Broncos legend Steve Foley joins Tom Green for a deep dive into one of the most important defensive eras in franchise history. Foley reflects on the rise of the Orange Crush defense, his transition from quarterback to defensive back, the Raiders rivalry, Super Bowl XII in New Orleans, and the mental side of playing corner and safety at the highest level. From legendary teammates like Louis Wright and Tom Jackson to iconic moments like snow games, fake punts, and Super Bowl heartbreak, Foley offers perspective that spans generations of Broncos football. He also shares the powerful moment when he knew it was time to retire, why health mattered more than legacy, and what the Broncos’ defensive tradition means to him today.
Steve Foley’s Broncos career spanned one of the most transformative periods in team history, from the emergence of the Orange Crush defense to the dawn of the John Elway era. In this conversation, Foley walks through how his quarterback background shaped his instincts as a defensive back, why preparation and anticipation mattered more than speed, and how defensive coordinator Joe Collier found pre-snap tells long before advanced analytics existed. Foley revisits the intensity of the Raiders rivalry, the Broncos’ first Super Bowl appearance, and the controversial moments that defined that game. He also reflects on coaching influences like Johnny Robinson and Richie McCabe, the physicality of the era, and the mental discipline required to survive at cornerback and safety. The episode closes with Foley explaining the moment he knew his career was complete, why he chose to walk away healthy, and how he views today’s Broncos defensive lineage.
00:00:00 – Broncos Super Bowl history and defining franchise eras
01:14 – Steve Foley introduction and Hall of Fame recognition
02:12 – Record-setting 44th interception and early career reflections
03:44 – Team continuity then vs. now and the business of football
04:27 – Tulane to the pros: leverage, rival leagues, and opportunity
05:45 – Quarterback background and transition to defensive back
07:10 – Johnny Robinson’s mentorship and life-changing perspective
09:15 – Mental toughness, competition, and surviving in the NFL
10:30 – Early pro challenges and navigating unstable leagues
11:58 – Path back to Denver and becoming a Broncos starter
13:32 – Rookie season, facing Dan Fouts, and early interceptions
15:15 – Reading quarterbacks and playing the ball as a DB
16:32 – Playing opposite Louis Wright and advice for modern corners
18:03 – Broncos cornerback lineage and Patrick Surtain II discussion
19:56 – Birth of the Orange Crush defense
21:18 – Joe Collier’s genius and pre-snap tells
23:16 – Raiders rivalry and AFC Championship intensity
25:33 – Super Bowl XII and the controversial Butch Johnson catch
26:20 – Richie McCabe and defensive fundamentals
28:54 – Move to free safety and seeing the whole field
29:56 – Earl Campbell collision and physical football stories
31:31 – 1984 Snow Game vs Packers and lessons from bad conditions
33:21 – Elway era begins and Super Bowl XXI vs Giants
35:19 – Fake punt and fake field goal stories
36:31 – Final Super Bowl run and missed opportunities
38:43 – The moment Foley knew it was time to retire
40:39 – Retirement conversations and end of an era
42:08 – Coaching considerations and choosing family
44:54 – Ranking Broncos safeties across eras
46:15 – Being a white cornerback and Riley Moss comparison
47:30 – Growing up undersized and late physical development
49:14 – Tulane career stories and defining college moments
52:25 – Greatest wins and toughest opponents
54:07 – The Drive season and legacy moments
55:19 – Ring of Fame meaning and family pride
57:05 – Final reflections and farewell
57:51 – Show outro and Colorado Sports Hall of Fame plug
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00;00;00;15 - 00;00;11;21
Tom Green
Hi, there. Welcome to another edition of the other Tom green show. Different week. This week, many Bronco fans were hoping that the Broncos would be once again playing in the Super Bowl.
00;00;11;24 - 00;00;30;08
Tom Green
It's not to be, but it gives us a chance to reflect on Super Bowls past with the Broncos. I think when you look at the history of the Broncos, you can break it up into different eras. We're currently at the beginning or middle maybe of the Sean Payton era, but if you go back to the Peyton Manning era, there was a Super Bowl championship before that.
00;00;30;08 - 00;00;54;29
Tom Green
You think of the long and productive John Elway era, which saw a couple of Super Bowl championships as well. Before that, though, it gets interesting because you have the Orange Crush years, where the team suddenly exploded onto the scene and became not only the biggest story in Colorado, but a national story. And they ended up going to that very first Super Bowl in January of 1978.
00;00;55;01 - 00;01;14;03
Tom Green
The era before that, though, was a difficult one. The Broncos, from their inception in the AFL all the way through the merger into the NFL, were not one of the best teams in the league ever, and suddenly things changed. So we're going to talk about super Bowls and we're going to talk about the first Super Bowl, because today we have a very special guest.
00;01;14;06 - 00;01;27;06
Tom Green
He's a man going into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame just a couple of months. Our good friend Steve Foley is here.
00;01;27;09 - 00;01;28;20
Speaker 1
And the Patriots.
00;01;28;23 - 00;01;33;09
Unknown
Have owned the pumpkin in this first half and are trying to improve on a ten three lead.
00;01;33;09 - 00;02;04;25
Unknown
Final two minutes, 20 calories, seven catches, 74 yards. It's James this time. He likes the pass and it's intercepted by falling. Steve Thorley fumbles and I believe Denver maintains possession at the 21. That is a record breaking interception Steve Foley's 44 career interception Craig James who likes to throw to Tony Collins.
00;02;04;27 - 00;02;12;19
Unknown
But Foley steps in the way and the veteran read that one perfectly and breaks loose as Bronco record.
00;02;12;22 - 00;02;24;03
Tom Green
Yeah Steve Foley, the all time record holder there it was intercepting Craig James of all people. Not a quarterback that time. But that was your last interception. And it was the one that still stands as the record.
00;02;24;05 - 00;02;26;23
Steve Foley
Yeah. It looked like he threw it right to me didn't it?
00;02;27;00 - 00;02;28;16
Tom Green
Yeah. Most on purpose.
00;02;28;19 - 00;02;29;02
Tom Green
Well,
00;02;29;09 - 00;02;45;03
Tom Green
44 still stands as the all time record. You're going into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. You're already in the Louisiana Tulane Hall of Fame. You're in the, Broncos Ring of Fame. It's pretty nice. Pretty nice country company you keep.
00;02;45;06 - 00;03;14;12
Steve Foley
Well, you know, you go into, sports not thinking about those things. And, from a kid that played quarterback all through high school and college, I go, sometimes I go, what the heck had this happen? But being surrounded by great players, great coaches, especially the coaches, they were great. Richie McCabe was fantastic. Joe Carr was the best coordinator.
00;03;14;14 - 00;03;41;15
Steve Foley
And, just that allows you to elevate and, the fact that we, we all stayed here for 11 years, ten years, everybody played their whole career here. I played with most of that, group for it for ten years. And so you get a lot of continuity and, you just add on from the previous year with, with defensive strategies and what have you.
00;03;41;15 - 00;03;44;21
Steve Foley
So it's just a good era, a good time to play.
00;03;44;22 - 00;04;00;15
Tom Green
Yeah. It's interesting because I think of that how teams stayed together, played together and you guys won together. But now you look at players, they come and they go and it's you may see people go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame having played well for 3 or 4 teams.
00;04;00;17 - 00;04;27;09
Steve Foley
Yeah. Well, look, I always said it was a business first. And, if you could have, if we could have gotten free agency, we'd have loved it. And I think it's better for the fans that we didn't at that time. Sure. But, that was the goal was to be able to, shop your services to the highest bidder if and stay with the team, I would have chosen to stay with with Denver, but they'd have had to pay.
00;04;27;09 - 00;04;45;20
Tom Green
You right now. It's interesting because you talk about the business. You did have leverage at one point coming out of Tulane. The AFL, which didn't last long, but it was there at the right time for you, did want to pay you more than the Broncos wanted to pay you after they drafted you. So you became a Jacksonville Express.
00;04;45;22 - 00;04;48;28
Steve Foley
Tom, when you talk and leverage, let's.
00;04;49;00 - 00;04;50;13
Tom Green
Let's really.
00;04;50;13 - 00;04;54;14
Steve Foley
Let's really extrapolate that and get down to the.
00;04;54;17 - 00;04;55;05
Tom Green
The bare.
00;04;55;05 - 00;04;55;21
Steve Foley
Bones.
00;04;55;21 - 00;04;56;21
Tom Green
That a little bit of leverage.
