Emma: John Fox's Influence Felt In Super Bowl 50
By Chris Emma--
(CBS) John Elway just couldn't help himself. The man who's made of Teflon in Denver took another jab at his former Broncos coach, John Fox.
Speaking at the new opening night media session of Super Bowl 50 on Monday, Elway expressed why he fired Fox and brought in Gary Kubiak as coach in January 2015.
"This is why we made the decision," Elway said of his Super Bowl surroundings, per The Chicago Sun-Times. "This was the idea -- to get better and get past the first round."
Never mind that Fox had led the Broncos to four straight playoff berths and the Super Bowl just two years ago. The story from Elway has been that the Broncos didn't go out "kicking and screaming" a year ago, a mask for differences between a pair of strong, clashing personalities. Elway didn't like Fox's control of his franchise, which included a strong say in personnel. Fox was fired and landed in Chicago for his third head-coaching project.
Super Bowl 50 brings the narrative of Fox, the Bears coach who last led the Broncos and Panthers before they each dismissed him for their present coaches, Kubiak in Denver and Ron Rivera in Carolina. Jokes have been cracked at the expense of Fox, who led each franchise to the big game during his time as coach.
Frankly, Elway should be giving Fox credit for his trip to Santa Clara, rather than taking shots. The Panthers should be grateful for their winningest coach, too. Fox deserves plenty of praise for helping identify and develop some of the key players participating in Super Bowl 50.
The longest-tenured player for either team is Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis, now in his 11th season with the team. He was drafted by Fox's regime in 2005, a defensive back prospect out of Georgia who Carolina envisioned at linebacker.
Davis was selected with the 14th overall pick and blossomed into an elite player, with more than 100 tackles in each of the last four seasons. In the third round of that same draft, the Panthers selected guard Evan Mathis, a two-time Pro Bowl selection now with the Broncos.
Elway was the man who oversaw the hiring of Fox in 2011, fresh off his dismissal from Carolina. Fox's track record of building playoff teams was intriguing to a Broncos franchise seeking a run of postseason success.
Much of the Broncos' roster features players whom Fox had a strong say in selecting -- many of whom were overlooked by other teams. Denver did well with its first-round picks in Fox's tenure, selecting star edge rusher Von Miller No. 2 overall in 2011 and following with defensive tackle Sylvester Williams in 2013 and cornerback Bradley Roby in 2014.
In 2012, Denver identified defensive tackle and first-round talent Derek Wolfe as a second-round steal. He's now a three-year starter and defensvie standout. Linebacker Danny Trevathan went off the board 188th overall in the sixth round, and he had 109 tackles this season.
Fox's impact in Denver wasn't only in the scouting process. He played a role in some key signings. Sure, the additions of Peyton Manning and DeMarcus Ware were obvious, but some of the Broncos' most important pieces were largely unheralded signings brought to the team in Fox's regime.
Broncos running back C.J. Anderson made the Pro Bowl in 2014 as a third-year undrafted free agent out of California. Standout linebacker Brandon Marshall was signed to the Denver practice squad in 2013 and now has 215 tackles in his past two seasons as a starter. Chris Harris Jr., an undrafted free agent from Kansas, joined the Broncos' roster on a virtual tryout the day before training camp in 2011.
Around the NFL, Fox and his coaching staffs are often credited with outstanding player development. They're able to take projects and turn them into Pro Bowl stars. Over time, Fox is able to shape rosters into something better.
While the Panthers bottomed out at 2-14 in 2010, they were 12-4 and in the divisional round just two seasons prior. Fox was the man who brought a fledgling franchise from humble beginnings to sustained success. He guided the team to three playoff berths and Carolina's first Super Bowl appearance in its ninth year of team existence.
Fox's fingerprints are all over a Broncos roster that recorded its worst season in franchise history prior to his entrance in 2011. He was part of selecting a core of talent that brought Denver back to glory, now with playoff berths in each of the last five seasons.
Leave it to Elway for a few jabs at Fox, but there's no denying what he did to help mold these teams into Super Bowl form.
Chris Emma covers the Chicago sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.