Craig Morton, the quarterback who led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl appearance, died May 9. He was 83.

Morton died surrounded by his loved ones in Mill Valley, California, closing a career that made him one of the defining figures in Broncos history. He was the Broncos' Ring of Fame quarterback and spent six seasons in Denver from 1977 to 1982, after arriving from the Giants following his years with Dallas.

The 1977 season was the peak. Morton guided Denver to a 12-2 record, the franchise’s first playoff appearance and wins in home playoff games against the Steelers and Cowboys. He played through a hip injury in the AFC Championship Game against the rival Raiders and still finished with the season that brought him the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Year award, The Sporting News Player of the Year award, the PFWA Comeback Player of the Year award and the NFL UPI MVP award. Haven Moses said Morton was “unbelievable” and added, “To me he’s the most valuable player in the National Football League this year.”

That run mattered because Denver had never been on that stage before. Morton was the quarterback who carried the Broncos into their first Super Bowl appearance, and his 1977 postseason remains a milestone in team history.

He left Denver with franchise records in passing yards, passing touchdowns, pass attempts and completions, totals that still frame how the team remembers him. Morton finished his Broncos career with 11,895 passing yards, 74 passing touchdowns, 1,594 pass attempts and 907 completions, and his 41 regular-season wins remain the third most in franchise history.

Morton’s path to Denver had already been long. He was the fifth-overall pick in the 1965 NFL Draft, played for the Cowboys from 1965 to 1974 and threw for more than 80 touchdowns and more than 10,000 yards in Dallas before later joining the Giants. Over his career, he threw 183 touchdowns and 27,908 yards and won 81 regular-season games.

His place in the sport had been recognized before his death. Morton was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1986, the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 1988 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992. He played collegiately at the University of California and also played on the school’s baseball team.

Morton is survived by his wife, Kym, his sister, his children and his grandchildren. For Broncos fans, the numbers tell part of the story, but the lasting image is simpler: the quarterback who took Denver somewhere it had never been before, and made it feel possible.