00;04;56;24 - 00;05;04;09
Steve Foley
It was 7500. Bonus from the Broncos to 15,000 from the.
00;05;04;11 - 00;05;05;20
Tom Green
Twice as much league. Yeah.
00;05;05;25 - 00;05;25;04
Steve Foley
Yeah twice as much. That's used percentages. It's a little deceptive, but, yeah. And that's why I went there. And I thought for sure that I'd have a shot. They were going to give me a shot at quarterback, which Denver had drafted a guy in the second round there, Mike Frankovic. And I was in the eighth round.
00;05;25;04 - 00;05;43;24
Steve Foley
And so I wasn't going to get an even a shot to to try at quarterback. So the World Football League gave me a try. But they also gave me a no cut contract. Yeah. So I knew that if I didn't if they didn't want me a quarterback that I could play defense and I'd, I'd at least have a year to learn.
00;05;43;24 - 00;05;45;28
Steve Foley
And they switched me to corner, and I loved it.
00;05;46;03 - 00;06;08;06
Tom Green
I was going to have a lot of Super Bowl stuff to talk about with you, but let's stay in the WFL, because did you know that you could play defense? Because obviously a terrific athlete at Tulane, you came out as a quarterback, a very good one. But then then all of a sudden it's let's play defense. And I would think you'd go, I, I don't know how I haven't played much defense.
00;06;08;08 - 00;06;37;12
Steve Foley
I did say that, but, you know, I played some bump and run and they put me at corner, and I could run, I ran track, I love track very fast. Yeah, I, I wasn't, I wasn't very fast, but I was as fast as I could be for whatever, whatever, speed I was going to have, maximized it, and, and I was fairly quick and so I, I enjoyed the corner.
00;06;37;12 - 00;06;46;19
Steve Foley
It was, it was a, pretty tough, but, high adrenaline. Your face to play.
00;06;46;20 - 00;06;55;10
Tom Green
Your head coach in Jacksonville was one of the great defensive backs in the history of the league, played in the Hall of Fame. Johnny, you got to play his way into the Hall of Fame. John Robinson.
00;06;55;12 - 00;07;09;29
Steve Foley
Johnny Robinson from Kansas City Chiefs. Yeah, I actually saw Johnny Robinson play the Minnesota Vikings and Tulane Stadium when I was at Tulane Super Bowl. We snuck in. These are the days when you could sneak on onto a field, a Super Bowl.
00;07;09;29 - 00;07;10;13
Tom Green
All right.
00;07;10;19 - 00;07;28;11
Steve Foley
We saw some passes on on offense and we my buddy and I grabbed them and, put them on, and we were walking right behind the Kansas City, bench and saw I saw the play where it was Otis Taylor.
00;07;28;11 - 00;07;29;01
Tom Green
Taylor. Yeah.
00;07;29;06 - 00;07;36;09
Steve Foley
Caught the little hitch did inside and went and went up the sideline and and Hank Stram run a half play. But this little.
00;07;36;09 - 00;07;38;14
Tom Green
Paper run run.
00;07;38;16 - 00;07;43;06
Steve Foley
And, Johnny got an interception in that game and Kansas City beat the, Minnesota Vikings.
00;07;43;06 - 00;07;50;07
Tom Green
Did he was he one of the reasons you grew? Because there had to be mentors for you as far as becoming a great defensive player.
00;07;50;10 - 00;07;56;12
Steve Foley
Johnny was an incredible mentor.
00;07;56;15 - 00;07;58;29
Tom Green
More more.
00;07;59;01 - 00;08;00;20
Steve Foley
Spiritually for.
00;08;00;20 - 00;08;01;18
Tom Green
Me.
00;08;01;21 - 00;08;23;28
Steve Foley
Than because he had a mess of a life massive, a life coming in to coach. And the guy that I saw, I couldn't reconcile. And there's some of that right here. And, Johnny had been born again and, he was a a transformed guy, and I just it made me question.
00;08;23;28 - 00;08;25;15
Tom Green
You never saw him before. You didn't know.
00;08;25;16 - 00;08;50;10
Steve Foley
I didn't see, but I'm lit. I'm listening to all the guys talk on, man. Johnny. Johnny's on the wagon. Johnny's this Johnny's at because he was a bad dude, right? And, the guy that I met had the most beautiful spirit in him that I had ever met. And, I said, Lord, if you can, if you can reveal yourself to me and do that with me, you got me.
00;08;50;13 - 00;09;01;07
Steve Foley
And from that time when the Lord answered that prayer, I also think that that gave me a freedom in life.
00;09;01;07 - 00;09;01;20
Tom Green
Right.
00;09;01;25 - 00;09;15;14
Steve Foley
In, in general. And also with the way that I played football, I played it to the highest capacity. I didn't worry. I'm not saying you don't care, but I played for an audience of one.
00;09;15;14 - 00;09;15;27
Tom Green
Right.
00;09;16;04 - 00;09;25;27
Steve Foley
And, Johnny helped me with that. And he was he had reached the pinnacle. He had 57 interceptions, I think.
00;09;25;29 - 00;09;28;15
Steve Foley
I was like, has he not in the Hall of Fame?
00;09;28;15 - 00;09;31;27
Tom Green
And, he so he did go in.
00;09;31;27 - 00;09;32;19
Steve Foley
He did go in.
00;09;32;20 - 00;09;39;06
Tom Green
Yeah, he did go in. He affected you more, you say spiritually or as a young man than maybe as a defensive back, because, well.
00;09;39;06 - 00;10;00;04
Steve Foley
He, he he affected me there too. He was he had a great way of presenting things. And if I'd get beat, he'd talk to me about about your mental state. He goes Steve the, the difference between the guys that stay in this league a long time and the guys that are out in a year or two is right there.
00;10;00;07 - 00;10;03;11
Steve Foley
You're going to get beat. You got to be able to forget what's.
00;10;03;11 - 00;10;04;06
Tom Green
The next play look like.
00;10;04;06 - 00;10;10;01
Steve Foley
You got you got to be able to and being from a family of 13, you learn to.
00;10;10;01 - 00;10;11;04
Tom Green
Compete.
00;10;11;07 - 00;10;25;07
Steve Foley
At least for food at an early age. And so competition was fun for me. And, I played a lot of street ball, a lot of touch football games. And so that's what I.
00;10;25;07 - 00;10;27;14
Tom Green
Liken it to. You had a full team as a family?
00;10;27;19 - 00;10;30;16
Steve Foley
Yeah. We didn't need any friends. You know, our friends got in.
00;10;30;18 - 00;10;50;09
Tom Green
Occasionally but have room for you. So quickly on the WFL because it was it was a short lived league. It wasn't even as powerful or as long lasting as the USFL, which didn't stick around long. Was it a ramshackle operation? Was it was it you had to run to the bank to get your check cashed, things like that?
00;10;50;11 - 00;10;54;06
Steve Foley
No, but but one of the owners was the team doctor.
00;10;54;09 - 00;10;55;11
Tom Green
And that's not.
00;10;55;11 - 00;11;10;06
Steve Foley
Good. And I got kind of a strain or something where I had a little fluid. And I remember him saying, oh, you can play. And I'm like. And Johnny told me, hey, if you can't, don't. Yeah.
00;11;10;07 - 00;11;16;09
Tom Green
Don't you talking to me is the team doctor is the owner. Yeah, I can play. Oh, yeah. Yeah. You had the.
00;11;16;12 - 00;11;24;03
Steve Foley
Worst game of my life at any level. I couldn't run, okay, I could, and I'm playing corner.
00;11;24;05 - 00;11;25;24
Tom Green
Yeah. And we're supposed immediately.
00;11;25;25 - 00;11;36;08
Steve Foley
We're playing Hawaii. And as soon as they saw that, I could not break on and out, it was like had run to the right and throw back to my side. I couldn't cover.
00;11;36;10 - 00;11;44;24
Steve Foley
And I got, I got beat all day and I finally I was looking, I said, you got to take me out. I can't, I, I can't help the team. I'm getting.
00;11;44;24 - 00;11;58;12
Tom Green
Killed. Yeah. Did you leave the WFL or did the AFL leave you? It was wrapped up pretty quick. I mean, for you to transition back over to the Broncos. Who drafted you in the NFL? Was that because that's all there was at that point?
