently” (3). Children that are born into a wealthy neighborhood behave differently then children that are born into a poor neighborhood. Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers explains this concept by using the term “practical intelligence.” This type of intelligence is the ability to say the right things at the right time. Gladwell tells the story of Chris Langan and Robert Oppenheimer. Robert Oppenheimer is a greatly accomplished scientist, while Chris Langan is a lost name. The difference between these two is “practical intelligence”. Chris’s brother stated, “If Christopher had been born into a wealth family, if he was the son of a doctor who was well connected in some major market, I guarantee you would have been one of those guys you read about knocking back PhDs at seventeen” (Gladwell 110). If Chris Lagan grew up in a better social location, his story would be different.
John Elway’s family background instilled in him “practical intelligence”. At this young age, he was raised with a sense of entitlement. Like most children that are raised in middle to high-class family, John was raised to believe that authority was there for his benefit. If his teacher was not clear or did not seem to be helping him he would ask questions, talk in class, or even complain when he disagreed with her choice (Price 3). Conversely, children that come from poor backgrounds are raised to always do what they are told and tend to be afraid of authority. They do not learn the necessary social skills to communicate with the world around them, which may hurt their chance for success.
Annette Lareau, looked at the importance of social intelligence. Annette Lareau states, “Sociologists have demonstrated the powerful influence parents’ social origins cast on their children’s life experiences and outcomes” (3). Because of his parents, John learned that his opinions mattered. Elway’s parents fostered his confidence and leadership skills, which translated into his impressive football career. Lucky for John, his parents were upper middle class.
If one looked at the Medicine Hat Tigers’ hockey roster in 2007, one would probably notice the same thing that Roger Barnsley, a Canadian psychologist, noticed when the Tigers played the Lethbridge Broncos. Most of the player on the Tigers’ roster were born in January, February, or March. After Barnsley discovered this weird phenomenon, he decided to conduct more research at the professional level. He saw the same pattern. Each player’s birthday occurred in the beginning of the year. Soon, Barnsley theorized great hockey players’ birthdays fall in January, March or April, because of the eligibility cutoff for hockey players in Canada, which falls on January 1st. This means a hockey player that turns twelve on January 5th can play with a player that turns the same age in late December. The players with birthdays in early January have a competitive advantage over the kids that have birthdays later in the year. These players are generally bigger, faster, stronger, and become more developed. These players may have more talent or work harder then the players born in December, but one thing sets them apart from the other players: a lucky birthday (Gladwell).
“The Matthew Effect,” coined by sociologist Robert Merton, is the idea that comes from the passage in the book of Matthew that states, “For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance. But from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath” (Gladwell 32). The people who have add to what they already have, and the people that do not have never get.
This effect explains why the rich stay rich; the poor stay poor and why professional athletes tend to all come from families of other athletes. How did both Peyton Manning and Eli Manning become NFL players? They are related to Archie Manning, the NFL legend. How did Bruce Matthews, and Clay Matthews Jr. become NFL players? Well, they are related to Clay Matthews Sr. former NFL Lineman (“Like father , like son” 1). John Elway became a successful quarterback because his father, Jack Elway, played quarterback at Washington State before becoming a Division 1 head coach (“Jack Elway was a major influence” 2). He is a prime example of how “The Matthew Effect” can affect one’s success.
Jack Elway’s quarterbacking and coaching success gave his son the opportunities he needed to become a great quarterback. He was a college football coach of 30 years, is a hall of famer at Cal State-Northridge and a ring of honor member at San Jose State University (“Jack Elway was major influence”). Jack’s success in football both as a player and as a coach, helped John to get the best coaching and training. John received treatment and opportunities other players his age did not giving him an advantage. Sondheimer, a writer for the Los Angeles times, adds “Perhaps (Jack) Elway’s greatest accomplishment was guiding the football career of his son…” (1). Jack Elway knew how to get his son to the next level and gave him every opportunity that ne needed.
Born into a wealthy family in Seattle, Washington in 1955, Bill Gates was a smart child who loved learning, especially about computers. His parents felt it behooved Gates to get the best education possible. Because of this, they sent him to Lakeside, an elite institution in Seattle. After Gates joined Lakeside, the Mothers’ Club, a group of moms who made decisions regarding how to allocate the school money, spent three thousand dollars on computers for the school. Lakeside became one of the few schools in the country to have computers. Gates spent hours in the computer lab learning and creating. In addition, another child’s mom at Lakeside owned a company member of a program put together by the University of Washington which offered computer time to local schools. Lucky for Gates, he lived right down the road from the University. Before long, he spent hours in the lab learning and programming (Gladwell 52). Like Gates, Elway also had great opportunities that allowed him to be a successful professional athlete.
John Elway was the best football prospect in his draft class. He had the size, arm strength, and football instincts that made him a great NFL quarterback. But he did not only have great football potential. He also played baseball at Stanford. He played so well that the New York Yankees wanted him badly. John had to choose between playing baseball for one of the greatest baseball teams of all time or to play the sport he loved, football.
The Baltimore Colts had the first pick of the 1983 draft. The Colts needed a quarterback and they wanted the best one in the draft, John Elway. Elway, however, did not want to play football in the East Coast; he wanted to stay close to his home in California. John used his ability to play baseball to leverage with the Baltimore Colts. He told them that if they picked him, he would go and play baseball for the New York Yankees (“Elway to Marino”). Sure enough, the first pick of the 1983 draft rolls around and the Baltimore Colts pick John Elway, but Elway did not sign with them. Because of this, the Colt’s management made the decision to trade Elway to the Denver Broncos, a better organization. Elway withdrew from baseball to sign as a Bronco.
