FLOWERY BRANCH – Jason Elam, one of the great kickers of the modern era, was voted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.
Elam, who played at Brookwood High and finished his career with the Falcons in 2008 and 2009, will be inducted during halftime of a to-be-determined Broncos home game this season.
Elam played 15 of his 17 NFL seasons with the Broncos and is the franchise’s all-time leader in field goals (395) and points (1,786). Elam won two Super Bowls (1997, 1998) with the Broncos, was selected to three Pro Bowls (1995, 1998, 2001) and was named the NFL’s 2001 special-teams player of the year.
He retired in 2010 after signing a one-day contract with the Broncos with and 80.7 career field-goal percentage (436-of-540) and 99.4 points-after-touchdowns percentage (675-of-679) for 1,983 points.
He also finished his Denver career second in 50-yard field goals (37) in NFL history, including a 63-yarder against Jacksonville in 1998 that tied the league record.
“A huge honor,” said Elam, who lives in Charlotte, N.C., and is working toward his doctorate in theology, told the Denver Post. “Probably the biggest individual honor I’ve ever received. … To think of the people that are in the Ring of Fame, I don’t think I should be named with those people. So to have that honor and to have that appreciation from the selection committee and from the Broncos is incredible.”
Elam helped to revive the Falcons in 2008 during their improbable run to the playoffs in coach Mike Smith’s first season.
He made 29 of 31 field goals with a long of 50 yards. He also made 42 of 42 extra points.
Elam made a 48-yarder to beat the Bears as the Falcons rallied with 11 seconds to play Oct 12, 2008 to move to 4-2.
Later in the season, he added a 34-yard field goal in overtime to beat Tampa Bay and improve to 9-5 on Dec. 14, 2008.
In 2009, Elam’s game started to slip after he made 12 of 19 field-goal attempts and 32 of 33 extra-point attempts, and he elected to retire.
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