00;11;58;12 - 00;12;19;02
Steve Foley
Something that was interesting was at Carol Hardy. Yeah, it was player personnel, terrific athlete. Yeah. And Carol used to come to some of my games and when I was playing corner, and he'd wait for me after the game and say, hey, Coach Ralston, you know, I've shown him some films and this and that, and he says, you know, you may be able to play for us right now.
00;12;19;04 - 00;12;41;26
Steve Foley
And I'd say, Carol, I'm I'm, I'm enjoying it here. We lasted 11 games and this is probably three, four and five. And, I said I'm, I'm I'm doing fine here. But tell coach Ralston thank you. They had the rights to me when the league folded at 11 games, we went on our way, but we got paid all of our paychecks, but it just folded.
00;12;41;29 - 00;12;42;09
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;12;42;09 - 00;13;08;14
Steve Foley
One day, before we went. At least it was before we went to practice, not after. It was before. And we went in and everybody was grabbing equipment and grabbing shirts and grab your jersey and stuff, and and then Marv Levy, who was coach in Montreal, called me up and wanted they were playing for the Gray Cup. They had John Rogers at that time and they wanted me to play in, in the NFL.
00;13;08;14 - 00;13;09;20
Tom Green
Great. The playoffs.
00;13;09;20 - 00;13;24;12
Steve Foley
And the playoffs. And they I think they wound up winning at that that year. But the only thing was that he said, you have to sign for more, that you can't just play and leave you got to sign for a few years.
00;13;24;15 - 00;13;24;28
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;13;24;28 - 00;13;32;24
Steve Foley
And I said, I can't do that, coach. I'm, I want to try in the NFL. The Broncos got the rights to me, and I just want to see what I can do.
00;13;32;26 - 00;13;49;27
Tom Green
So you're going to end up making the move to Denver. And it's interesting because the the Orange Crush thing was just building but hadn't quite happened when you arrived. So you arrive and you play your first season, it's 1976 and you become the starter. I think Calvin Jones gets hurt.
00;13;49;27 - 00;13;50;21
Steve Foley
Yes.
00;13;50;23 - 00;13;57;13
Tom Green
So you become a starter in the National Football League playing out at corner. You were comfortable. I mean corner.
00;13;57;18 - 00;13;58;25
Steve Foley
Heck no corner.
00;13;59;00 - 00;14;00;21
Tom Green
I don't think corners ever got comfortable.
00;14;00;23 - 00;14;09;05
Steve Foley
That first game that I started, Joe Carr, you told me and it happened to be against our good friend, Dan Fouts.
00;14;09;07 - 00;14;11;01
Tom Green
And your best friend in some.
00;14;11;04 - 00;14;31;26
Steve Foley
Ways and, well, in some ways an Air Coryell. And he said, Steve, you're going to start and, know this Dan Fouts is coming after you. And I'm thinking I didn't say it, but I'm thinking, oh, thanks a lot. Vote of confidence there. He's not got he said he's not going after Louis. He's going to come after you.
00;14;31;28 - 00;14;37;02
Steve Foley
And so it's like I did one of the Three Stooges Super Bowl.
00;14;37;04 - 00;14;38;19
Tom Green
Buckle up.
00;14;38;21 - 00;14;47;04
Steve Foley
And by the grace of God, Tom, you know that as a young corner, you could with those guys, Charlie Joyner and.
00;14;47;06 - 00;14;47;23
Tom Green
Jefferson.
00;14;47;23 - 00;14;48;21
Steve Foley
They're Jefferson.
00;14;48;22 - 00;14;49;04
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;14;49;06 - 00;14;58;20
Steve Foley
Kellen Winslow yeah, I mean, they could have very easily beat me for two touchdowns, but I got two interceptions in my first game.
00;14;58;23 - 00;15;15;11
Tom Green
Your first two of the 44 came against Fouts. Fouts would ultimately be the the lucky deliverer of 12 of your 44 interceptions. Yeah. He threw the ball a lot, but you seem to have his number.
00;15;15;16 - 00;15;27;21
Steve Foley
Well, I think and I, I, I look at defensive backs today and I'm like, just look for the ball. You're right next to the receiver. Turn around.
00;15;27;21 - 00;15;28;18
Tom Green
Ahead.
00;15;28;20 - 00;15;43;10
Steve Foley
And it's your ball. And so from and and I get it. Some guys didn't play a lot of street ball. But when you play a lot of touch football you're not locked in on a guy looking at his face. You're looking at the quarterback, seeing who's.
00;15;43;12 - 00;15;44;04
Tom Green
Reading everything.
00;15;44;04 - 00;16;07;00
Steve Foley
Reading everything. And when you grow up like that, playing thousands of games like that, it's just natural. And I haven't played quarterback to, you get in that, it was definitely an advantage for me. And so, yeah, Joe Carr, you gave me the game ball after I didn't get beat for a touchdown. And he goes, that's your position and us.
00;16;07;02 - 00;16;09;06
Steve Foley
But but it could have gone the other way fast.
00;16;09;06 - 00;16;20;01
Tom Green
And next week you had two more interceptions though. You you hit the ground running. You had two against the Giants. And one at the end of the game. I was soon to be teammate Craig Moore. Oh yeah.
00;16;20;04 - 00;16;25;19
Steve Foley
I remember that one. I didn't remember the other one. In there. I did not I did not.
00;16;25;19 - 00;16;30;01
Tom Green
You started with four interceptions in two games. You were on a pace.
00;16;30;03 - 00;16;32;07
Steve Foley
Wow. If I, if I, if I played 150.
00;16;32;07 - 00;16;56;21
Tom Green
Games you would have had 300 interceptions. But so playing across from Louis Wright meant what you just described that they were going to come after you and this year's Broncos. We watch Riley Moss another white cornerback and we'll talk about being white at the corner. But if you're playing across from Pat's or ten it's coming your way. And so opportunities coming your way but also danger is coming.
00;16;56;21 - 00;17;23;01
Steve Foley
Well but you don't look at danger. You if it if, if I could tell Riley one thing, it's just he's he's faster than I was. He's a good cover guy. He's a good tackler. He's a really good corner. Just look for the ball. Get get your eyes and and use your elbows and your and your hands. Because they look at those fingertips.
00;17;23;01 - 00;17;24;17
Tom Green
If you're grabbing, if you're grabbing.
00;17;24;17 - 00;17;47;16
Steve Foley
But if you use your arm, he's plenty strong enough to, to to slow those receivers down. And the refs won't call it. And I used to use my, my elbows. If I got even with a receiver, I would put my arm out and run. And then I'm looking back and like, I was looking at Pat's or Tan when he knocked that ball away.
00;17;47;16 - 00;17;50;07
Steve Foley
I'm like, Pat, the other hand can come up.
00;17;50;07 - 00;17;51;02
Tom Green
Just as easy.
00;17;51;08 - 00;17;56;29
Steve Foley
He was he is a fantastic corner. He never gets beat. I mean.
00;17;57;01 - 00;17;58;15
Tom Green
Occasionally, sure.
00;17;58;18 - 00;18;03;22
Steve Foley
But less than anybody I've ever seen. He's the prototype of what I'd build for a corner.
00;18;03;26 - 00;18;25;19
Tom Green
I'm going to go off track here for a second, because I think as much as people love Pat's are ten for very good reason. Defensive player of the year last year. He's a terrific corner. He might not be in the top 3 or 4 all time corners to play for the Broncos, yet. Because you think, yeah, because you look at Louis and Champ, the no fly zone.
00;18;25;19 - 00;18;36;10
Tom Green
You go all the way back to Willie Brown. Played for the Broncos way back in the day. And you know there's no reason he can't be the best corner ever to play. But that's a you've had some great corners in this franchise.
00;18;36;16 - 00;19;03;06
Steve Foley
Yeah. And and and safeties when you look when you look at the number and and the caliber of the guys that we've had at, at safety. But Pat's certain, you know, and I've met him quite a few times. And not only is he a great human being, he's what I would put together as the perfect corner, 6 to 200 like Louis, Louis was six three, 200.
00;19;03;06 - 00;19;04;03
Tom Green
Long for his era.
00;19;04;06 - 00;19;13;06
Steve Foley
Louis was the first lockdown corner that, that I saw in that era. And he should be in the Hall of Fame. I was going.
00;19;13;06 - 00;19;14;20
Tom Green
To ask you about that because he that.
00;19;14;21 - 00;19;15;17
Steve Foley
There's no question.