This draft was very special. The 1982 NFL season, the year before Elway entered the draft, only played 9 games due to a strike, which brought the season to a halt. In addition, there was a new professional football league that was set to begin the next spring. It was perfect timing for a young player to enter the league. Between the two leagues, there was a strong need for players to step in and play (“Elway to Marino”). Athletes like Jim Kelly, Steve Young, and Doug Flutie began their professional football careers in the USFL (Rank 1). This left plenty of room for a young prospect like Elway to start right away.
As a Bronco, John reached the Super Bowl 5 times and won 2. He retired as a pro bowler and one of the best quarterbacks ever. If Elway was only able to play football in college, he might not have even made a Super Bowl appearance. If there was not a strike and no USFL, Elway might not have seen the field his first year. Elway’s social intelligence allowed him to persuade the Colts into trading him to a better team with a better chance of winning.
Trailing 20–13 with only 5:30 left in the AFC championship game against the Cleveland Browns, the Broncos needed a miracle. Lucky for them, they had a secret weapon, “the comeback kid.” Elway’s offense got the ball on their own 2-yard line, 98 yards now stood between the Broncos and the game-tying touchdown. Elway worked his comeback magic and got the Broncos down to the 14-yard line. After a 9-yard scamper to the 5-yard line, Elway chucks a missile to Mark Jackson, wide open in the back of the end zone. This sent the game into overtime where Elway just needed two completions in order to set up the game winning field goal by Rich Karlis. That game Elway threw for 244 yards and ran for 56 (Carter 1).
No one can become successful by himself. In order to achieve greatness one needs that extra edge that makes them unique. Bill Gates did not become the software tycoon he is today because he out worked everyone, great hockey players are not great because they have more talent than everyone else, and Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, and Clay Matthews Jr. are not incredible NFL players because they tried harder than everyone else. They all have something that makes them different than the rest of the pack. Whether that is living by the University of Washington, being born at the right time, or having the right father, all success stories are born from that lucky break. John Elway was no different. John did not become one of the best NFL quarterbacks because he was the more talented or because he worked harder than everyone else, but because of his circumstances. He was raised in a great social location, had the right father, and he received opportunities that allowed him to become great.
Works Cited
Carter, Bob. “Elway Led Broncos on “The Drive”.” ESPN Classic. ESPN, 5 July 2005. Web. 29 April 2015.
College football belt 1982 Stanford at Ohio State. College Football Belt, 25 Feb. 2015. Web. 4 April 2015.
Elway to Marino. Dir. Ken Rodgers. Perf. Tom Selleck. ESPN Films, 2013. Film.
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers. New York: Back Bay Books Little Brown and Company, 2008. Print.
“Jack Elway was major influence on son’s career”. ESPN Classic. ESPN, 22 April 2001. Web. 4 May 2015.
Lareau, Annette. “Cultural Knowledge and Social Inequality.” American Sociological Review 80.1 (2015): 1–27. Academic Source Premier. Web. 3 May 2015.
Price, S.L. “Inside the Mind of John Elway”. Sports Illustrated .N.p., 12 Jan. 2015. Web. 29 April. 2015.
Rank, Adam. “A Brief History of the USFL”. Sidelines. NFL.com, 17 Jan. 2013. Web. 4 May 2015.
Sondheimer, Eric. “Jack Elway; College Football Coach Guided Career of Quarterback Son.” Los Angeles Times. N.p., 17 April 2001. Web. 29 April 2015.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Dzurik, a junior from Lancaster, PA, studies finance and economics at the University of Bethel in St.Paul, MN. Dzurik likes the chicken burrito at Chiptole, country star Taylor Swift, and the best team in football, the Pittsburg Steelers.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED
Writing can be fun if you do it right.
Success does not just hinge on you, but on your circumstances and the people around you.
To get good at writing you must write for 10,000 hours.
My spanish heritage impacts the way I think and act.
I do not have to have to go to Harvard to be a success story, I just have to go to a school that is good enough.
Bethel library databases like Academic Source Premier have every article under the sun.
Drop readers in the moment. It is more important to show the readers a karate fight scene then to explain it.
A good research paper is 65% source and 35% you.
Disadvantages can be advantages. For example, Joe Flom.
Football families are a real thing. Just ask the Mannings, Matthews, and the Elways.
If you want to capture the reader’s attention use the Gladwell formula. Tell a story, reveal there is more to the story, show academic research, make connections, and return to the start.
Great writers are specific when they describe setting of the story. In other words, they name the dog.
“Lucky breaks don’t seem like the exception with software billionaires and rock bands and star athletes. They seem like the rule.”-Malcolm Gladwell
The more you know about the person you are writing about, the better the paper will be. Therefore, research until you cannot research anymore.
An optimism fell over the class as Professor Winter pulled out the Money Ball DVD. Watching movies in class might be the most exciting part of a college student’s day. He starts the movie and skips to the best part, the part where Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) and Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) are sitting in a room full of baseball’s best scouts putting together a baseball team on a budget. In this scene Beane consistently shoots down the other scouts player suggestions and claims that all he wants on his team are players that can get on base. The scouts are upset, but Beane knows what he is doing. He knows that there is more to success than having the best players.