00;19;15;18 - 00;19;32;26
Tom Green
Dave Logan did the show with me a few weeks ago, and we talked about Mel Blunt, you know, and it seems like if you're a Steeler, you can get into the Hall of Fame pretty quick. But there are there are Broncos. It took Randy, sadly, forever to go in, took Floyd a long time to finally go. And it seems like the dam has broken a bit.
00;19;32;29 - 00;19;37;11
Tom Green
But I'm with you on Louis. I always thought Louis played Hall of Fame corner for his whole career.
00;19;37;12 - 00;19;56;11
Steve Foley
I, I tell Louis and and Louis is one of the most humble guys that you'll ever come in contact with. But Louis, right, was the first lock down corner. And I'm talking big six three, 200, two five. Run like a gazelle.
00;19;56;11 - 00;19;57;13
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;19;57;16 - 00;20;06;04
Steve Foley
Not the best hands. Oh, he. If if if he had receiver type hands, he could have had 40 interceptions.
00;20;06;04 - 00;20;06;23
Tom Green
Sure.
00;20;06;25 - 00;20;28;09
Steve Foley
Because, Louis. But, man, I'd, I'd watch Louis get beat. He'd be, he'd get beat by five yards and make up that ground in like, split second, two stride, knocked the ball away. And I'm like, now if I had that speed you couldn't get me off a bump and run. I bad beat the crap out of receivers back then.
00;20;28;09 - 00;20;50;18
Tom Green
You could too. Yeah you could. So you get in 1976 do you. The Orange Crush defense is is about to form. Do you feel it forming. Do you feel this this because what followed in 77 was one of the great defensive seasons you'll ever see in pro football. But in 76, did you sense that you were about to strangle the league?
00;20;50;24 - 00;21;18;14
Steve Foley
No. You don't you don't sense something like that when it's happening until you're going through it and, and you're in the midst of that 12 and two season and you go, we we're good. We're real good. And like, we can we can hold the game close for our offense, to get something they're not going to run, roughshod over us.
00;21;18;14 - 00;21;24;00
Steve Foley
And we had a very fast physical defense. Smaller.
00;21;24;02 - 00;21;24;13
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;21;24;19 - 00;21;39;17
Steve Foley
Smaller but fast outside linebackers. Bob Swanson and Tom Jackson. Man, they could run just like a defensive back, and they could cover and, man, with Barney and Reuben.
00;21;39;17 - 00;21;41;29
Tom Green
Lyle and. Yeah.
00;21;42;01 - 00;21;49;21
Steve Foley
And Rulon and all those guys up front, we we were great against the run, which is what you got to be.
00;21;49;21 - 00;22;05;00
Tom Green
And also playing Joe was so creative. Joe Carr or the defensive coordinator, he was so smart and creative. And even the 34 seemed to give a lot of teams trouble and the the feeding everyone to Randy. It just seems like Joe could dial it up and you guys could pull it off.
00;22;05;00 - 00;22;11;12
Steve Foley
Well, he was always looking and he we didn't have computers at that time to break stuff down.
00;22;11;13 - 00;22;12;18
Tom Green
Film. It was not video.
00;22;12;18 - 00;22;18;01
Steve Foley
He was breaking it down, but he was looking for clues and he would find clues everywhere.
00;22;18;01 - 00;22;18;26
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;22;18;28 - 00;22;31;01
Steve Foley
And and and then he'd relay those to us and we'd have pass run, like, we'd, we play the Raiders. And Joe found, he found that when Van Egan, Mark Van.
00;22;31;01 - 00;22;33;19
Tom Green
Egan would back tilt.
00;22;33;21 - 00;22;51;10
Steve Foley
We'd call it a tilt. He'd just take a half a step to the tight end side. It was going to be pass. If he was directly behind Stabler, it was going to be run and they didn't know what it was. And Randy wood would put up both arms like this.
00;22;51;10 - 00;22;52;10
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;22;52;13 - 00;23;02;25
Steve Foley
And Al Davis, it drove him nuts. And we would know that his pass and I'm as a safety or a corner, I'm like, here it comes, here it comes. And Fouts same.
00;23;02;25 - 00;23;03;17
Tom Green
Thing. Yeah.
00;23;03;17 - 00;23;09;26
Steve Foley
He'd put his feet. He'd put one foot back when it was a pass. And it make him equal when it was a run under center.
00;23;09;26 - 00;23;11;05
Tom Green
Under center. Yeah, yeah.
00;23;11;07 - 00;23;13;08
Steve Foley
And he didn't know what he was doing. It's like it's like.
00;23;13;10 - 00;23;14;06
Tom Green
Kissing a pitch.
00;23;14;07 - 00;23;16;12
Steve Foley
Yeah. Are poker players given a towel?
00;23;16;12 - 00;23;46;05
Tom Green
Yeah. Well, that's. It's a nice advantage to have the, the, the 1977 team runs roughshod through the, the, the regular season. Then there's the playoff game and the AFC Championship game ultimately against the Raiders. In Denver was one of the great parties, significant moments in Colorado and Denver sports history because I think even a lot of those people, as excited as they were, if you weren't sure, could could we finally beat the Raiders?
00;23;46;05 - 00;23;47;24
Tom Green
Could we beat them in this big game?
00;23;47;29 - 00;23;54;26
Steve Foley
Well, that was the first time I think we we beat them two times that. Yeah, I think they beat us one.
00;23;54;26 - 00;23;58;26
Tom Green
I think you might have won on the road. Both of you might have won on the I think we split.
00;23;58;26 - 00;24;20;09
Steve Foley
But yeah, it was a split and and we beat them two out of three. And for the AFC Championship it was when you played the Raiders back then it was oh war. It was a slugfest. It was brutal. But we were up to it. And you know what? Red Miller gave us that courage. He had some fiery speeches.
00;24;20;09 - 00;24;28;15
Steve Foley
And basically he would say, I don't care what you got to do. Start a fight, spit in somebody's face. You do what you got to do. We're going to beat the Raiders.
00;24;28;15 - 00;24;38;28
Tom Green
And Tom Jackson seemed to be the the voice of that. You had the the characters in that. David you didn't have to say anything because there was Tom Jackson. Lyle Zito, there were guys who were willing to say everything.
00;24;39;00 - 00;24;59;07
Steve Foley
Tommy was the emotional leader of that. And, one of the greatest plays I saw because I was on his side at the time I was playing, right corner. Tommy was, weak side. So the weak side was mine. It was Clarence Davis did a little swing pass towards the Raider bench.
00;24;59;10 - 00;25;09;02
Steve Foley
And he hit him so hard and knocked him down. The ball comes loose and he ran up to Madden. How do you like that, fat man?
00;25;09;05 - 00;25;13;15
Tom Green
And I was right there. And I'm pulling him off. And he is just jacked.
00;25;13;15 - 00;25;33;03
Steve Foley
And the Raiders are trying to get to him. And he's up in Madden's face with that. And that that signified that we were now a team of age where to be respected. You're not going to come in here and do what you have done in all the previous, decades.
00;25;33;09 - 00;25;43;10
Tom Green
So. So you go to that Super Bowl the first time the Broncos have ever been Super Bowl 12. It's in your hometown in New Orleans. First ever played indoors. It was the first indoor Super Bowl at the super.
00;25;43;10 - 00;25;44;01
Steve Foley
I did not know that.
00;25;44;01 - 00;26;01;15
Tom Green
Yeah. And it didn't go well. Did not. And you were you were part of one of the most controversial plays of that era of Super Bowls. And the Butch Johnson catch no catch rule. The touchdown. He beat you, and he made a catch that wouldn't stand today.
00;26;01;15 - 00;26;02;26
Steve Foley
No. Would not.
00;26;02;29 - 00;26;04;07
Tom Green
I stood then I didn't.
00;26;04;07 - 00;26;18;05
Steve Foley
Think it it should have anyway because he never got his foot down right. He never got one foot down. He barely had he landed stretched out as he caught it. And as he landed, the ball came loose. And I'm like, since when is that a catch?
00;26;18;05 - 00;26;19;00
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;26;19;03 - 00;26;20;00
Steve Foley
So it was.
00;26;20;00 - 00;26;42;18
Tom Green
It was interesting to me because, the Broncos assistant coaches to me when I got here, we're such an interesting collection of men. And Richie McCabe became your defensive backs coach after that Super Bowl. Yes. And I always thought he was so funny because he was, his attention to detail and his no nonsense approach was was obvious even to those of us watching.
00;26;42;18 - 00;26;46;05
Tom Green
I imagine for you guys, it had to be something to behold.
00;26;46;07 - 00;27;12;09
Steve Foley
It was. And he was the only coach. I mean, the the first day he walks into our meeting room, he gained our respect. Immediately he started asking us questions about how wide a football field was, where is the middle of the half and cover two? In a cover three, where is the flat? The middle of the flat that you're supposed to cover?
00;27;12;11 - 00;27;38;02
Steve Foley
Because what what are you going to do, just drift all over the zones? That's got to be, precise. Spot where you go to in your zones. And he would show us on film how playing cover two is a safety. You go to the outside of the numbers, and the numbers are three yards wide, and and, if you go to the inside of the numbers, you'll never get to that.
00;27;38;05 - 00;27;53;01
Steve Foley
To that, play on the, you know, a go down the sideline and he would show us guys missing the ball by this much. And they say they're three yards from where they're supposed to be, and they're missing the ball by that much.
00;27;53;03 - 00;28;04;22
Tom Green
And it would have made a difference. You were you were a young player still. But you guys had just been to the Super Bowl. On the strength of your defense. Did you accept his, teaching immediately? Yeah.
00;28;04;22 - 00;28;28;22
Steve Foley
Because when he asked questions to Louis, right. And Louis couldn't answer any, the asked Billy Thompson, he asked just the starters, not the backups. He took Billy Thompson. All right, all pro. What's this? What's this, what's this Steve Foley, where's where's the middle of your zone? And we're looking at each other going, we don't know. And we're professionals.
00;28;28;24 - 00;28;29;20
Tom Green
And we're pretty good.
00;28;29;26 - 00;28;54;13
Steve Foley
And we're pretty good. Yeah. But yes, he gained the respect and and as I evolved, from corner to free safety, he was instrumental to me in showing me how lining up in one position, just being on the guard when you were supposed to be on the tackle meant the difference. Hit in the running back five yards down the field or at the line of scrimmage.
00;28;54;16 - 00;28;55;15
Tom Green
Everything.
00;28;55;17 - 00;28;57;02
Steve Foley
Everything mattered.
00;28;57;05 - 00;29;11;04
Tom Green
Everything mattered. When you played corner, you obviously played a lot of man free safety. There's a lot of space. There's a lot of responsibility. That came with that. Was that a transition? You became a great safety, but was it hard?
00;29;11;09 - 00;29;14;23
Steve Foley
No, I think safety was the easiest spot. It was.
00;29;14;26 - 00;29;15;29
Tom Green
You could see the whole having.
00;29;15;29 - 00;29;40;29
Steve Foley
Come from quarterback, I can't even tell you how many times I'd see a quarterback looking. And I go, I know that look. I it just subconscious. I wouldn't say that, but I'm like, I know what he's doing. Hit, pump, fake to the right. And I would take off to his left, my right at the opposite way. And sometimes I get interceptions on it.
00;29;40;29 - 00;29;56;16
Steve Foley
I'll be right there. You just know because you did it a thousand times as a quarterback. And I can tell when they were getting jumpy and I knew when we had blitz is on. Yeah, he's going to look. Once he senses the blitz he's going to look right where he's throwing. Try to go. You could anticipate.
00;29;56;18 - 00;30;12;24
Tom Green
You had to do play a little more run in as a free safety. And I know it's not your favorite memory of the Earl Campbell. 1980. He was at the height of his powers, and he came into Denver. And at the end of a game, he he ran through you one time, ran right over you.
00;30;12;25 - 00;30;24;06
Steve Foley
Yeah. And, I hit one of those 34 inch thighs. I got to tell you, he came into our. He's one of the only guys to ever walk into our locker room before a game.
00;30;24;09 - 00;30;25;09
Tom Green
Oh, he just dropped.
00;30;25;09 - 00;30;50;09
Steve Foley
In, dropped in to say hi to stuttered. And some of the other Texas guys. Longhorns. And I heard Tom Jackson go, oh, my God. And, I'm getting taped up, putting my pads on. I look over and he's in a little girdle pad. You have never seen legs on a human being like that in your life. And 34 inch.
00;30;50;12 - 00;30;52;05
Tom Green
Each thigh each.
00;30;52;08 - 00;31;02;26
Steve Foley
My waist was 32 at that time, and I'm like, this is a beast. But nicest guy. Yeah, yeah, I caught one of those thighs coming up.
00;31;02;29 - 00;31;04;19
Tom Green
You met him in the hole or a little bit.
00;31;04;19 - 00;31;13;19
Steve Foley
Oh, I, I laid out thinking, and I should have gone just. If I hit him in the shins, he flips, right? And as a critical mistake.
00;31;13;19 - 00;31;15;15
Tom Green
Couldn't get low enough.
00;31;15;17 - 00;31;31;20
Steve Foley
I didn't think about it. I actually thought, I'm going to splat him. Yeah, splat the ball from him. I guess that's the only reason that, that I played. And, didn't think about didn't didn't think about it, but, yeah, Earl was a beast.
00;31;31;23 - 00;31;52;03
Tom Green
Great player. So I think when I think of other memorable games for you, for the Broncos, for fans, the snow game with the Packers in 1984, were you guys scored on defense on I think the first two snaps of the game? Yeah. You scored on the first play of the game. That was a one of the most bizarre football games I can recall.
00;31;52;05 - 00;32;03;08
Steve Foley
You know, and I was taking some of the, lessons learned from that game. And I was, in my mind, I was applying them to the New England game.
00;32;03;08 - 00;32;04;07
Tom Green
Just this past week.
00;32;04;07 - 00;32;26;26
Steve Foley
That just this past week with the Broncos, because the field was covered in snow. I scored the first touchdown. We kicked off, they fumbled again. Louis got to it. I was almost to it again, going, I can't believe this. Louis picks it up, finds four. I don't know how many seconds go on. 17 seconds is 14. Nothing. We wound up winning 1714.
00;32;26;28 - 00;32;28;27
Tom Green
Yeah Lynn Dickey had a pretty good game after that.
00;32;28;27 - 00;32;52;14
Steve Foley
And the reason is defensive backs could not cut on the ball. You can't cut. So they would just run hooks. And I was I was talking to the TV going just right hooks. The defensive backs cannot cover it because if they stop they know you can do a just a little hook and go, yeah, they'll never recover. They'll have to grab you to be in a ference.
00;32;52;16 - 00;32;55;23
Steve Foley
And that's what I did. They did that to us. The whole.
00;32;55;23 - 00;32;57;09
Tom Green
Game. Yeah.
00;32;57;12 - 00;33;00;09
Steve Foley
Just he threw for over 300 yards I think.
00;33;00;12 - 00;33;07;29
Tom Green
Oh yeah I remember him and they, they came close to coming back. But once you got up 14 nothing most of it was determined.
00;33;07;29 - 00;33;21;00
Steve Foley
That's a lesson for the deep snow for an offense which, I don't like help being a defensive guy, but the defense cannot plant the corners cannot plant. Now running out. Dangerous.
00;33;21;00 - 00;33;21;11
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;33;21;18 - 00;33;27;01
Steve Foley
Run a hook. They can't they can't plant. They got they got no tractions.
00;33;27;04 - 00;33;55;09
Tom Green
You started your career and you end up getting to a Super Bowl in year two. And then you would go back to the Super Bowl, in your last season, your last game was the Super Bowl against the Giants. So you're there at the dawn of the Elway era, and it had to be something special to see that, because you could tell at that point, things had changed in Denver, and this was going to be the guy who's the center of the Broncos universe for some time.
00;33;55;12 - 00;34;09;03
Steve Foley
Yeah, yeah. He was just coming of age, and, boy, he could throw the ball. And I believe in the first half he set a record for the first half of football.
00;34;09;06 - 00;34;11;10
Tom Green
Against the Giants. Against the Giants? Yeah.
00;34;11;12 - 00;34;37;20
Steve Foley
And then Phil Simms had an incredible game. But I got to tell you that we were they did a marvelous job coaching Parcells. Did they were they were a run run pass on third down all the way through the NFC Championship. When they got to the Super Bowl it was first down pass. We were in a lot of cover twos which the corners come up.
00;34;37;20 - 00;34;47;00
Steve Foley
The safeties are deep. They had that hole the linebackers and had be deep gaps in between there, and they never went away from pretty easy throws.
00;34;47;02 - 00;34;49;16
Tom Green
If you if you quarterback's hit and he had a great day.
00;34;49;17 - 00;35;11;04
Steve Foley
Oh he had a great he had a he had a great day. But the fact that they changed their whole strategy was, was something we even called a fake punt in the second half. First drive, I think. And I was sitting from me to you to Parcells and he called for a guy and I went fake punt.
00;35;11;08 - 00;35;19;06
Steve Foley
We knew it was a fake. We called fake and we knew it. They lined up in punt formation, came up under center, but they got the first.
00;35;19;09 - 00;35;29;20
Tom Green
So, I as a matter of fact, I saw you, with a fake field goal back on a Monday night game back in the late 70s against the bears. You you came into hold.
00;35;29;24 - 00;35;50;25
Steve Foley
That was scary. I come in the hold and they start screaming. It's a Monday night game. And they start screaming. Fake punt. Fake pot. I mean, fake field goal, fake field goal. It's a fake. And they call a timeout. And I go to Jim Turner. We go back to the huddle and Jim Turner goes don't look to the sideline.
00;35;50;29 - 00;36;09;15
Steve Foley
Don't even look at the coach. Just look at me. And he goes we're going to run the play just like that. You're going to fake it. And I said, Jim, they are gonna annihilate me holding the ball. I said, I'm down on one knee. They're going to kill me. They're coming around the corner. They know it's a fake.
00;36;09;20 - 00;36;12;25
Steve Foley
We line up, they come like they're going to block it.
00;36;12;25 - 00;36;13;20
Tom Green
They come crashing.
00;36;13;22 - 00;36;19;06
Steve Foley
I put the ball down, I pull it up and they both go in front and I run around. Are you the regular holder?
00;36;19;06 - 00;36;23;01
Tom Green
Was that. Oh that was the tip. Was that you were in. Yeah. To do that.
00;36;23;01 - 00;36;25;27
Steve Foley
Well and they call a timeout and then.
00;36;25;27 - 00;36;29;02
Tom Green
They put him in and then they let me.
00;36;29;02 - 00;36;31;13
Steve Foley
They let me run it. That was funny.
00;36;31;13 - 00;36;49;18
Tom Green
So your first trip to the Super Bowl, you have a team of destiny that that Orange Crush team just was an amazing run in 86. You you also had that destiny. The drive. You had that game in Cleveland before that. Knew you at what point in the year knew that this was going to be your last year?
00;36;49;21 - 00;37;20;21
Steve Foley
I didn't I did not know, that it would be my last year. And, and I had thought about retiring 2 to 3 years earlier. And my motivation for staying was, I think we can get to a Super Bowl. That's really what I was, plan for is to win a Super Bowl and, I saw where we weren't really, retooling the defense.
00;37;20;21 - 00;37;42;01
Steve Foley
We were down was drafting everybody on offense, and offense was really getting good. But you got to have a really good defense to win a championship. And so at that Super Bowl, I thought we had the best chance to win against them. I really do if if I would have played that team, and I that.
00;37;42;01 - 00;37;43;05
Tom Green
Game could have gone differently.
00;37;43;05 - 00;37;44;26
Steve Foley
It could have very easily.
00;37;44;26 - 00;37;52;22
Tom Green
People see 3920 and they think it's a wipe out if you go if you watch that game there were there was a lot of the first half. There were miss field goals.
00;37;52;28 - 00;38;12;12
Steve Foley
Well caller two you just put this, it it always ends. I'm not saying always, but usually very bad. We had first and goal from the one yard line after blocking a punt. So momentum is swing. And we're up 10 to 7. We don't get a point.
00;38;12;14 - 00;38;13;21
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;38;13;23 - 00;38;35;21
Steve Foley
We don't get a field goal or a touchdown from first and one on the one. And when that happened, when that happened, instead of going up 17 to 7, then they got a throw. Then we let them run. We get in pass defenses right. And we let them run. And we like run the clock. Yeah. Run. Take your time.
00;38;35;21 - 00;38;43;02
Steve Foley
We'll take that. But when you don't and and then it went, what, ten and nine at half.
00;38;43;04 - 00;38;45;13
Tom Green
How did it feel to retire?
00;38;45;15 - 00;39;15;10
Steve Foley
You know, it felt, the right thing to do. I didn't know I was going to do that until one day I was practicing, and, I was I came to training camp to our facility on 58th, and it was just me by myself. And I was thinking, what a beautiful day. You know, it's before minicamp. I'm the only guy out there.
00;39;15;10 - 00;39;16;09
Steve Foley
I'm just looking.
00;39;16;10 - 00;39;17;06
Tom Green
This is 87.
00;39;17;06 - 00;39;40;00
Steve Foley
Now. Yeah. This is, And this is in the, like, May. And we're going to have May camp in, a few weeks, and I'm, I'm just, getting ready and, enjoying myself was one of these beautiful sun, sunlit days, not a cloud in the sky. And I'm looking up, and I just heard this voice saying, you're free to go.
00;39;40;04 - 00;40;05;26
Steve Foley
And I was always waiting for that. Really. I had always pray, Lord, when. When are you going to give me the freedom to leave? Because if not, I'll just. I'll stay. And, he gave me the freedom and it when I heard that voice say, you're free to go. I literally got up and I've never told anybody this.
00;40;05;29 - 00;40;23;15
Steve Foley
I got up, I walked inside, I went up, I got dressed, I went up, to Dan, I told him, I said, I was struggling to, I had one more year left on my contract, and, I just said, hey, I think it's time. And he tried to talk me in.
00;40;23;15 - 00;40;24;08
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;40;24;11 - 00;40;39;06
Steve Foley
To stay. And Joe Joe said, one more year. We'll see if Tony Lily steps up. Give me one more year. And I said, Joe, I'm ready to go. And Dan said, don't say anything till, camp come in and and do that. And,
00;40;39;08 - 00;40;51;08
Tom Green
He was the first person you told Dan like you hadn't told talk to Cindy or you hadn't talked to teammates or anything. You know, it was that sudden. It was a moment now. Yeah.
00;40;51;11 - 00;40;52;14
Steve Foley
Tommy Jackson was.
00;40;52;14 - 00;40;53;28
Tom Green
Retiring. Yeah, I remember.
00;40;53;28 - 00;41;04;19
Steve Foley
I think Ruben retired that year if I'm. I'm not sure. But there were three of us at least. I don't know if Barney had retired already.
00;41;04;19 - 00;41;07;15
Tom Green
It was it was the end of an era. I certainly remember it was.
00;41;07;15 - 00;41;35;15
Steve Foley
And the only person I called that night before I was coming to camp, I didn't tell anybody. Right. I told Cindy when I got home, I said, I'm done, and it feels the right time to walk away. And, I called Louis, who I love Louis, right? He's he's just. I said this before, but he's one of the most humble people that I've ever met and drafted together.
00;41;35;15 - 00;41;57;05
Steve Foley
Yeah. Played our whole career together. And Louis didn't answer the phone, and I left him a message, and I said, Louis, I'm calling you. You're the only person I'm calling to let you know I'm retiring tomorrow, and I appreciate everything that you have done. You've had a huge impact on me and what I've accomplished. And, I'll see you tomorrow.
00;41;57;07 - 00;42;03;13
Steve Foley
He never call back, and, he never showed up for camp. Louis retired that year.
00;42;03;20 - 00;42;04;10
Tom Green
Oh, I wonder.
00;42;04;10 - 00;42;06;29
Steve Foley
That's the one where he just stayed out of camp. He just.
00;42;06;29 - 00;42;08;09
Tom Green
Drifted away.
00;42;08;12 - 00;42;17;29
Steve Foley
Well, yeah. No, he was he was ready to hang it up, too. And, but, yeah, that's the way that that that went down.
00;42;18;01 - 00;42;24;11
Tom Green
It's amazing. Did did you think about it? It seems like the natural transition is to coach.
00;42;24;14 - 00;42;42;23
Steve Foley
I did think about that. And I love coaching. I did think about that pretty strong. And, and, whether or not to be an assistant, you know, just run around like Bill Belichick was for us back then. And we would see him, you know, and he was a.
00;42;42;23 - 00;42;44;12
Tom Green
Film guy with you guys back. Yeah.
00;42;44;12 - 00;43;06;18
Steve Foley
He traipse around chart and plays for Joe Collier. Defenses and learning to the 34 which they use quite extensively. And and how Joe would take certain players out of the game and what have you. And Bill was he was in his 20s back then and so yeah, it was,
00;43;06;21 - 00;43;10;25
Tom Green
Coaching. I always thought it was harder than playing and less rewarding. Well, anyways.
00;43;11;00 - 00;43;35;14
Steve Foley
Yeah. And Tulane had asked me right after that, would you come coach defensive backs and then we'd like you to be coordinator. And I sat down with, with the coach. I think it was Larry English. And when I got the it just I wasn't going to trade that. He said for six months you don't see family.
00;43;35;14 - 00;43;43;16
Steve Foley
Basically you're you're buried. And I said, and, I was thinking of my kids. I said, nah, I'm not missing anything with.
00;43;43;16 - 00;43;44;14
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;43;44;17 - 00;43;53;22
Steve Foley
I'm not, I love it. I did five years with Regis High School. Yes, as a volunteer coach, and I love that. But.
00;43;53;24 - 00;44;04;04
Tom Green
Yeah. So so you leave the game. Did did you ever. It sounds like you had great clarity in that, in that brief conversation you had on that May day with The Voice?
00;44;04;06 - 00;44;04;21
Steve Foley
I did.
00;44;04;27 - 00;44;10;12
Tom Green
But did you ever think as the year was going on that I had more or I wish.
00;44;10;12 - 00;44;15;14
Steve Foley
Or no, I knew I had a little more, I, I never had a knee injury.
00;44;15;16 - 00;44;16;16
Tom Green
Yeah, a serious one.
00;44;16;16 - 00;44;43;02
Steve Foley
No operations. You know, broke a finger or broke a wrist. No, I don't have any. My hips aren't bad, my shoulders aren't bad. I got no no replacements on the on the horizon. No, the Lord has blessed me tremendously. And, so I'm like, I want to get out like that. Yeah. Because I personally, me personally, I would listen to guys who had 16 surgeries and say I'd go do it again.
00;44;43;02 - 00;44;50;25
Steve Foley
I say, you're an idiot. If I had always said, if I get one bad injury, I'm,
00;44;51;02 - 00;44;51;20
Tom Green
That's it.
00;44;51;20 - 00;44;54;02
Steve Foley
I'm. Your health is worth everything.
00;44;54;07 - 00;45;14;27
Tom Green
So, because you're in the ring of fame primarily as a safety, but we'll say as a DB, how would you put you on the spot a little bit here? How would you rank take yourself out of it, the great Broncos safeties, because you think of Dennis and Atwater and Billy and them and some great players to come through there.
00;45;14;27 - 00;45;18;00
Tom Green
Is there one that's the king?
00;45;18;03 - 00;45;29;23
Steve Foley
Well, I would be remiss if I, if I said one as a king because they, they all had such great careers. Dennis. The longest career.
00;45;29;23 - 00;45;31;08
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;45;31;10 - 00;45;36;22
Steve Foley
I always said if Dennis had a little better hands. My God, was he a.
00;45;36;22 - 00;45;39;08
Tom Green
Great, like, Louis cover? Yeah.
00;45;39;10 - 00;46;02;01
Steve Foley
Great. And, I mean, balls used to hit him and he'd had pick sixes and. But Dennis was a great safety. Great hitter. Yeah. Of course, Steve Atwater Hall of Fame, great hitter, great, safety and Billy Thompson Billy was, man, what a competitor Billy was. And he was he Billy was a.
00;46;02;01 - 00;46;03;00
Tom Green
Corner,
00;46;03;03 - 00;46;15;16
Steve Foley
When he started and then and then a strong safety and Billy was. Man, what a leader, too. So those three guys, I'd rank as the three cocaine.
00;46;15;19 - 00;46;38;05
Tom Green
The the chairman of the board put those three in charge. Billy played at a black college. And the cornerback position that you played has been the domain of the black athlete for a long time now. But you played, as a white cornerback. And there there were only a few at the time. And then then there were none for a while.
00;46;38;05 - 00;46;45;22
Tom Green
And now we talked about Riley Moss taking over the position as well. But you said it's something you never even really noticed or cared about.
00;46;45;24 - 00;47;16;00
Steve Foley
I never cared about it. And I never thought I never thought of myself as, like I've heard guys say, oh, I can't play corner because I'm, I'm not black or, you know, speed. It's a game of speed and quickness. You either got it or you don't. That's the way I looked at it and growing up in an integrated, community in New Orleans, I, I played with black athletes from the time I was eight years old.
00;47;16;00 - 00;47;19;18
Steve Foley
So, you know, and I'm like.
00;47;19;20 - 00;47;20;29
Tom Green
I didn't mean anything to.
00;47;20;29 - 00;47;30;09
Steve Foley
You know what? I, I could hang with it with everybody. And so that had that didn't even enter my mind.
00;47;30;11 - 00;47;46;11
Tom Green
But you I would say you've never been physically imposing. Obviously a professional football player, strong athletic man. But I mean, even back to your early days in high school in New Orleans and collegiately at Tulane, you were generally undersized.
00;47;46;14 - 00;47;56;02
Steve Foley
Yeah, I was 511, 165 when I graduated from high school, but I was only I played my high school senior year at 16.
00;47;56;04 - 00;47;57;25
Tom Green
Oh, so how so?
00;47;57;27 - 00;48;02;04
Steve Foley
I don't know, my mom. Probably by the time got to me number seven, getting my to.
00;48;02;04 - 00;48;05;12
Tom Green
Have a first grade, he's for, whatever.
00;48;05;14 - 00;48;23;27
Steve Foley
Yeah. But, and so I'm 17 as a freshman in college, but when I hit 18, I hit another growth spurt, and I got 6 to 180 5 to 190. And then the game I was struggling before then. But man, in college that game slowed down so much.
00;48;23;27 - 00;48;25;09
Tom Green
Even as quarterback because.
00;48;25;10 - 00;48;32;05
Steve Foley
Oh, it was like I actually felt like I feel bad for the defense.
00;48;32;08 - 00;48;33;18
Tom Green
Well, you you were a dual threat.
00;48;33;18 - 00;48;38;02
Steve Foley
You can have as good a rush as you want, but I can get away from you most of the time.
00;48;38;02 - 00;48;39;24
Tom Green
You were you were running quarterback.
00;48;39;24 - 00;48;52;29
Steve Foley
Yeah, I could, I could run 4 or 5 and, and and if I needed to, it was just move the chains. Move the chains. Don't. I'm not standing back in there waiting for anything. I see. Danger, I'm gone.
00;48;53;00 - 00;48;55;00
Tom Green
Daylight. I'll see if I go to run.
00;48;55;03 - 00;49;10;13
Steve Foley
Survival mode kicks in. You know I'm gone. So. But that's why I didn't play. They were, they were. They had pocket passers. Big strong, six three, 220, 230 pound guys. Mike Frankovic was that.
00;49;10;13 - 00;49;12;06
Tom Green
And look the part big.
00;49;12;06 - 00;49;14;09
Steve Foley
Yeah big guys. And that wasn't me.
00;49;14;11 - 00;49;23;20
Tom Green
So let's go back 1973. This is a clip from, Steve playing for Tulane in one of their biggest games.
00;49;23;23 - 00;49;26;17
Steve Foley
Oh, wow. I didn't know this was coming.
00;49;26;19 - 00;49;28;14
Tom Green
July 14th, and I think I.
00;49;28;16 - 00;49;31;23
Unknown
Had a.
00;49;31;25 - 00;49;36;28
Unknown
1948 ball game.
00;49;37;00 - 00;49;38;26
Steve Foley
They were going to the Orange Bowl in this game.
00;49;38;26 - 00;49;42;00
Tom Green
Yeah. Unbeaten.
00;49;42;02 - 00;49;47;05
Steve Foley
You know they didn't score a touchdown on us in two years in a row.
00;49;47;08 - 00;49;57;26
Tom Green
And I think the goal was coming into a little like lead. So how how good was that. Because the year before you almost beat him right.
00;49;57;26 - 00;50;17;15
Steve Foley
We ended up it was 9 to 3. They kicked three field goals. We knocked Bert Jones out of the game Bert Jones. And they were going to the I think the Orange Bowl. And that year and I was a sophomore and we got the ball back 9 to 3 with like 58 seconds to go. And we went all the way down.
00;50;17;15 - 00;50;44;11
Steve Foley
I did some kind of sprint out and went all the way back to the left sideline, all the way down. We had no timeouts. You couldn't spike the ball right, right. And I'm on the six yard line. I get tackled and we line up and I just called regular low pass play, 60, receivers, curl backs in a flat, and if the linebackers drop back, hit my back in the flat and, we had six seconds left, couldn't spike it, hike the ball.
00;50;44;14 - 00;51;01;29
Steve Foley
My running back wasn't really looking at that. So I just flipped it real easy in case he turned around. But I had to get rid of the ball, and, it landed right on his hip, and he caught it, but he didn't have time to turn around. He was 230 pounds. The safety came out. Nailed him. They didn't know if he had scored.
00;51;01;29 - 00;51;19;20
Steve Foley
He ended up right on the goal line, on the goal line. And the refs uncovered him. And it was a packed Tulane Stadium, 80 something thousand. And they just went quiet and the ref said no good. He's on the oh man. But I remember walking in that locker room saying, we got the talent to play with these guys.
00;51;19;20 - 00;51;20;29
Steve Foley
We're going to beat them next year.
00;51;21;01 - 00;51;39;06
Tom Green
Well, when you beat them in that game that they were ranked eighth in the country, I think they were unbeaten and you shut them out 14 nothing. But yeah, when I hear you talk about the 1972 game, I'll do some quick math here. So that's 53 years ago. Seems like you remember pretty well. You remember every detail of that of those plays.
00;51;39;06 - 00;51;47;24
Steve Foley
Well, you did and you know, there are certain games that's one of the when people say, what's one of the greatest games you played in. It was a loss.
00;51;47;27 - 00;51;55;10
Steve Foley
Just the my nature is to is to be an overcomer.
00;51;55;12 - 00;51;55;26
Tom Green
Okay.
00;51;55;28 - 00;52;03;16
Steve Foley
I like that feel and I like the feeling that I never walked into a game in my life thinking I'm.
00;52;03;16 - 00;52;04;18
Tom Green
Going to lose. Right.
00;52;04;18 - 00;52;25;06
Steve Foley
Never in my life didn't even I don't have that mindset. And so you get beat, you learn to deal with it, but you're not expecting it. And, you know, that's one of the best games, greatest games I ever played in. And we lost. But the thrill of almost scoring like that. Oh, man.
00;52;25;12 - 00;52;32;07
Tom Green
What about wins? What about the greatest wins? College pro whenever. What are the games that you reflect on that 14.
00;52;32;07 - 00;52;52;06
Steve Foley
Nothing that we beat them the next year when it was. But the AFC Championship when we beat the Raiders here and the game before that, the Pittsburgh Steelers, they were in their heyday. Yeah. They were the Steelers were between four Super Bowls and we caught them after they won two. And right it split split them right in the middle.
00;52;52;06 - 00;52;53;23
Steve Foley
And we whacked them.
00;52;53;27 - 00;52;54;05
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;52;54;05 - 00;53;07;25
Steve Foley
And mile High we we had a physical that I think that's when one of the Steelers offensive linemen or. No somebody punched one of our, one of our linemen.
00;53;07;25 - 00;53;10;10
Tom Green
Was a Joe Green maybe punch Paul Howard.
00;53;10;10 - 00;53;11;28
Steve Foley
Or. Yes, something like that.
00;53;11;28 - 00;53;12;07
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;53;12;14 - 00;53;31;01
Steve Foley
And, it was a physical fight. And, I remember going home for Christmas and Mel Blount was on a plane, and Mel Blunt's from Louisiana, and I walk up to him, and I'd never seen a defensive back that big in my life. He was 220.
00;53;31;03 - 00;53;42;08
Tom Green
That's like I said, Dave Logan described. He was six four and back then when you were playing corner, when Mel was playing corner Louis in that era, you could rough guys up and he was.
00;53;42;11 - 00;53;47;22
Steve Foley
He had such a big wingspan. He he would play bump and run and you wouldn't get away from him.
00;53;47;22 - 00;53;48;08
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;53;48;10 - 00;54;02;20
Steve Foley
And I walked on a plane. I'm looking on, I'm 62 and I'm looking up and he's got this big cowboy hat on. He goes. And I said, mouse, Steve Foley. And he goes, Steve, y'all got a great team. That was a great game. Has a great game.
00;54;02;20 - 00;54;04;20
Tom Green
He's another. And Steeler Hall of Famer.
00;54;04;20 - 00;54;07;00
Steve Foley
Oh man. He was he was.
00;54;07;03 - 00;54;25;07
Tom Green
I saw a clip this week also I we were talking about the drive in Cleveland. And the week before that you had to beat the Patriots in in Mile-high Stadium. And I remember because I see the clip of you guys are up three late and Rulon Jones goes in and sacks Tony in for a safety to kind of seal the game.
00;54;25;07 - 00;54;40;08
Tom Green
And you always think of you know how history could have changed. You know there might not have been a drive had New England gone down the field and scored there. But but you guys had other things in mind. So many, so many of those great moments that needed other moments to to set them up.
00;54;40;08 - 00;55;12;03
Steve Foley
Yeah, yeah. And you know, usually in a, in a season that, that you're having a great season, you look back and I've heard Sean Payton say that as well. It's a few plays in every game that really make up, wins and losses. And two years ago we were losing all the close games. And this year, you know, Bo Nix found a way to just he's got something in him that turns it on when he needs to have it.
00;55;12;03 - 00;55;19;08
Steve Foley
Yeah. And, that's a great quality. That's a great quality. And we won all the close games pretty much.
00;55;19;11 - 00;55;31;11
Tom Green
What about going into the Ring of Fame? Because the company you keep their is pretty cool. I mean, that's that's a group. To be a member of that club, I imagine has to be has to mean a lot to you.
00;55;31;14 - 00;56;11;01
Steve Foley
You know, it does. You never expected it. And, boy, the the guys in there know I counted as, as a great honor to be in there with with those guys, and, but didn't, didn't expect it. But having, having the record for interceptions and I'm going had this happen, had this happen. But when you play and you give your all and you just play and let the chips fall where they may and again, you know, play for those types of things.
00;56;11;01 - 00;56;15;02
Steve Foley
It was a great blessing. And 100 Foley's.
00;56;15;04 - 00;56;15;24
Tom Green
Yeah.
00;56;15;27 - 00;56;28;06
Steve Foley
That was the proudest that I was. Showed up as a road trip. They go, let's go see Uncle Steve. All the all the nieces and nephews. Let's go see it. Let's have a great, hundred.
00;56;28;09 - 00;56;29;13
Tom Green
That's nice.
00;56;29;16 - 00;56;32;08
Steve Foley
That was that was as good as the award.
00;56;32;08 - 00;56;50;25
Tom Green
Well, the longtime Bronco fans feel the same way they feel of you as family. The Bronco fan has always been one that's embraced the players, but I think the players of that era, you talked about it earlier, people who spent eight, ten, 12 years as a Bronco, you know, that's that's a connection you can't just fabricate.
00;56;50;28 - 00;57;05;21
Steve Foley
Yeah. And, you know, it's forged over time. A lot of a lot of blood, sweat and tears. And, you get to play with the same guys back in that era. It, it's special.
00;57;05;24 - 00;57;25;11
Tom Green
It's when special. Getting to sit and visit with you. I always like our time together. We don't get to do it often enough. But I'm glad you get to share some of these stories. Like, for me, I'd always known you'd played quarterback at Tulane, but going back and doing the research and seeing that you. I mean, you said all the records, they've been broken, but you said all the records when you were a you were a great quarterback at Tulane.
00;57;25;11 - 00;57;34;20
Tom Green
And to come and be a great defensive back and play at the level you did. And it's it's really, really impressive career. And and I think your life as well.
00;57;34;20 - 00;57;39;21
Steve Foley
Well I think I can use that clip and you call me a great quarterback. I'll say, hey Bob.
00;57;39;23 - 00;57;47;13
Tom Green
I told you that was a great he would know what Tom's our expert. Steve, it's great to see it. Thanks a million for great.
00;57;47;13 - 00;57;51;27
Steve Foley
To be here, Tom. Appreciate it. Blessing.
00;57;51;29 - 00;58;03;06
Tom Green
Hopefully you enjoyed my chat with Steve Foley. Just a reminder, coming up in a couple months, he'll be inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. If you have a chance to go to the banquet, it's great fun.
00;58;03;13 - 00;58;20;12
Tom Green
But also, if you ever have time, if you look on the west side of Empower Field, that's where the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame is. It's an opportunity for you to learn more about many of the great athletes and people who've affected sports in Colorado. A chance for you to check it out. Learn a lot. It's really a great place to visit.
00;58;20;15 - 00;58;25;19
Tom Green
That's it for this week's edition of The Other Tom Green Show. Hope to see you back here again next week.